"What a nuisance! Ask Jane to give up for once; you're always obliging her."
"No, I can't do that, John, for cook is not best pleased, and Jane doesn't go the way to manage her."
"I'll go and give cook the length of my tongue, I declare," said John, angrily.
"Now you'll do nothing of the sort. You'll go and spend the evening with your brother, and give him my kind regards, and be sure and bring me back all the news." So saying, Ruth gave John a bright decided nod, and whisked back into the kitchen.
"What do you think of that, cook? the unreasonableness of men!"
"What's up now?" asked cook, who was bending with a gloomy face over preparations for an elaborate supper.
"Why, John wanted me to go home with him to-night, and didn't see why I couldn't, though I told him how busy we should be."
"It's quite enough to have one of you gadding out and filling my hands with your work," growled cook.
"Yes, it's too bad, but we'll manage well enough without Jane; let me help you mix that, now," and Ruth took the basin, and with deft fingers, which cook secretly admired, beat the compound it contained till it was pronounced "just the thing."
Notwithstanding her brightness and ready surrender of an evening's pleasure, Ruth watched John go off with a keen feeling of disappointment, and for some minutes there was silence in the room.