The Norwoods were ill prepared, however, for the frail spiritual looking creature who met them at the door. "Beg pardon," said Ruth, "perhaps you are not well enough to receive us. I have heard about you and have been wanting to come and see you ever since; but I thought you had so many friends--and better ones--at least those who could do more for you. You are well acquainted with the Schwarmers, of course. Miss Schwarmer is lovely and she spoke to me so kindly about you." "Yes," replied Mrs. Langley, "Miss Adelaide is very, very kind and as good and honest as she can be and she did help me all she could, bless her heart, in deed and word; but she had to go away and it seemed as though nobody else knew just how I felt, and she so young too--the others made fun of me." Tears came into the hollow eyes as she stopped speaking. "Made fun of you?" questioned Ruth, looking at Ralph wonderingly. "O! the brutes!" he exclaimed, angrily. He could not trust himself to say more. He wanted to ask who the brutes were and why her husband did not resent such cruel insult? "I suppose I _was_ foolish," she said apologetically. "Even my husband can't quite understand why I was so frightened--frightened out of my wits, he says; nor why I can't get over it. Why I want to go away from this place. He hired to Mr. Schwarmer for three years and he can't go and it wouldn't do to quarrel with him. Poor James! He works hard all day and is so tired at night; and night is the time I feel the terror coming on!" Ruth gave a little sob. "I can understand you, dear Mrs. Langley. It's the horrible fireworks and their promoters you are afraid of, and you are afraid they will come again. I used to feel that way until we went to work to get rid of them; but you are helpless here on the Schwarmer grounds. Then there's the new building. Have you any idea what use that will be put to?" "My husband talks of beautiful horses and races and fairs and things of that kind, but I have my fears. I know they won't let Fourth of July pass without doing something dreadful; but I shan't be here then." Ruth knew that she meant that she expected to die before that time, but she would not take it so. "Indeed you must not stay here. You must come over and stay with us. We are not going to have any of those horrible things. You must come, you and the children, too; if you do not come of your own accord, we will come and take you away," laughed Ruth. Mrs. Langley promised to come and Ruth and Ralph went home far better pleased than they would have been if they had been returning bridal calls in the ordinary stereotyped fashion. CHAPTER XVII. THE QUERY. RUTH'S DOG DOMBEY BRINGS HER A NOTE.