ntleman said cordially, "All in good
time. We shall not starve even if we get no spoons," she curled her lip
disdainfully, and murmured that she had always been accustomed to the
conveniences of life, and found it somewhat difficult to do without
them.

When one is in the mood for grumbling there is no easier thing in the
world than to find food for that spirit, and Ruth continued her pastime,
waxing louder and more decided after the genial old man had left their
neighborhood.

"What is the use in fault-finding?" Eurie said at last, half petulantly.
She was growing very tired of this exhibition. "What did you expect?
They are doing as well as they can, without any doubt. Just imagine what
it must be to get conveniences together for this vast crowd. They did
not expect anything like such a large attendance at first; I heard them
say so and that makes it harder to wait upon them. But of course they
are doing just as well as they can, and we fare as well as any of them."

"Don't you be so foolish as to believe that," Ruth said, with a curling
lip. "If you could see behind the scenes you would soon discover
something very different. That is why it is so provoking to me. Let
people who cannot afford to pay any better take such as they can get.
But what right had they to suppose that we had not the money to pay for
what we wish? I'm sure _I'm_ not a pauper! You will find that there is
a place where the select few can get what they want, and have it served
in a respectable manner, and I say I don't like it; I have been
accustomed to the decencies of life."

Just behind them the talk was going on unceasingly, and one voice, at
this point, rising higher than the others, caught the attention of our
girls. Eurie turned suddenly and tried to catch a glimpse of the
speaker. Something in the voice sounded natural. A sudden movement on
the part of the gentleman between them and she caught a glimpse of the
face. She turned back eagerly.

"Girls, that is Mrs. Schuyler Germain!"

"Where?" Ruth asked, with sudden interest in her voice.

"Over at that table, in a water-proof cloak and black straw hat, and
eating boiled potatoes with a steel fork. What about being behind the
scenes now, Ruthie?"

To fully appreciate this you must understand that even among the
Erskines to get as high as Mrs. Schulyer Germain was to get as high as
the aristocracy of this world reached; not that she lived in any grander
style than the Erskines, or s