and Phoebe had been.
For a moment, sadness descended. Ruthie missed the former chambermaid. The past week of cleaning rooms on her own had been so lonely. But she didn’t begrudge Phoebe’s decision to marry her beau and take care of her own little house instead of hotel rooms. Someday Ruthie hoped to have the same chance for marriage, when God deemed it time, but for now she could pay her own way and even share with Mama and Papa every month. Papa’s preacher salary barely stretched to cover the family’s needs. How it pleased her to help. Thank You, dear Lord!
She kept her key hanging on a chain around her neck where she wouldn’t lose it. She eased the chain from beneath her uniform bodice and bent forward to unlock the door. Still humming “Bringing in the Sheaves,” one of Papa’s favorites and hers, too, because it skipped happily along the notes rather than slogging, she stepped into the room and aimed herself for the wardrobe, where her fresh aprons waited.
But her humming abruptly stopped when she nearly stumbled over a satchel lying at the foot of the bed—evidence that indeed the new chambermaid had arrived. She searched the room for other indications of another’s presence, and she spotted a pair of legs stretching across the short expanse of floor between the edge of the wardrobe and the bed. Stifling a giggle, Ruthie rounded the bed and crouched next to the stocking-covered legs and pair of black boots with the feet lying slack so the toes pointed in opposite directions.
Leaning forward a bit, she peered into the corner. The giggle she’d pushed down moments ago found its way from her throat, and the girl asleep in the corner opened her eyes with a start. Ruthie stuck out her hand. “Hello there. I’m Ruthie. You must be the new chambermaid. But what are you doing there in the corner?” She tittered and couldn’t resist teasing. “When my little brothers are hiding in a corner, it’s because they’ve done something wrong and they don’t want Mama or Papa to find them. Have you done something wrong?”
The girl scrambled upright with a flurry of ruffly petticoats and calico skirts, but she remained pressed into the narrow slice of space behind the wardrobe and watched Ruthie with wary blue eyes. She didn’t speak.
Ruthie straightened, uncertain how to proceed. Such a peculiar girl … “You are the new chambermaid, aren’t you?” Maybe this girl had sneaked in and really was hiding. Two months ago a man had managed to hide out for two days in the hotel without paying a dime. The sheriff arrested him for loitering. Ruthie hoped she wouldn’t have to turn this girl in as a loiterer.
The girl gave a slow nod.
Relieved, Ruthie smiled. “What’s your name?”
“D-Dinah.”
“Dinah! Your name is Dinah?” Ruthie could hardly believe it. “Why, my little sister—she’s five and is the cutest little girl you’ve ever seen—is named Dinah June. I was named for my grandmother, but my mama is Leah and my papa is Jacob, and they said they had to have a little girl named Dinah since the Leah and Jacob of the Bible had one. They had five boys before they had another girl—my mama and papa, I mean, not the Bible people—and they were so happy when God blessed them with little Dinah.”
The chambermaid Dinah was staring at Ruthie in complete confusion.
Ruthie laughed. “I’m sorry. My folks scold me all the time about talking too much, but I can’t seem to help myself. My head is full of ideas and thoughts, and my mouth is never reluctant to share them.” She caught Dinah’s hand and gave a light tug. “Come on out of the corner. There’s no need to hide.”
The new girl stepped out of the shadowy space. She pulled her hand from Ruthie’s grasp and put it behind her back, as if protecting it. “I’m not hiding.” Her tone held a hint of defensiveness.
“I didn’t intend to insult. But I’ve never found anyone sleeping in a corner that way, although a missionary to
For a moment, sadness descended. Ruthie missed the former chambermaid. The past week of cleaning rooms on her own had been so lonely. But she didn’t begrudge Phoebe’s decision to marry her beau and take care of her own little house instead of hotel rooms. Someday Ruthie hoped to have the same chance for marriage, when God deemed it time, but for now she could pay her own way and even share with Mama and Papa every month. Papa’s preacher salary barely stretched to cover the family’s needs. How it pleased her to help. Thank You, dear Lord!
She kept her key hanging on a chain around her neck where she wouldn’t lose it. She eased the chain from beneath her uniform bodice and bent forward to unlock the door. Still humming “Bringing in the Sheaves,” one of Papa’s favorites and hers, too, because it skipped happily along the notes rather than slogging, she stepped into the room and aimed herself for the wardrobe, where her fresh aprons waited.
But her humming abruptly stopped when she nearly stumbled over a satchel lying at the foot of the bed—evidence that indeed the new chambermaid had arrived. She searched the room for other indications of another’s presence, and she spotted a pair of legs stretching across the short expanse of floor between the edge of the wardrobe and the bed. Stifling a giggle, Ruthie rounded the bed and crouched next to the stocking-covered legs and pair of black boots with the feet lying slack so the toes pointed in opposite directions.
Leaning forward a bit, she peered into the corner. The giggle she’d pushed down moments ago found its way from her throat, and the girl asleep in the corner opened her eyes with a start. Ruthie stuck out her hand. “Hello there. I’m Ruthie. You must be the new chambermaid. But what are you doing there in the corner?” She tittered and couldn’t resist teasing. “When my little brothers are hiding in a corner, it’s because they’ve done something wrong and they don’t want Mama or Papa to find them. Have you done something wrong?”
The girl scrambled upright with a flurry of ruffly petticoats and calico skirts, but she remained pressed into the narrow slice of space behind the wardrobe and watched Ruthie with wary blue eyes. She didn’t speak.
Ruthie straightened, uncertain how to proceed. Such a peculiar girl … “You are the new chambermaid, aren’t you?” Maybe this girl had sneaked in and really was hiding. Two months ago a man had managed to hide out for two days in the hotel without paying a dime. The sheriff arrested him for loitering. Ruthie hoped she wouldn’t have to turn this girl in as a loiterer.
The girl gave a slow nod.
Relieved, Ruthie smiled. “What’s your name?”
“D-Dinah.”
“Dinah! Your name is Dinah?” Ruthie could hardly believe it. “Why, my little sister—she’s five and is the cutest little girl you’ve ever seen—is named Dinah June. I was named for my grandmother, but my mama is Leah and my papa is Jacob, and they said they had to have a little girl named Dinah since the Leah and Jacob of the Bible had one. They had five boys before they had another girl—my mama and papa, I mean, not the Bible people—and they were so happy when God blessed them with little Dinah.”
The chambermaid Dinah was staring at Ruthie in complete confusion.
Ruthie laughed. “I’m sorry. My folks scold me all the time about talking too much, but I can’t seem to help myself. My head is full of ideas and thoughts, and my mouth is never reluctant to share them.” She caught Dinah’s hand and gave a light tug. “Come on out of the corner. There’s no need to hide.”
The new girl stepped out of the shadowy space. She pulled her hand from Ruthie’s grasp and put it behind her back, as if protecting it. “I’m not hiding.” Her tone held a hint of defensiveness.
“I didn’t intend to insult. But I’ve never found anyone sleeping in a corner that way, although a missionary to
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