Chapter 4 Summary

Leaving Ellis House, Ruth searches for her father and finds him drinking with Angus. Stan does not care with whom she spends her time. Angus is a bully and a bigot but not a hypocrite and Ruth likes him. Declining to hire Ruth as a sternman, Angus explains how he needs to keep his costs down to care for his brother and Cookie, whom he hates. While Angus is a slob, Simon keeps the house immaculate and cares for Angus better than any wife would. Ruth tells Stan about meeting Lanford and brings up the sore subject of her mother. Seeing the money, Angus demands that Ruth return it and rants against the Ellis family for butting into people's business. Stan angers Angus by ordering him to shut up and declining to comment on Ruth's visit.

As the daughter of an orphan and...