Come Out the Wilderness Summary

A young black woman is living with a white artist named Paul. This girl, Ruth Bowman, is aware that Paul is on the verge of leaving her. Paul spends many nights out with his friends and she suspects he shares his time with other women. They talk that morning, nicely, but Ruth feels that Paul's suggestion that he paint her is just his way of building courage to tell her it is over.

Ruth is at work. Ruth works at an insurance company that just recently began employing blacks. Ruth and Mr. Davis, a man in an important position, are the only blacks who work there. Ruth listens to the other secretaries talk about Mr. Davis, wondering if he is married, and wonders what they would think if they knew about Paul. As Ruth waits for Paul...