Darling Ruth? (4)
I believe the answer is:
babe
I believe this clue is a double definition.
'darling' is the first definition.
(thesaurus)
'ruth?' is the second definition.
('Babe Ruth' can be a synonym of 'ruth')
(Other definitions for babe that I've seen before include "Term of endearment" , "one up in arms" , "Darling" , "One of the little people" , "& 3 Down Famous baseball player" .)