Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-02-28
THE OLD
BLUE-WILLOW
PLATTER
90 by D. =. waish.l


N the yellow slip Of paper In her
" purse half so much II II hadn't
been such bleak, dreary day.
And like ray Of sunshine out OF all
the darkness she saw the window with
the lovely old blue-willow platter.
Ever since she had found her flrst JOB,
Norma had been hunting up old pieces
of blue-willow ware toward the de-
lightful end Of one day owning
complete set of the lustrous. shining
blue stuff
And there, resting on edge between
two tall, dlgnifed candlesticks was
the very platter Norma had been wish
ing for, and wanting so long. Forgot
ten was the hateful little slip OF yell
low paper: forgotten the serious fact
that she was again jobless and from
the only job. too. that she had ever
truly lovedi Nothing mattered, now,
but that gorgeous bit Of blue-willow
ware, and with Spartan courage, Nor
ma Underwood grasped her purse with
its last pay envelope and the hateful
little yellow discharge slip as well,
and marching into the softly-lit shop,
asked the price Of the dainty, quantity
shaped, square oblong platter.
That 1t cost the savings Of whole
month Of stinting and penny-pinching
did but endear It the more to Norma's
heart and she hugged the precious pur-
chase tightly to her breast and hur.
ried homeward through the fast-fall-
ing, drear November dusk. And so
enthralled was she with her newly &C.
quired treasure that for once In her
life Norma Underwood failed to look
through the plate glass corner WIN
dows Of Broadway department store
to see If anyone was coming around
the corner from the other street-and
thereby met her downfalll
For Briee Atterbury was hurrying
home through the dim, chilly dusk,
too, and was conscious Of the weari-
ness, defeat and despair that comes to
young men who are battling terrific
odds-and losing dailyi And he was
hurrying with down-bent head, uncon.
scious Of anything but the cold, his
WEAKNESS and despair. gasp. a
startled exclamation, and then the soft
tears Of young girl crying bitterly,
as Brice stared stupldly from Norma
to the shattered platter lying In bits
of brilliant colored ruin on the cement
pavement between theml
please I'm so terribly sorry !
II you'll just stop crying, we'll go at
once and find another just like It, !"
begged the sincerely sorry young man.
and Norma raised tear-drenched eyes
to him, surprised that anyone else
should have such WEAKNESS and de.
lection stamped upon his face.
/ "ThIs ID the shop" offered Norma
family. "but you mustn't think OF buy
ing another. You've really no idea
how costly It was!"
"Just as II mere money mattered
now remarked the young man bitter
ly, and Norma raised swiftly apprais-
ing eyes to his face to wonder at the
bitterness and defeat she saw etched
there.
"Surely there are things besides
money" she said, trying to comfort
him, for somehow there is a vast fra
ternIty In true misery Of spirit.
"Not now: not any morei" he said,
sharply, his voice almost q gasp of
pain as he started into the softly 1T
shop. "You see. after this week there
won't be any Atterbury & Co., Inn
porters. They've got me against the
wall, and I'm darned II ! stand and
let them tack my pride and hide az
well to the doorP'
"Why. why, that was what was
crying about was fred this after
nOon-dlscharged from Atterbury &
Co.--and I wasn't told why or any
thlngt"
"You7 Why, you never worked for
me. never saw you before in my
life" exclaimed the amazed Mr.. At
terbury. staring at her as though in
truth he had never seen her before.
"Oh, yes; was In the packing
room. packed all the lovely china
for shipping But, of course, you never
saw me. Why should the great Mr..
HtNCfDuhy 8tC ViG vi uth HuulUlE
clerksT and It was Brice's turn to
think up something comforting to say
now.
$50 sorry" said the suave clerk,
shat blue-will0w platter was the last
we had on hand and, defeated they
turned regretfully and plunged into
the chill, drear dusk again.
Norma protested against the taxi
sc0lded Brice for being extravagant
when he should be marshaling his
every force to fight till the last gun
was fired.
Laughing, he discharged the man
with quarter tip for his trouble, and
together they caught subway train
to Brooklyn, the girl stealing shy
glances at the lean, stern profile so
near her that she could smell the
pungent aroma Of fine cigars from his
coat; the man covertly watching the
play Of expressions on the soft, mobile
face so close TO his own as he held
to strap above her seat.
II know Of a place where we can
find platter like the one you want,
! thInkw came CHEEKY masculine
voice over the wire half an hour later.
and delighted, Norma agreed TO be
ready In twenty minutes and hung up.
not nearly so discouraged as jObless.
nearly broke girl should be.
Hop In and ri tuck this fur robe
about you" commanded Brlce a while
later as he stood by the open door of
his smart roadster In front OF Normn's
roomlng house.
III seems shameful; to let you trouble