The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-10-13

| door open, waiting for them to de- scend.
 "You can put the car up. Mrs Travers told him as she swept for ward. q won't need it again." | The haze of unreality faded be- fore Norma. The brick mansion was as forbidding as it had been when she had visited it before but it was real enough. Tompkins. a servant whose face she remem- bered, met them in the hall. Have there been any mes- sages?" Mrs Travers demanded. 1 Did anyone call?"
 "No, Madam"
 The older woman turned toward | Norma. "Tompkins will show you your room," she said. Its in the. west wing and hope you'll find it comfortable. Your trunk should be there by this time" It was the expression on the mans face that made her check the words and add, Well, Tompkins? What is it?" Excuse me, Madam, but the trunk has not come.'
 What? But I left orders-!" "A man from the transfer com pany telephoned. He said there was no trunk at that address" Mrs Travers whirled. Appar- ently interference with arrange ments she had planned irritated her. There's been a mistake" she announced. There must have been a trunk there!'
 Norma had found her voice. "It doesn't matter" she said. "I'll see about it tomorrow"
 "Very we'll" Mrs Travers agreed. But I wouldn't put it off until to- m orrow if I were you. They're frightfully careless, you know. There's a chance you'll never even see your things"
 "I'll take care of it." Norma as- sured her "If you don't mind I'd like to go to my room now"
 "Of course. Will you come down for tea or would you like 1t sent up to you?"
 "I don't believe I care for any, thank you. I thought I'd lie down a little while."
 "Very we'll. Dinners at 7:30. Ring for Isabel if there's anything you want, my dear. Show her up- stairs, Tompkins.'
 The girl found herself following | BULL, dllo" down a long hall. The room before i which they stopped was the small est she had seen in the Travers home. It was simply decorated. "Comfortable," as Mrs Travers had suggested, but certainly not of the style to be expected in such a dwelling.
 Tompkins apparently thought the same thing. It was plain he did not regard Norma as worthy of the solicitous manner in which he ad- dressed Mrs Travers. Your room." he said shortly, and that was all.
 Thank you" Norma entered and closed the door behind her. There were two windows, both on the south. They looked out over the garage and a stretch of lawn at the rear of the house. There was door in one wall. Norma opened it and found a clothes closet. She moved to one of the windows and looked out.
 Suddenly the girl sank to the edge of the bed and hid her face
 "Oh, Mark" she sobbed. Mark l-come back to mel"
 Stealthily Norma opened the door leading into the hall. Lights were burning at the far end of the corridor. There was no one in sight.
 She held her purse closely under her arm, stepped itno the hall and closed the door quietly. Her foot steps made no sound on the thick carpet. She walked to the top of the stairs and hesitated. Then she went down two steps and heard the wood creak under her. No other sound came though she waited. Norma peered over the bannister searching for Tompkins. He must be in another part of the house. The girl paused long enough for a sharp intake of breath then went on quickly. She reached the ground floor. Clear sailing! Neither be seen.
 She crossed the hallway and pulled open the outer door. As 1t closed after her there was rus tling sound behind but she did not turn.
 Outside Norma felt the cold air strike her cheeks gratefully. She walked as swiftly as she could. not once glancing backward. By turn ing to the left a tall hedge arose to shield her from view of the Travers home. Still she walked rapidly, almost running. It was only little after six but | the December twilight spread heavy shadows across the street. | Norma walked a block, two blocks. with little notion of the direction | in which she was heading. She was not familiar with this part of Marlboro. The streets were strange and they wound about irregularly. Houses were set far back from the sidewalks. She was searching for a car line but none came in sight. She must have walked half an hour before she stopped uncertainty at street intersection. The night wind was cold now. The girl drew her coat closer, shivering. It was a suit coat, not warm enough for Decem- | Der.
 A block away she could see the gleaming lights of motor traffic. Suddenly a vehicle bulkier than the others loomed in sight. The Laurel Park bus line! With warm eager ness Norma hurried toward the lights. She was too late for the first bus, waited for the next.
 Do you go to Eighth street?" she asked the driver when she had climbed on board.
 "No ma'am. Broad streets as far as we go. You can get transfer"
 Thank you" said Norma. She took the slip of pink paper and