Smyrna times., 1931-07-15
WEEKLY SOCIETY STORY FOR
EVENING ROUND THE LAMP
READING TO WHILE AWAY
TIME AFTER DAYS CHORES
an Interesting Short Story Writ
ten by Jane Osborn

IL of thrill of satisfaction the
first time the newcomer, Martha
Ives, was seated beside him at the
boarding house. 1t wasn't a case
of love at first sight, but Harry
did feel a kind of yearning to tell
the rest of the boarding house
crowd that here was girl he really
admired.
The remarks exchanged between
Martha and Henry were fragment
ary. He told her with some apol-
ogies that he had hardware store.
He tried to find out what she did,
but she just said she worked in
an Office" Then one of the board
ers let it drop that this Martha
worked as an editor of the Home
Helper-most popular woman's
magazine among the feminine con-
tingency Of the boarding house.
But Martha would not discuss her
editorial work.
Henry felt a deep desire to read
anything that Martha might have
written or even anything that Mar
tina might have edited; so since
Martha would not discuss her work
he read every word of the maya
zine that nearly put him to sleep
as he sat in his room before re-
firing.
One day at dinner Henry was
wishing that he was glib sort of
man who could chatter idly with
girl until somehow he had brought
up the question of the new plays,
and had asked her to go to see a
show with him-or else that Mar
tha was little more talkative. He
had eaten his tablespoonful or SO
of lukewarm soup, had managed to
eat the corned beef, cabbage and
mashed turnips, and was now won
dering whether there would be
lemon meringue pie or Brown Bet
ty. Idly he pushed a few durable
looking pieces of lettuce, two thin
slices of anemic tomato and dab
Of very stiff, very pale mayonnaise.
"Oh, you ought to eat your salad,'
reproved Martha. II noticed that
you have pushed it back before
and | intend to scold you. You
won't have enough vitamins unless
you eat something fresh and
green"
Henry's heart missed a beat or
two. To think that this wonder
full girl actually noticed what he
ate or didn't eat-to think that she
was Interested So they fell to
talking of salad. Henry said he
liked a good sSlad, all made with
nice, crisp, curly lettuce leaves,
with a well-mixed french dressing,
but that he could get along without
this boarding house mixture.
After dinner when Martha and
Henry had gone TO their respec-
tive rooms they both thought about
salad.
Weeks sped on and the acquaint-
ance ripened. very, very slowly.
Henry Thatcher ate his lettuce, de
voutly. 10 matter how tough and
green the leaves were that fell to
his lot. Meantime they sat side
by side, and each wished that the
other was little more responsive.
Then on opening a new issue of
the Home Helper, Henry Thatcher
turned to a full page devoted to
the merits of salads. He thought
he detected some suggestion of
Martha's personality in the wording
of 1t. There was a discussion of
various sorts of salads, and finally
an offer of a hundred-dollar prize
for an original salad that in the
estimation of the editors was the
best submitted. A month later when
the contest closed Henry Thatcher
was much surprised to have Martha
Ives rap at his door and ask to
talk with him privately In one of
the parlors below stairs.
She told him of their salad con-
test. "We had a clerk open mail
from all contestants and copy the
recipes without letting US editors
see the name or address of the per-
son. We didn't want to be preju-
diced In any way. After long delib-
Grafton we decided on your salad!
After we had narrowed down to
twenty-five we had them all made
and tasted them, and your salad
was chosen by unanimous vote-be-
fore we even knew that man had
originated 1t. The mixture of grape
fruit and picked beets-and that
delicious dressing-was wonderful
How did you ever think of itT"
Henry Thatcher looked fused
looked at he ceiling and then
looked at Martha. "Well, / just
made it up out of whole CLOTH" be
said. I'D no idea what 1t would
taste like. l just read recipe
book and found out what sort of
things had been used together be
fore and made up something a lit.
tie different. 1t might have tasted
like the dickens"
But it didn't" said Martha. "And
the hundred-dollar prize is coming
to you. You'll get it In the morn
ing mail"
''If had my way" he said, "thai
hundred dollars would go with
few hundred besides to bvy an en-
gagement ring for the girl am in.
tending to marry"
"Why-how - how interesting
said Martha, trying not to look an
noyed. but not succeeding. 81 am
sure she is charming young lady,"
You bet she's charming" said
Henry. ''But I'm not engaged. !
haven't had the nerve to propose.
You see, the girl I want to marry
sits next to me at my boarding