The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-09-19

InlS IS the beginning of weel of whiriwind courtship. Norms finds herself head-over-heeIs fl love but thinks she must sen, Travers away when he asks hel to marry him because of som, secret of the past. Chris know! this secret, and declares that i Norma loves Trayers all else i, unimpOrtant. Mark is invited tt dinner at the apartment.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER x.
 The vegetable. trays looked fresh ana inviting with crisp curling lettuce, crimson radishel and ivory-white heads of cabbage Peas and spinach added grada tions of green to the picture ani a mound of oranges on the shel above who arranged these ware. each morning had an eye for color Norma Kent lifted a head O. lettuce to see if it was solid. Sht made her selections briskly ant the white-coated clerk wrapped the packages. Norma was en gagged in mental arithmetic, at tht same time trying to list the task! before her and the order in whicf to attack them.
 She paid her bill and left tho store with arms bulging with bag and bundles. There was no time to wait for the grocer's unreliabl, delivery system to function. Letting herself into the apart ment building required almost { vaudeville balancing act. Sh, shifted the packages so as to fire, her right hand and foraged in he purse for the key. Another shif when the door was opened ant Norma started up the stairs.
 The two flights had nevel seemed longer. At last, breath less, the girl reached the thirt floor front. She turned the ke. and the door swung open. Thank goodness Helga hat done the cleaning! Norma pu down her packages. threw off he hat and coat and tucked them ou of sight in the clothes closet. Sh, thrust an enveloping apron ovel her head and set to work.
 There was so much to do anC so little time in, which to do it Barely an hour earlier Chris haC telephoned that she was delayed at the office. She would hurr. along as soon as possible but il the meantime Norma must pre- pare the vegetables and put then on to cook, chill salad, set thu table and have everything read! so that at the last minute thu chops could be broiled. Cookin. an entire dinner on a two-burne gas stove was a matter for exper timing. Norma was not sure O herself in such matter as Chri was. She could manage eacl kask by itself but jumbling then together confused her.
 She began with the least conse huential-flowers for the table All the way from a cut-rate floris shop down town she had carried a 25-cent bunch of blue asters Mark, seeing a basket of sucl blossoms in a shop window a fev nights before, had declared tha no flowers on earth could equa the glorious azure of Norma eyes. The asters, he said, onl. showed how foolish it was fo them to try. Thereby in the secre treasure place of Norma's hear blue asters had become enshrined The flowers went into cold wa ter in a squat pottery vace. Norm; Tipped the cover rom the gate-lei
 table and opened it out to its ful size. She discovered that Helga' dusting had, as usual, been don
 in slap dash fashion. There was n
 time to go over the whole room
 but the more fglaring omission
 must be remedied.
 Another bother! There wasn'
 a dust cloth to be found in tn
 bag where such things wege sup
 posed to be kept. Why did every
 thing always go wrong when any
 one was in a hurry? Beach min
 ute that flew by increased tn
 girls nervousness. Norma was &
 anxious to-night's dinner shoul
 be a success! She wanted tn
 apartment to look its best, tn
 food to be delicious, the whol
 affair to be the gayest. happies
 little party she and Chris ha'
 ever given.
 What could be keeping Chris 8
 long? Perhaps she had starte
 now. would be there any minute
 oh. of course she must hay
 started.
 Norma looked at her watch
 Five minutes past six. Luckil
 Mark had been invited for seve
 o'clock. Norma told herself tha
 H she would only be calm, tax
 Things quietly, there would b
 dme enough. Shed do the vege
 fables, then set the table and tr
 no steal a few minutes to freshe
 np after the long day in the office
 At least dash cold water on he
 face and then some powder. Tn
 old blue chiffon which had see
 two summers wear was all righ
 by 1amplight. The dress wa
 made with short sleeves an
 seemed "partified".
 Firmly Norma held a potato 1
 her left hand, bringing the shar
 paring knife forward in vindie
 five slash. The knife sliped an
 with a little cry Norma saw
 Nayering line Of crimson stai
 her fingers. It wasn't a deep ct
 f-3ust another five minutes of ds
 lay hunting for gauge and adht
 well" thought the girl phile
 eophicaily, 'the foods here.
 Asn't know when 1t will be read
 or whether we'll be able to ei
 It at all unless Chris shows '