Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-08-13
Surprising Events
BY BARBARA ANN BENEDICT
g Associated Newspapers.
WNU Service.

So1 GIL dSllVeneSS Sne WOulQ PROD
ably have had no trouble In de-
vising some means to win the at
tention of handsome and much-de-
sired Chef Shields. But Thelma
was an idealist, a dreamer of
dreams, a builder of air castles.
Mentally she belonged to the era
OF gallant knights and snow-white
chargers and high romance.
Chef Shields was advertising
manager of the Russell department
store, where Thelma was employed
as secretary. He was young for
the position. At first there had
been doubts in older heads regard
ing his ability to fulfill such a re-
sponsible job, doubts which Mr..
Shields banished during the first
six months of his employment by
an amazing display of ingenuity.
Besides being young and sue
cessful, Mr.. Shields was strikingly
handsome and possessed of a
charming personality. Each morn
ing when he strobe through the Of
fee where Thelma and thirteen fe-
male co-workers labored over their
typewriters, the course of his prog
ress was watched by adoring and
wistful eyes. At first Thelma had
watched too, though her expression
contained less of alteration and
more of hope, for during the
months that followed the first mo-
ment she had observed young Mr..
Shields, hope fiuttered in her
breast. Hope that one day ne
would notice her; hope that he
might single her out from the four
teen Office girls.
But young Mr.. Shields looked
through and not at her, as he did
the other thirteen.
And so at last the hope died in
Thelma's breast. She realized the
folly of her own idle dreams. She
was fool. 1t was better, much
better, to be like the other thirteen,
to realize that she didn't have
chance with young Mr.. Shields.
And so Thelma tried to put her
idol from her mind.
And then, a month after Thelma
came to this momentous decision,
something very surprising hap
pened. Meticulous, be-spectacled,
forty-year-old Miss MacReady was
promoted from her position as Sec
rotary to young Mr.. Shields to a
similar position in the service Of
Mr.. Harrison, vice-president. And
Thelma was offered Miss Mac
Ready's former post.
The advancement bewildered
her. Chaotic thoughts rushed
through her mind. Hope fiuttered
once more in her breast. Every
day of every week she was now to
be thrown into close contact with
her god. She was to wait on him,
serve him, converse with him.
On Monday of the next week
Thelma assumed her new duties.
With pounding heart she awaited
the arrival of young Mr.. Shields.
And when he finally came, because
of the way he looked at her, she
thought she was going to faint. But
she didn't. She managed an OUT
ward composure, took down the let
tiers he dictated, typed them, made
telephone calls, arranged for ap-
pointments, consulted clients. She
did it all for a week, conscious Of
a great joy, a blissful feeling Of
ecstasy, provoked by nothing more
than an opportunity to be Of serv-
ice to the man who was the idol Of
her dreams, even though his re-
gard Of her seemed as mechanical
and businesslike as heretofore.
And then, entirely without warn
ing, Chef Shields asked her to have
dinner with him. He yelled the
invitation with some talk of busi-
ness proposition about which he
wanted her advice, but Thelma
wasn't fooled. She knew his mo-
tive, and she was bewildered by it.
The first dinner led to others, to
theaters and night clubs and Sun
day drives and talks of poetry and
all the other things that two young
people who are in love are apt to
do. Thelma lived in a world of
unreality and disbelief. She was
happy, though still family puzzled.
And then came the memorable
night on which Chef parked his
roadster near the shore of Lake
Clearwater and turned to her with
eyes that were tender and appeal
ing. Thelma's face was radiant in
the soft light of white moon. She
felt her heart thumbing within her
breast, felt her blood warming in
her veins. Yet withal she smiled
I'D at him, and there was naught
but complete composure in her
expression.
Mr.. Shields took her in his arms
and spoke words that caused the
pounding Of her heart to grow ev-
en- wilder. Presently he kissed her
and she chung to him and thereby
was consummated something that
was beautiful and eternal.
Long after it was over Chef
Shields innocently explained the
thing that had puzzled his future
wife. "There were fourteen of you
out there" he laughed, "and you
were the only one who didn't look
I'D every time 1 came in. You
didn't seem to care whether l was