The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-02-17
CHAPTER XIII

''Its high time, then, that you forgot the soul mate" Dorothy suggested reprovingly, and every body laughed.
 Joan laughed, too. It was all so very silly. A tall, dark man. The poor woman probably had no other means of earning a dollar. A tall, dark man. And death. She was glad she'd never been superstitious. She laughed, again. Even though Bob was six feet two, and his hair was as black as jet. It was just too silly
 Jaon came into the office Monday morning with song in her heart. She was glad to see her desk in it's accustomed place, glad to notice the work that was piled high on one corner of it. She wasn't dreaming, then. Everything was as she had left it the Friday afternoon before. But so much had happened over the week-end-So much that was glor- ious and beautiful and utterly un- belieVable that she expected at any moment to awaken and realize that it had all been a fleeting, beau tiful dream.
 First of all, there had been Dorothy's wonderful party, and the enormous chest of gifts, which she had wrapped and unwrapped a hundred times since, to be sure they were real. Which she and Bob had examined together. too, on Sunday morning, joking about them, teasingly, though their hearts were filled with the bright vision that the gifts inspired
 On Saturday evening, Bob had taken the two girls to dinner at the Inn a quiet little dinner, he suggested. because they were still too excited over the party that afternoon. But Millie and Jim Sanders had arrived much earlier, and the quiet little dinner devel- oped into a gala festival for the future MT. and Mrs. Robert An dTews.
 Whatever misgivings Joan might have had following Sybil's tea, they disappeared after Saturday night.
 "Youll be the most popular young matron in Green Hills" !" Dorothy assured her, as they sat on her bed for one final summing up of the days activities before retiring. You should have heard the lovely things the women said about you . It certainly was sur prising. considering the way you captivated their menfolks."
 You've done it all for me, Dorothy" Joan replied, gratefully.
 "Rubbish!" But she kissed her goodnight tenderly, and wished her sweet dreams of the future.
 Sunday morning Bob drove Joan up into the hills from which the town received its name, and there he pointed out the plot of ground which he wanted to buy for their future home. Half an acre, it was, high on a hillside, overlooking the town, with a view of the entire countryside for miles around. They could see Manhattan. too, it's gleam- ing towers outlined clear and sharp against the bright sky. A thousand pine trees dotted their home-spot, and today tiny drops of moisture sparkled on their branches.
 Over it all, a quiet peace prevailed, and the hilltop became veritable fairyland of magic beauty.
 Like it, darling?" Bob whis- pered eagerly.
 "Its as close to Heaven as we could get!" she replied breath lessly. Can we ever afford it?"
 Afford it?" He smiled gaily. "All these years, watching for you to come along, I've been saving up for it."
 They went back to the real estate office and bought it imme- diately. and Bob's face took on grin that couldn't be erased - not even when a traffic officer, an hour later, gave him a ticket for pass ing two red lights.
 After dinner, they drove over