The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-07-27
Dinner Is Late
90
By WALLIS WALLACE
ASSOCIATED Newspapers
WNU Service,

IeIred 10 another city that she hit
upon the big idea.
They had been such good pals, she
and Marvin! Sunday hikes in the
forest preserves, long talks sitting
on the roadside, golf in the park
oh, if they had been cut out of paper
patterns they couldn't have been
made more for each other! But
Marvin said nothing about mar
riage. Sandra had hoped against
hope that he would. She had spent
less on her lunches each day to
have more for a finger wave on Sat-
urday. She had laundered her own
clothes to be able to afford per-
fume that he had once said he liked.
She cared nothing for golf and less
for hiking, but she wanted Marvin
to think she was self-reliant and
sturdy (quite frequently he used
these words admiringly for girls he
liked).
She even went so far as to ask
Nellie just how Ray had proposed
to her. Nellie had laughed and
uoQgeQ the question.
ASK me when we've been mar
ried ten years and I'll tell you, San
dra," she said laughingly.
Bitterly Sandra told herself that in
ten years she wouldn't give hang!
"But Ray and 1 are going to his
sisters wedding in Cleveland, San
ORA, and we were wondering if you
wouldn't like to use the flat while
we're gone. It's much cosier and I
wouldn't have to put Boots in the
kennels"
So it was arranged that Sandra
should take care of the Airedale and
enjoy the flat with its electric ice
box, electric range and down daven-
port. And into her mind sprang
full-fedged the big idea; she would
give a farewell dinner for Marvin
at which he would be the only guest.
Now if there was one thing that
Sandra could do better than any
other one thing in the whole wide
world it was to cook a good meal.
She decided on a regular mans
meal. There would be a thick, Juicy
steak with curls of onions resting
lightly among dabs of melting but
ter, crisp French fried potatoes, fol-
lowing iced consomme. After that
she would have orange ice that could
be frozen in the ice-box while she
was at work. Then a good cup Of
coffee and hot biscuits that she could
toss together the instant she got in
at night. That would make a good
meal he would enjoy and yet one
which had no elements of extrava-
gance in it. Marvin had extolled to
her time and time again the virtues
of an economical wife.
In the morning she set the table
with four tall candles and the crys-
tai flowers that someone had given
Nellie. 1t had every appearance of
the four-color page illustrations of
how the well-bred hostess serves,
and Sandra was delighted. She
asked to be excused from the office
an hour early in order to prepare
everything properly. 1t seemed too
bad that it had to rain this evening
above all others, but anyhow it
would make a comfortable home
seem all the cosier by contrast and
a good dinner always tasted better
on a disagreeable night!
In the lobby of the building which
was generally very quiet, a verita-
Bile babble met her ears. "I don't
know what John will say He likes
his dinner instantly" 81 was just
washing my hair and now the hair
dryer won't dry"
The poles and wire leading into
the apartment building had blown
down in the storm and until the men
came from the power-house there
would be no electricity. Sick with
disappointment, Sandra went to the
second floor and let herself in with
Nellie's key. Her quivering lips
managed by herculean efforts to
keep back the sound of sobs that
burst out the moment the door was
closed. Marvin's very last night
The only man she had ever cared
two pins for and now he wouldn't
see what fine little housekeeper
she was. 1t just didn't seem fair
it didn't!
She tore off her blue tricotine and
put on her blue silk house coat, cry
ing bitterly. He wouldn't be here
for more than an hour, but even so
it would be too late. One glance in
the electric refrigerator at the liq-
uid orange mixture that should by
this time have turned into orange ice
brought fresh sobs. Then of a sud-
den she felt arms about her and
whirled to find Marvin standing be-
hind her.
II rang and rang but you didn't
seem to hear-what is it? Electrici-
ty off? Well, what of it? They'll
have it on again in a few minutes,
you know. That's one thing about
the electric light company, they give
instant service Dinner late?
Well, well, well, what of that?"
He paused a moment and then
kissed her suddenly.
"We-we'n probably have several
late dinners during the course of our
o,,r roarriad life Sandy - he cold