Evening Star Newspaper, October 6, 1936, Page 27

'DAILY SHORT STOR! QUITE PERFECT By Jayne Francis. EV‘IR.YT!!!NG was, of course, | going to be qulte perfect for John. Ellen had been looking forward eagerly- to her va- cation, when John would spend an evening alone with her. As yet he had never visited her apartment, except to drop in for & cigarette after the theater; for Ellen was always too busy at the office to cook & meal for him. And so they had gone out together —oh, frequently, much too fre- quently, Ellen thought in her lueid moments. Ellen was always too busy. 50 good at that kind After all, it was s waste of time to be continually going to movies or driving around dis- cussing unimportant things or dancing. But John always shook his head at the mention of & lecture or & concert, and Ellen discovered that she wanted his companionship more than & symphony. LI URPRISINGLY, John seemed to care for her, too, although he had never said anything definite. Still his attitude was enough to encourage even a philosophic pessimist like FEllen. This evening would settle things, she hoped. Especially for the occasion, she had bought a very simple and charming gingham dress—just the thing for the good housewife. She wanted & low bowl of flowers on the table and a delicious supper. That was important, for she had learned that John was an epicure. Unlike most men, he enjoyed the unusual in food. Well, Ellen would give it to him. Serving the meal, she would be cool and poised, just the opposite from the hot, flustered cook: she could imagine how John would hate the latter. She would show him that just as one can be efficient in business one could be efficient in housekeeping. John was & great admirer of efficiency. He had first noticed Ellen at the office on New York avenue, because of her skill in typing and shorthand. “I like a woman who handles her Job like & man,” he had said, “de- Pending on efficiency and skill, not on her looks or coy manner.” So he would naturally want a wife who would see that the affairs of the home went with the same smoothness as those at the office. * ok ok X 7 BELY, she got up early on the momentous first day of her va- eation. Elaborate frozen desserts were s favorite of John's. Ellen did not have very much idea of how long it ‘would take the coffee parfait to freeze, but she planned to have it in the re- frigerator early. Unfortunately, it took much longer to prepare than she had imagined. The recipe had seemed so0 simple. But she did manage to put it in before lunch. Then there were the dirty dishes; even when merely serving herself a delicatessen lunch Ellen soiled an extraordinary number of dishes. It ‘went against ner grain to work in a sloppy kitchen, but Ellen finally de- cided that she had better let the dishes go until she had the frozen fig salad on ice. That task was completed at 2 o'clock and Ellen was just rejoicing over having a few minutes to rest when there was a knock at the door. It was Anita, who lived across the hall, s little fluffly thing who could never have kept a job for a week. Ellen alternately despised and liked her. At least she fed one's ego—but & pest sometimes. Now for iIn- stance. WOODWARD - USTER’S goné,” she said, plaintively. “He didn't come in here, did he?” “Why no, Anita,” answered Ellen, in the same polite tone that she used with a troublesome buyer. One thing about an office: It had taught her not to lose her temper. “Well, I'm so worried about him,” Anita con- fided. “He never goes away. Idon't . know how he got out of the apart- men in the first place. I've tried to look for him, but I don't know how to begin. You're of thing, Ellen. Please help me.” “I'm very sorry,” began Ellen, but she was used to obliging and soon Joined her neighbor the search for the elusive Buster. The dog was duly found in the base- ment with the janitor, but not till after more than an hour's search by, the two girls. When Ellen returned to the apartment it was almost 4 o'clock—and John was coming at 6. She surveyed the rest of her menu: Southern fried chicken, shallow fried vegetables, orange marmalade, bis- cuits and black walnut cookies. From her experience of the morn- ing she gathered that it always took a longer time to make anything than one expected. And then she wanted to bathe and dress before John ar- rived; she looked at herself now and wondered what he would think if he could see her. She was quite sure that if she didn't lie down for a few minutes she would say something cross to him. Darn Anita and her dog, any- way! * ok %k X ANY jeople have written of the agonies of cooking when one is inexperienced. Simply imagine s compilation of all of them, and you will have a picture of Ellen during the next two hours. How could | one be efficient under these condi- tions? A few minutes before 6 o'clock she was wondering desperately why she | hadn't called John previously an told him that she was ill. Suddenly she heard a knock at the door. Filled with despair, she went to answer—a | painfully hot, disheveled and untidy person. Instead of finding John she saw Anita again. “I've been having such trouble with Buster,” the girl began. “Oh, you have, have you?” shouted | the exasperated Ellen, losing her tem- per for the first time in three years. “Well, Buster can go to blazes, and 8o | can you, you imbecilic little—' Ellen stopped short and gazed with Thorror at John, who had just appeared at the door. He looked her very queerly, then turned to Anita and said, ‘Get out of here! Can't, you see you're annoying her?” To Ellen he| said gently, “What's the matter, | dear?” This was too much for Ellen. She burst into tears and cried. “Oh, John, I was going to have everything so nice for you—just perfect. And it's all gone wrong.. The salad won't freeze and I cut my finger chopping walnuts and Anita’s such a little beast!” She couldn't imagine why John had put his arms around her, and was murmuring comforting words, and calling her “delightfully human” and “sweet” and “adorable.” But she liked it very much. It was really quite perfect. (Copyright, 1936, DAMASK NUB WEAVE background sets off an unusual floral pate tern woven the length of the drapery. 48 inches wide, 22 yards long. $|6-50 A coarse net Quoker Lace Curtain, 22 yards long, 36 inches wide. $475 . MAYFAIR in satin dan;usk—an unusual highlighted morning-glory design on a rich plum-tone (six other colors, too) background Sateen lined. 48 inches wide, 2% yards long. $|4 95 = 0 Pair - - Sheer Cord Quaker Lace Net Curtains. for Lovely Windows . . . and sparkling windows that recapture the gay outdoors during the brisk Fall and Winter days go a long way in hélping you achieve the distinctive, interesting rooms you are planning this year. Here we have gathered a seemingly boundless array of draperies and curtains that suggest any number of dramatic window treatments (whether formal or informal) —smart touches of character to go into every room in your home. Truly, here is a curtain call that will have many seasons’ return engagements. CURTAINS AND DRAPERIES, SEVENTH FLOOR. FLORAL PRINTS' on finen for the less formal room. You will find them es- pecially companionable with solid-color rug floors. 48 inches wide, 22 yards $8 95 fong Paies o . Tuscan flat-weave curtain with medium border, by Quaker Lace. 2% yards CROSS STRIPES strike an inter- esting note in these novelty weave draperies. Colors are tastefully combined. 48 inches wide, 2% yards long. $|2 75 N A figured border hem on a lovely net back- 2% yords long, 50 inches wide. $7 yards long, 36 inches wide. $2 75 ground. 2'; yards long. 36 inche: $7 o wide. Pair - your daylirgfié Dres§~ AY W For not only is its gd q reversible — its checks, against” knit—it boasts a fly fastening— and white pique accents its high neckline. And it is only one of our important knitted:fashions, sizes 12 to 20, $19.75 } 8SrortswEAR. THirD FLOOR black or brown, are loops: of th j OMBRE STRlPE draperies are very new and equally smart this year. A clever combination oi!" multli(-colov Vertical stripes in rich colors strik= $ ing informality. l4095 Quaker Lace Curtains in a dainty filet net. 2V yords long, 50 inches wide. | 1T AR S = N FLORAL CHINTZ in o big splashy bouquet design over dark backe grounds. For bed rooms, as well as living room. . Sateen lined, 36 inches wide, 22 yards long. Pair____ o Marquisette Tailored Curtain, ested as @ fit companion. 2% yards 32.50 long, 44 inches wide. Pair____ CANDLEWICK draperies to go with your maple or Colonial rooms. Delight- fully informal. A variety of de- ‘I:I:;’ P:i's-inehn wide, 2%2 “.75 Ruffled Dotted Marquisette Curtain with Priscilla top, with wide, full sz 25 o