It was a winter in 1920 when Elsie Cameron met Norman Thorne. Perhaps the dark sky with iced-filled clouds presage an irreversible falling out that Elsie should have predicated, however, young people tend to have a crush on at the very first sight. Elsie was no exception.As a small, plain 22-year-old typist with thick glasses, Elsie lived in a small firm in the city, longing for being loved.
Norman was four year younger than her.Before he returned to the town, he had joined the Royal Naval Air Force to serve in the Great War. Even though the war had ended three weeks after he arrived in Belgium, the lad was respected a hero who had stood up for his country.
If Elsie hadn’t deliberately trodden on the back of Norman’s heels in the church, she wouldn’t have chance to talk with him. Norman’s father wasn’t pleased when his son told him he had a girl,telling him that he should put energies into working and the family didn’t want any shotgun weddings. Actually, Norman wasn’t willing to marry Elsie.
However, Elsie passionately loved the guy, neglecting her mother’s advice that she should find someone older.
It is blindingly obvious that from the very beginning there were bad omens. Soon afterwards, they fell in love. Elsie Was going on at Norman to find a proper job, because at that moment he was living on 50 pence a week dole money. She told Norman that if he didn’t find a job soon it would be ages before they could marry. Norman started to take it serious after he had dodged the topic for several times.
Elsie encouraged him to rear chickens in a village in Sussex, which was not far from London. Without any salary and savings, he was bailed out by his father, who hoped that his son could spread his wings instead of being stuck in a rut. With 100 pounds borrowed from his father,he started up the chicken project. However, it meant that he had to leave his familiar hometown and his girl friend Elsie living and working by his own.
Though Elsie felt reluctant to be separated with her beloved man, she was pretty happy, because it seemed to her that he was paving way for their marriage. Absence made their heart grow fonder of each other. Writing letters became their only way of communication. Elsie’s Letters were always full of passion, for example, “my pet” “my won darling”,however, Norman’s words were flat.
The hard work in the chicken farm was joyless, and Norman was lonely. One year later, in the spring of 1922, he letElsie visit him after he had refused her for many times. Afterwards, visiting him at each weekend became a routine. Unexceptionally, the business didn’t work well, because few of his hens laid, and the rainy weather might have stopped the chicken producing eggs for a couple of months. As a matter of fact, it proved that it was a bad time to start a poultry farm at that moment. Elsie was still waiting for the success of his farm, which was a precondition of their marriage, however, she wound up in a unpredictable future.
Pressure from Elsie gradually made their relationship turn sour, however, they were still in relationship. If Norman Hadn’t met Bessie Coldicott at a local dance, there would have been a different ending. She was young and pretty, warm and understanding, and enjoyed flirting.Best of all, she accepted Norman for what he was. It was a complete contrast.Norman definitely loved the way Bessie made no demands on him. It was a rebirth for him. Instead of the morose silences that had begun to mark his relationship with Elsie, he could be witty and funny with Bessie.
Elsie was suffering from mental disorder,and began to take pills to calm her down. Before she disappeared, it had beenfour years since they met. As usual, she left home to visit Norman’s farm,however, she never went back. Her father telegrammed Norman to ask him whereshe was, but he replied that he didn’t know either.