Evening star., 1921-12-05
Letter? Letter? Who's Got the
Ietter?"

wore her StlltleSt Frehch
heels and tucked high-backed
Spanish comb in her reddish curls.
So that Merriam, lying in motion
less heap on the dusty tennis court.
with ow-heefed sport shoes peeping
from beneath her pinafore-llke .
frock, looking more like child tan
/ the dignified matron she fCh~.y
! ina gined herself to be.
! She had liuterally collapsed the
! instant that the swiftly flying tennis
| ball struck her lett temple. Already
the dull red OF the brulse showed with
sCartlIng clearness against her Iair
| SKIN.
| Her partner, eighteen-year-old Hal
Blaisdeli, bewlldered boy that he was,
was trying to lift her limp body as
, her husband and Richard t,iocum
Waru the spot where she had fallen.
! from the terrace above came the
| excitable shrieks of the bridge play
els.
Her husband took her from Hals
arms, but il was SlocAm who had
| the presence of mind TO issue shdi
! orders Tor restorauves.
Quick -witted person that she was,
! she did not open her eyes when sne
! first felt herself regaininS conscious,
| ness Just to lie sill and hurt
| seemed all she could manage.
| Smelling sdlts-ice-a pillow
| shc heard Ricnard's decisive voice
! She gave Johns hand reassuring
if somewhat feeble squeeze,
Merry! Merry" he was whisper
| ing. have 1 killed your
| She opened her eyes compassion
NO such luck, old dear" The pain
was so intense that her voice sounded
| very far away from her own ears:
..You-you do send awfly wicked
Good little sport that she was she
was irving in every way she could
| to make light of the accident. Long
! before Hal had come flying back
with his resourceful mother t the
! feet. But she sat down quickly as
soon as she had wriggled hersel1
! about enough to assure her exclted
| audience that no bones had pesn
broken. Bruised and battered sne
leaned against a tree wnlie tne
daged her. Her head swathed IN
becoming strip of surgeons clolh'
she grinned piuckily 80
"Know how you all look, , she
asked saucily. You've enough. oot,
ties to be a class In nome pre-" ns.;
bar teeth as she might, she Couid
not oonceal that the throbbing pam
WAS q severe tax on her shaken
energy. Yet physically upset as sne
was. She found herself thinking Wnim
sicaily that her nerves ana IlusciS
weren't half so tinsiing as her iee
ings. .nd Jobp
had been hurting each other senti-
mentally; dozen unsettled mus
understood episodes nagged anu II
ritated them. Merriam was cross
enter into the gayety OF the mouse
bnId. John was sulky because ne
thnneht Merriam was playing coquette
with all the men of the party. nis
attitude seemed absurd to merry,
who had known her most anu ms
nroyed d Of every word or deed.
She had a rather unfair advantage
| Of this moment, for she knew now
bitterly John was blaming hlmsel5 J,
because his pent-up emotions nag
zen tet 90 Rnt She was afraid if they were
| left alone together he would try to
| make her explain her behaVlor OF
| the evening before. c.o
/ She closed her eyes Wearlly- Sne
] was ironically aware that eVeryDod!
in the solicitous group lowering about
Eer was eager to help her except the
one person from whom she wanted TED
help. That person was ner own
cousin, Cecily Leland,
Ceciiy was seemingly busy in Mer-
RVS behalf In a most business-nke e
way she was putting shoppers into
bottles. p,,isda,1
bent over her injured guest. READY
for those brutes to carry you up
L stairs?' ,sor;.r
enied to her feet. II just want
to to get my smudgy clothes Off -,
she had diplomatic gleam IN ne, mel
! brown eyes. Perhaps Cecily VIII
/ help me do that
ceciiy could not refuse fuse soips Nor eoulo %p
| stairs with them when his wife sc
resolutely denied wanting him: -,
j Their hostess, trying to make the
| best Of an awkward situation, tact
fully hustled John and Richard away
Something always happens II the
i men folk hang around home morn.
inSs. Clear out. both of you. Rich
you take Mr:: Lindsay over to the