Evening star., 1922-03-02
Merriam Also Lends Indignation to
the Occasion!

~ in honor of a visiting French
artist. Merriam LinAsay's tele-
phone and doorbell rang with mes
sages from the worried hostessJ
Merriam and John had not been in
vited to the party. Indeed, they had
been tactlessly non-invited. A week
previous Cecily had wheedled Merriam
into planning the party and loaning
her an evening frock and several 9TH
er priced possessions. which had not
at all peeved the good humored Merry.
She was quite in the habit Of having
her cousin treat her casually.
Hourly on the appointed day Cecily
thought OF something else to borrow
COOK book. some Georgian silver
oonbon dishes. a big Sheffield plat
glasses. cocktail glasses. her needle
point lace table runner-all these
things and more Merriam dispatched
wa a nervous little Jap who did
courier duty between the two apart
By late afternoon Cecily had in
veigied Merriam into going to the
bachelor girl apartment to decorate
the dinner table. Which Merriam did
deftiy and charmingly, positively
thrilling at the very good-looking re-
suits.
So much party in the air made her
tiny bit envious. Dinner for two.
a dinner economically planned, to
consist Of corn-beef hash and spin
ach, seemed rather tame. Besides.
treasures looked bare and colorless
from Cecily's depredations.
Cecily was SO busy that she didn't
even bother to tell her goodbye.
shed sent a taxi for her. but she
one. and Merry discovered when she
was two blocks down the street that
she hadn't her purse. She walked
wearily home.
Drifting into a badly needed nap.
Merriam was aroused by another de-
mand from Cecily.
I'm sending taxi over. I know
you'll be awfully croctchety about it:
but. after all. he was my grandfather
just as much as he was your grand
father. You have his portrait all the
fair that you should lend 1t to me for
such a special OCCASION
Merriam agreed grudgingly. Grand
father Leland's portrait was the ap-
pie Of her fathers eye. She felt only
it's custodian. She wrapped the tar
nished frame carefully. She was not
at all gracious about letting it go.
Another hour passed.
Again the 'telephone!
Merry. darling. don't you suppose
YOU COulu scL your anu JOE OlH~
ner just for one night? I'll pay su-
san Sue anything you say If you'll
only let her come over here for the
evening. It's really your fault for
planning such a weird menu for me.
The other Jap has just come. and I've
just found out that neither one of
them ever heard of a corn fritter.
Susan makes such frabjous ones: oh,
1 know she simply loathes and de-
tests me. but tell her I'll pay her
anything she asks
Susan Sue departed grumpily after
much wheedling.
Deliver me from old maids" she
snorted as she banged the door. "Es-
pecially from these new-fangled: ones
as isn't SO from choice"'
fully beginning to regale John with
a mtrthful account Of her loans for
the day. the telephone tangled mad1y.
John answered it He appeared to
| be much embarrassed by the query at
the other end of the line. Hand over
"Cecily says" he began obviously.
"she knows that. being in the family,
you will understand; but that at just
this last minute one man has sent
| murder him tomorrow for doing it
but that she doesn't want a vacant
place at the table, and she knows
you're too tired to so over SO would
you mind very much II l filled in for
her. OF course, darling"
Merriam waited not to hear his
course"
Color high, she snatched tho re-
ceivier.
Look here, Geo." she let her justi-
fable wrath spill over the wire, II
know you've gone plumbl crazy over
this party. I'm making allowances
I didn't mind lending you my incest
food ideas. or my best bachelor or
my party dress or my table things
| or grand-daddy's pict'; but don't you
get the idea for one teensy scrap OF
! a second that because I've stood for
all that I'm the hen-minded kind of
COOP who loans her handsome hus-
band to any woman. even If she is a
homely cousin!" Her eyes sparkled
with a sudden idea. "As you say, it's
all in the family and we don't need
to stand on ceremony with each
other. I feel exactly like q party.
And I've got another dress. and
didn't lend you my Spanish comb