New Britain herald., 1926-07-08
THE PETER ss s,.,:; :::':5: i:;; s:s's: ::.:;:
  by JnonE sBradway New York


 For the first time in the eight months she had sat at her desk, she paid no attent on to her work.
 But that afternoon at four o'clock, when sno Mas getting ready to go, Mir. Finch called her to him.
 Miss Locke" he said, clearing
 his throat and looking at her over the top of his horn trimmed glasses, Miss Locke, l am not satisfied with your spelling. And, as you know, you failed in both of your speed tests the one for typeWriting and the one for shorthand"
 All right" Merry broke in cheer fully, "Tll just keep on coming un- til l make good. That's all there is to do, l guess"
 And she went out with an air of having settled the question.
 But she knew that it was far from ibeing settled
 She knew that Mons would be furious when she found out that she had failed in spelling and two speed tests.
 "Shc'l raise the roof when tell her, l suppose" Merry thought : igloomily as she started home.
 She decided 70 walk the long way to Chester street. 1 For at half past four there was sure to be plenty of work to be done at home-peas to be shelled, potatoes to be scraped, or silver to be cleaned. And Merry hated to work.
 | As she turned into Chester street | at twenty minutes past five, a little roadster drew up beside her. On one side of it was painted the legend, I"Poaches here's your can." l In it sat long, lanky youth with red hair. countless freckles and a very nice pair of tWinklng blue eyes. He was dressed in bright pink shirt. white trousers, and from one corner of his mouth dangled | big black pipe with 3 gold band around it like an old fashioned we'd ding ring.
 This was Derrick Jones who had kissed Merry in the romantic moon- lit stiffness of the LoCke's backyard only last night.
 But there was nothing romantic about the look that she gave him now
 Well. what do you want?" she asked in a cross voice.
 Derrick laughed. "I don't want anything" he came back at her, "1 thought maybe you wanted a lift homc"
 "Wcll, I don't, thanks" Merry an- swered crisply and went on, with her eyes straight ahead of her.
 Derrick gazed after her, and scratched the back of his sunburned neck thoughtfully.
 "Wcll," he exploded 10 himself after several seconds, what do you suppose ails her today?"
 Puzzled, he turned his car and drove up beside her again.
 "Doncha care. hon.y. Hop in. and I'll drive you homo" he said. "YoU look as if you'd just had a tooth pulled. or something"
 Merry smiled. "I feel like it, too,' she answered. "T feel as low as sea weed. Derry" But she didn't get in- | to the car,
 The backyard was hot and bright | with the slanting sunlight of late 
 AS Merry opened the gate, Dad | got up from the garden he was wceding and came toward her.
 well, I hear is your birthday" he greeted her with his unfailing 
 He slipped f, lded bill into her hand when she put her arms around | him. Merry was Dads favorite ] and she lcved him as she never had loved Mons.
 He was a small. stout, middle aged man, as cheerful in his way as Merry in hers. Twenty-seven years of poverty and failure had not made him bitter.
 He could still joke with Mons when she lashed him with her tongue as she c'tcn did. If he didn't have the money to pay the monthly bills, hu put them away and forgot them until the first of the next month. If his neighbor was richer than he was. Dad was glad Of his sucCc"c. He worked hard and he envied no one anything.
 He would have liked money |. simply 10 buy his wife what she wanted in the way Of a fine house and fine clothes and an automobile. | He would have liked to send the girls 10 college. {.
 But Mons never gave him credit for that
 'You'rc just plain shiftless that's what" Merry had heard her tell him scores of times. Get up and hustle little bit and you'll find that money will come your way, .oo!" She seemed to think that Dad slept all day down at the wholesale grocery house where he worked.
 She came out on the back porch now. and stood there with her hands on her hips looking at the pair be- side the gate-father and daughter.
 She nodded her head and gave a sour smile. "You two ought to like each other!" she snapped. flor oure as alike as two peas in a pod. Set in here. Merry. and wash up Tor supper It'll be ready in ten min ltes.'
 As Merry came up the steps she gave her a dry little pecking kiss. I forgot about it's being your birth lay. this I orning," she said to her. There's a little present for you up on your dresser"
 Up in the bedroom under the caves, Jimmy was at work at a table lrawn in front of the windows. On t was wire and glass and wood and some queer-looking tools. Jimmy was herself a radio receiving set
 Hello, Gloomy Cert" chirped