New Britain herald., 1926-08-20
"You could jolly those birds along, and sell en every time" Les said enthusiastically.

Mummy's apron string, and such a goody-goody, besides. I'll bet you anything that curfew rang in his head every night at nine o'clock"
 But Merry pushed the comforting arm away and ran upstairs.
 While she was dabbing her eyes with cold water she heard tee front door-bell ring. A moment later Mons came to her. Her face was rigid with indigna- ton.
 That Lester Purcell's downstairs to see you!" she snapped. "Of all the nerve! To think of him daring to come to this house! He says he wants to see you on business. Other wise I wouldn't have let you know he was here"
 She tramped downstairs again and slammed the screen door an- grily as she went out to the front porch and the twins once more.
 Merry found Les sitting beside the battered piano. He had a flower in his coat lapel and was dressed with his usual dash and bad taste.
 Hello, Sweeticums," he said, and flicked the ash from his, cigar onto the floor beside the piano stool. "How's the Beautiful Doll tonight" His eyes admired her.
 The Beautiful Doll stared back at him calmly. "I couldn't be bet ter" she answered solemnly. "Mom said you came to see me on busi- ness. What kind of business?"
 She sat down on the old horse- hair sofa under the lamp. On the very edge of it, as if she meant to stay there only minute or two.
 But Les crossed the room and seated himself beside her.
 What kind of business?" he re- peated, looking at her closely, Well, pretty good business, I think. l have a job for you, if you want it."
 Merry raised her eyebrows and waited.
 He went on. "You know I told you I'd gone into the clothing busi- measurements clothes?"
 Yes" Merry nodded briefly.
 Well, Lillie Dale tells me that you've quit her. And I've been won- dering IF you wouldn't like to take job with my firm up in Canada. Selling women's clothes. You could do it, you know, with your looks Girl, you've got 'em!"
 His voice was tinged with kind of reverence as he spoke of her beauty - the beauty that somehow was finer and more compelling than it had been years ago.
 You got the world beat on looks, Kid" he said, He was sitting very close to Merry now - 50 close that she could feel his breath on her cheek, and she drew away. You could model clothes while you were selling 'em. You wouldn't have to go out on the road like l do' You could stay right thcra at the factory and I'll bet you'd be a knockout at the game"
 Merry was just opening her lips to say "No," when he spoke again.
 "Y'see, Baby, most of the buying is done by men," he explained. "They come to the factory to look things over before they order. And you could sell 'em. You could jolly 'em long, and sell 'em every time!"
 A bright look came into Merry's face. It was a danger signal, but Lester Purcell did not know that.
 He had known the old Merry Locke, who knew how to kiss and to jolly and to show fellow good time. But he did not know this one who sat beside him, with her green eyes burning in her lovely face, and her lips smiling. She look ed just as she always had looked, to him.
 "These birds who come to buy, come for a good time too," he said, taking another puff at his cigar and then dropping some more ashes down upon Mons "body Brussels" carpet.
 They're mostly old married men who think they're painting the town red, if they take a good-looking girl like you out for dinner" he expand ed. That's their idea of thrill - and you sure could give it to 'em! You're darn good sport, and darn good locker, too"
 His words-his cheap and com mon words-sickened Merry.
 And the thing he had said to her ---that she was good sport, hail. fellow-well-met for men buyers in a clothing house - sickened her still more.
 She saw herself suddenly with Lester Purcell's eyes. As a iollier and better - thriller. The kind Of girl that man asks out for