New Britain herald., 1926-07-27
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] She mas no anDluOn beyond nav ling plenty of beaux and good time.
 At 20 she fails in her course at business college, to the great dis appointment of MONS, her mother. When her father dies she takes a job in LILLE DALE'S beauty shop.
 At this time she is having the first real love affair of her life. The man in the case is TONY GAINES, a sober-ufinded young lawyer, who wants to marry her. Merry goes out with other men, during their en- gagement; and the engagement is broken. Tony goes to Montana to { practice law, and Merry sends his ring to him.
 HELEN, the oldest sister. mar ries BILL HEPWORTH. They set ! tie down in a modest little home and have a baby. CASSIE. the second oldest sister. marries her employer, MORLEY KAUFMAN. They do moi get along, and Cassie is always quarrelng with Morley about the sly flirtations he has.
 JINNY, the youngest sister, be- comes engaged 10 DERRICK IJONES. one of Merry's old beaux, under her very nose. Through Cas- sic, Merry meets BILL ERSKINE. a | bachelor. He makes her wonderful gifts, lends her the money 10 buy a share in the beauty shop, and Merry decides that he would make her a good husband. Glimpses of Cassie's ! idle life have made her want to make a rich marriage. But Bin keeps putting off the wedding day. ! During one of his absences in { Florida where his sick father lives. Merry meets CABBY MARSH, a friend of Morley's sister, MURIEL i KAUFMAN. Then LESTER PUR- 1 CELL, the man with whom she had her first puppy-love affair, comes ] back into her life. One night he ! comes to see her, and just as Merry 1 is going to let him kiss her, some thing in his face makes her think Of Tony Gaines. and she pulls herself away from him.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER XXXVII
 On week days the Locke family always had breakfast in the big, bright, cheerful kitchen. But the next morning, which happened 10 be Thursday. when Merry ran downstairs she found the dining room table all decked ont in silvery white linen and the best Indian Tree china. There was a glass bowl of vel vetv dahlias in the center of the table. and at one end of it stood Mons silver plated percolator. bubbling and steaming for dear life.
 Behind the percolator sat Mons. herself. in a clean lavender linen dress
 It was the first time since Dads death that she had worn anything but black. and Merry stared first at the table and then at her.
 Who's coming?" she asked For there was an extra place set ar the table, too.
 Nom did her best to look inno- cent. "Why, NIr Hcfflinger's going 10 have breakfast with us, if you don't mind" she answered in an ordinary tone. But her face flushed a little.
 Merry sat down and unfolded her napkin.
 What's the big idea ? He never did before" she 9aid. Its bad enough 10 have LiIlie in the family circle without taking in Hcfflinger. too! Why can't he go out for his breakfast now, just as he always i Mons held up a warning finger, "Ssh!' she hisscd, Hes con- ing, Do be polite to him. It never does us any harm 10 be kind 10 q person. Merry
 She stopped talking. as inc door opened and Mr, Hcfflingcr came in, and sat down in Dads old place at the head Of the table. [ Good morning" he greeted Mons, who was beamina coyly at him from her end of the long ta- blc.
 Good morning" he said then, turning his heavy face 10 Merry.
 herry's smile was gone almost as soon as it came 10 her face. It made her bitterly unhappy to see this stranger sitting in her fathers place, taking his napkin out of her fathers silver ring, leaning back in her fathers old carving chair.
 She drank her cup of coffee as quickly as she could, and got up to go. Before she rcached> the door, 1t opened and Jimmy came down. Jin- ny was always late for school. She breakfusted in her hat and jacket and with one eye on the cuckoo clock between the windowc But this morning she did not even sit down at the table. She stood, for q second. just inside the door, glaring at Mir. Hefflinger. Then. with a toss of her red head, she marched around the ta- ble and kissed her mother.
 "Goodby Nouns" she said gruff- ly.
 Aren't you going to have your breakfast? Haven't you time for just glass of milk?" Mons asked neryously.
 No, thanks.
 !, Aren't you going 10 say Good morning to MT Hefflinger2" Mons voice shook bit as she asked that question.
 ! "NO THANKS!" and Jimmy was through the room like a baby cy. clone. The dining groom door slammed behind her. A second tafterward the slamming of the big hall door shook the house.
 That night she did not come Ihome to supper.
 ! '1 suppose she's trying 10 punish