New Britain herald., 1926-08-06
REAn THIS FIRST:

Ah''taA'
 MERRY LOCKE, pretty and gay as her name, is a born firt. She has no ambition beyond having a good time and plenty of beaux. At 20 she fails in her course at busi- ness college, because she won't study When her father dies she takes job in LILLE DALE'S beauty ship at a tiny salary.
 MONS, her mother, takes Lille into her house to board when HELEN, the oldest daughter, mar ries BILL HEPWORTH. Then later when CASSIE marries MORLEY KAUFMAN, her rich employer, she takes MIR. HEFFLINGER in to board, too.
 At that time Merry is having the first real love affair of her life with TONY GAINES, a young lawyer who wants 10 marry her. Their en- gagemcnt ends when Tony finds out that she has been running around ! with other men. 4 yetA' later Merry hears that hG is going to marry girl in Montana, where he has gone to live.
 Mons accepts the middle-aged at tontions of Mir. HeffIinger, and JINNY the youngest of ~the girls, quarrels with her about it. Later she elopcs with Derrick Jones, who lives next door, and goes to live with his parents.
 FTIT~at,drl, meets BILL ERSI<INE a well-to-do bachelor. Bill falls in love with her fresh beauty and they become en- gagged, But for one reason and an- other he keeps putting off the we'd ding day Finally he promises to marry her, when he returns from Florida, where he is going, to stay with his mother and his sick father for few months. During his ab- Sence Merry meets an old sweetheart of hers, LES PuRCEL. Not know ing that he is married, she sees a great deal of him. His wife Sthreat- ems him with divorce and finally tries 10 kill herself. When Bill Erskine comes to town for a party givcE by Cassie and Morley in their fine new home MUEIEL KAUFMAN tells him about it, and Bill is furious Merry does moi hear from him for a long time. Then he writes 10 tell her that his father is dead and that as soon as he settles his mothers af- fairs in Florida he will come to see her and they'll be married in the early summer. Merry talks it over with Helen, who is expecting a sec ond baby, one night when Bill Hep worth is out of town. Helen says no woman is truly happy who is not happily married. (NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY)
 CHAPTER NLIXN
 Late that night Helen came into the spare bedroom where Merry was sleeping and Wakened her. She had coat over her kimono and her hair was dragged back tightly from her white face.
 Merry" she said, turning on the lights, I'm going to the hospital. I've phoned for the cab"
 She caught her breath and her eyes darkened with sharp and sud den pain.
 Then, with an effort. she went on: Mother Hepworth will be over first thing in the morning and she knows just what to do for the baby. So if you'll just give it it's six o'clock bottle" She choked up and closed ! her eyes to keep back the tears that sparllled in them.
 q wish Bill were here" she said presently, in a smothered voice. T feel o-alone-without him." Her words were coming in jerks, now, and she breathed hard.
 ''Too bad-he had to go away just now, wasn't it?-I need him SO"
 She started down the stairs as the,I taXicab came rolling up outside in the dark street. Merry followed her and stood at the front door watch ing her drive away.
 Mons should be with her" she thought. But Helen had not wanted Mons She had spoken only ot wanting Bill Hepworth, her hus- band.
 Funny thing" Merry went on thinking, as she looked at the moon, small and silyery and high in the sky. Funny thing that a man can mean more to a woman than her own mother"
 She turned back to the living room, and stood there in the middle