New Britain herald., 1926-08-23

l "Jimlny Christmas, cant stand this!" Merry cried, suddenly spring ling up from the table. I've got to get out somewhere, or I'll just die!"
 Ringing her arms wide in a move ment of utter despair, she dashed out into the hall to the telephone.
 She gave the number of the Tow CTS hotel. She would call Les Purcell and ask him to take her out some where! She would be a jolly good fellow a good little pal-the kind I of girl that men forget
 What did she care? What else was there for her, anyway? Nothing! Nothing at all, but this gloomy house and a dull job.
 Tony Gaines had his wife and his career. He was gone out of her life, for good, and she'd have her fun! All she could have! All of it that was coming to her! Why not? Why not? Who cared what she did?
 Hello, Les" Mons heard her say into the telephone. q want to talk to you again about that job up in l Canada. |. Yes, tonight. . All right, in half an hour or so. old timer"
 She peeped in at the dining room door an instant later. Her lips were widened in the ready-made chorus girl smile that had become second nature to her. But the eyes above that smile were without sparkle or light.
 I'm going out with Les Purcell" she said stonily. He's coming for me in a cab. Let me know when he gets here, will you?"
 Upstairs, in the little gabled room under the roof, she snapped on the lights above her dresser-and then stood stock still, with one hand pressed to her throat.
 There, on the dresser, beneath her eyes, lay Tony Goines' picture. It lay on the very top of a mass of newspaper clippings about him. Be- side them, the overturned handker- chief box showed that Jinny's twins had been at work here. They were. las Mons said, the liveliest pair for their age that she had ever seen. They were into everything.
 For a minute Merry stood looking at the pictured face of the man she had seen that day. Then, with toss Iof her head, she crumpled it between her fingers and tossed it back into the old satin box.
 She took a pink muslin dress and a big pink hat from her clothes closet and laid them on the bed. She puckered her red mouth up into a whistle, but no sound came from it.
 The mirrors gave back a flatter- ing reflection of her lovely face as she leaned toward it to fluff powder on the soft smooth skin.
 But Merry did not see her own face as she stared into the glass. She was still seeing Tony Gaines face. She couldn't get it out of her mind, try as she might.
 Why had he looked at her in that startled, angry way that afternoon What did he think of her, going to his house, as she had gone? He prob- ably thought her forward and brazen.
 She was still wondering when Mons voice, outside her door, brought her back to the present moment. ...
 "Mr. PurcelPs come" 1t said He's waiting for you out in the taxicab."
 Merry glanced out into the dark
 II H. nf fha a was it's lights gleaming against the night like the eyes of some jungle animal.
 "Pu be right down." she called and drew a lipstick across the Cupid's boy of her lips. She reddened her cheeks, and drew black line under the shadow of her lower lashes. When she had put on the pink dress and the huge pink hat. she looked just the way Tony Gaines had once told her ht hated to see her look - painted and over-dressed.
 Les would tell her she was { knock out, though, when he saw her
 "So what do I care?" Merry asked aloud, as she added one more dat of paint to her lips, and another touch of perfume to the little tri' angle of snowy skin behind her ears Out of doors, the darkness wal thick and soft. little wind wal !, whispering to itself. And as Merr! ran down to the front gate. it brush ed a low-hanging branch of the oit willow tree against her face. With her hand on the top of tn gate, she stood still for a minute Stood perfectly still, rememberinl another night as warm and blue l black as this, when she had stood lthara undar the old swaying tree