New Britain herald., 1926-07-29

know. Merry shook her head blithely. Not any more." she answered shaking her head gaily, so that al the gold-lfaf ripples of her hai l shone Bike metal.
 Not any more" she said again 1 lin her little fiuting voice. i've comt
 to my senses. Bill. I've been waiting
 around for you for almost a year
 Almost a year of my sweet young
 twenties gone. Bill for nothing"
 You call me nothing?" asked Bill
 sulkily. His head was sunk down
 into his fat neck, and his eyes
 gleamed at her narrowly. For once
 he had forgotten his black cigar,
 and it dropped from one of his ipudgy hands.
 NO, indeed!" Merry answered warmly, but her bright blue-green
 eyes were still filled with the
 sparkle of laughter. It seemed to
 Bill that she actually was laughi~ -
 at him! At him!
 NO. I call you a very nice per-
 son." Merry told him. with her head
 on on esido and her hands clasped around one slender knee. But I've been finding out later that I'm very nice. tool"
 From this Purcell guy, I sup pose?" Bill wanted to know.
 Merry nodded cheerfully.
 "Yes, from him." she confessed, land from other men, too! From Muriel Kaufman's friend, Cabby Marsh, for instance!"
 She stopped and let that sink in.
 It did. Bill scowled darkly.
 "Cabby Marsh!" he said after her. Flying pretty high, aren't you? Getting into the millionaire class, eh?"
 The girls eyebrows arched them- selves on her clear white brow, and her innocent looking eyes were wider than ever.
 "I didn't know Cabby had any money" she answered lightly. q never think Of money when I think of people, I just think of the peo- pie, themselves. I like Cabby" She 1 let her voice become soft and dreamy.
 She gazed wistfully into the fire l place. 1
 Bill Erskine's eyes were on her ! face. She knew that he was angry l with that peculiar anger that is born of jealousy.
 Then she made up her mind to give him one more pin prick. You didn't think nobody would notice me, did you, Bill? she asked him. You don't think I fell all the men I'm engaged to you, do you?"
 Bill just went on staring at her, puzzled and angry and all at sea. He had never seen Merry in a mood like this before-full of reck- essness and tantalizing laughter, md he didn't know whether he wanted to shake her, kiss her, or ust get up and walk out of the louse.
 What he did was simply to sit till and go on staring at her vacant
 Indeed. I don't tell anybody I'm ngaged to you!" she answered her wn question. I'm tired of sitting t home alone. like an old maid chool ma'am! I've got my second 'ind, and I'm off in a cloud of dust. Ill I want you to do is to let me rcak the engagement and go my -ay singing paeons of joy and a bit f jazZ." She threw back her head nd laughed wildly, hysterically.
 I'm too young for you anyhow" he half sobbed out at him, T never lould have said I'd marry you-I ate you, sometimes"
 She began to cry in earnest. She jed to stop but she couldn't. Her eth chattered and she shook all yer, crushed down into one corner the hair-cloth sofa.
 Bill got up and began to shake er He closed the door of the room , that Mons should not hear her obs.
 My Lord Merry what's 'got into 'u?" he asked. "Merry!-Merry!- isten to me! Turn around and look
 me" - But Merry paid no attention to { m. She went on crying, more wild l
 than ever. And finally Bill was | reed to go halfway up the stairs l Id call for Mons to come down. l She came, gaunt and thin, in a l flannel bathrobe. | What did you do to herr" she l ked Bill accusingly. when she saw l e state Merry was in. | "I?" asked Bill blankly, "I?" l Mons gave him q look that he yer forgot. and turned to Merry. l You'd better go." she said over r shoulder, and Bill did not need second invitation. He went-and the way back to his hotel he L ndered the woman question. c Cant figure 'em out. Queer : ings-women," was his final con- lsion.
 They were too deep for him. ' It was an hour before Merry was f jet in her warm bed. She lay, T opped against the pillows, sipping il e glass of hot milk that Mons " d brought her.
 Now, then, that you've come to V UT senses" he mother said severe r; "what was the matter with you? a hat made you go to pieces like f; at?" .---. T Merry only shook her head. How lld she explain to her mother 1 tt something inside of her had b ldenly seemed to snap, tonight? Q at nothing had seemed worth V ile. Nothing. Not even the rich Ia rriage that she had been trying .te make with Bill Erskine for so