New Britain herald., 1926-07-08
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 stenography at q downtown business school, but her brain is so full of the MAN IN GRAY, as she calls him, that E @ cam O. get her mind down to typcwriting and shorthand. Be- sides that. $ e is carrying on a lit tie filtration with DERRICK JONES, a boy her own age who lives next door to her.
 MONS, Merry's mother, is dis gusted with her because she shows so little interes. in her studies. Her oldest sister, Fl EN, gently scolds her because she lets Derrick kiss her when shes not engaged to him. And even tho youngest Of the Locke sisters. JIN;Y. bluntly tells Merry that shes "boy-cr~zy."
 All this worries Merry not at all. The idea of being a stenographor doesn't appeal 10 her, and she wish s ,, pms would let her leave business college. It makes her tired to study.
 On the morning of her twentieth birthday, Merry makes up her mind to become acquainted with the un- known Man in the Gray Suit. She goes out into the street at noon, de- termined, somehow or other, to make him speak 10 her. As she stands in the doorway Of the busi- ness college she sees him coming to- ward her down the street. (NOW GO ON WITH THE STORN)
 CHAPTER II
 Merry took one last quick look at herself in the mirror of her handbag before she stepped out into the monday glare of Fir street.
 Her cheeks were fl, shed with the oNcitemeI of the moment, and stars shone in the depths of her slanting green eyes In the sun her uncovered hair was like honey color ed satin.
 Two or three men twisted their fat neCks 10 stare at her as she started along the crowded sidewalk. Err | the corner of her eyes Merry saw them look at her.
 Not for world would she have let them know that she noticed them! No. indeed! Net they with their bad complex ons and bulging, star ing eyes!
 But she liked 10 have them look at her. all the ;ame. II flattered her. It convinced her that she was as pretty as she hoped she was.
 Let CT ',o,;." she said blithely 10 herself, as she swung along on tho Iightest of feet. "They cant hurt mc."
 Half a block away, the Man in Gray had not yet caught sight of her. His eyes searched the faces of the crowd that moved past him in steady s,rCa There was no doubt that he was looking for someone. Merry knew that it was for her he was lcollinr,
 The fa thrilled her right down 10 the very tips of her toes.
 Then suddenly he saw her; His lark eyes seemed to burn d path to her above the heads 0 the people between them. They seemed to be saying; There you arc, at last!! I've found yoI!"
 A pulse in Merry's thoat began 10 peat like mad as he came nearer and nearer, still with his unsmi- ng eyes on her. Was he going to speak to her:
 She was drcadfully afraid that he vas going to! And yet that was the .ery thing she most wanted him o Go!
 Then, all at oIcc, she realized that lc was going to pass Il just as he lad every day lor a week. Without | smile or d word.
 Now or ncvcr!" she made up her mind in flash. If he's ever going Q speak 10 mo, it's got to be now" Ind just as he was about to pass her hc dropped her leather handbag at | lis very feet.
 She ,ked at him as she did il, md smiled straight into his eyes.
 But he did not smile back at her | Is she expected him to. He froWned | n a startled, puzzled way and stop | ,ed to pick up the little brown bag. |
 Without a word he put it into | Ter hands, grayely lifted his hat. ! md went on down the street.
 Merry watched him until he was ut of sight. Then she turned and ! walked slowly back into the build | ng. All the dancing lightness was one from her step.
 
 Back at her desk in the empty | lass room she began to call herself |
 little fool. She hated herself for he thing she hd done.
 She had mac herself cheap and ommon. Sine had let this Man in tray think that she was the cheap ort Of girl who would drop her urSc on the street, just in order to crape acquaintance with him.
 Of course, that must be what he lought about her. now!! The lock nat he had g en her had told her hat, as plainly as words.
 Sick at heart, Merry put her vel ow head down into her folded arms he was too unhappy even to cry. Something that Mo had been inning into her ears for years, ashed across her mind. It had eyer meant anything 10 Merry until his minute.
 "A girl who lets men kiss her and r laul her is like peach that loses $ bloom from too much handling" as what Mons had said.
 Tor the first time in her careless, arr-frcc life ricrry began 10 sec imly what Mons meant.
 She h@a.'t let the Man in Gray ,iss and maui her. but she had cen kissed and mauled by plenty f f others. And she had lost some of CT bloom.
 If she hadn't lost that bloom nat freshness and moGesty-would he have dropped her purse today? Would she have given the Man in ray q chance 10 speak 10 her. walk icng the street with her. ta, her