New Britain herald., 1926-08-05

Merry Locke. pretty and gay as her name, is born flirt. She has no ambition except having a good time and plenty of beaux. At 20 she fails in her business course because she won't study. Then, when her father dies suddenly. she takes job in Lillie Dale's little beauty shop. at a tiny salary.
 At that time she is having the first real love affair of her life. She is in love with Tony Gaines, young lawyer who wants to marry her. But when he finds out that the flirta- tious Merry has been going out with other men, their engagement ends. Tony goes to Montana and a year later Merry hears he is going to marry a Girl there.
 Mons. her mother, takes Lillie Dale and MT. Hefflinger into the house as boarders. Helen. the oldest of Merrv's sisters. marries. So does l Cassie, the second oldest. She is l jealous of Morley Kaufman. her rich husband. and unhappy. But never Itheless. Merry envies her her easy ! life.
 i Jimmy, the youngest sister. elopes with Derrick Jones, who lives next door. She lives with his parents, refusing to come home because of Mons middle-aged infatuation for MT. H ,fflinger. whom she finally marries.
 1 Through Cassie, Merry meets Bill Erskine, a wealthy bachelor, She becomes engaged to him but he keeps putting off the wedding day One of the flinsy excuses he makes l is that he must stay in Florida with I his sick father. He goes there for three months. and returns unex- pectedly to find Merry in the midst of an affair with Les Purcell, an i old beau of hers. who is separated from his wife. He goes away again. and Merry hears nothing of him for months. Purcell's wife tries to kill herself because of her huband's filtration with Merry but later for gives him and goes back to him. Merry unfortunately tells the story l 10 Cabby Marsh, who is engaged to Morley's sister, Muriel. Muriel tells ! 1t to Cassie, who quarrels with Mer- ry. { After several weeks the quarrel is patched up, when Cassie gives a house-warming in her new house. Merry sees Bill Erskine there, and they hide away from the crowd to have the long talk that Merry has been wanting to have with him for many months.
 fNOW GO ON WITH THE STORY)
 CHAPTER. XLVIII
 Not more than an hour after ward Merry was caught in the little white lie" she had told to Bill Frs kline.
 It happened this way:
 She was dancing with Cabby Marsh. Dancing a little too affec- tionately - even in these days Of affectionate close-ups on every dance floor in the country, from Portland. Maine, to Portland, Oregon!
 Her flushed face was pressed close to Cabby's, her lips were part ed and her eyes half-closed.
 And yet at that moment. Cabby meant no more to her than a good dancing partner. She was hypno- tized not by his nearness, but by the music and the joy of the mo- ton itself.
 Don't get so close to me - old snuggle-pup," Cabbie said suddenly, and pushed her a little farther away from him.
 Mer1. C---w Lack her head HnI stared at him. Why, she always danced that wayl It was the only way she ever danced! snuggle-pup! Indeed!
 What's the matter with you, Solid Ivory?" she demanded, flush- ing deeply.
 Then she saw what was the mat ter. Bill and Muriel were dancing just behind them and Muriel was watching them with narrowed jealous eyes. As Cabby and Merry swung away from them, she said something 10 Bill that made nm turn his 'a and look back al them ovc- s shoulder.
 The m; the dance was over he hunted Merry up. He found ha in the dining room, with 2 tiny sandwich in one hand and cup of fruit-punch in the other. ' He came up to her and asked her if she were ready to go home
 No, indeedyl" she said in sur
 prise. Its only half past ten" B
 Well, you're going anyway" h.
 answered. Go on up and put oi
 your cloak" His face cushione'
 with fat, seemed to quiver as h.
 spoke.
 With a little shrug of her bar