New Britain herald., 1926-07-13

Chester street, Derrick followed
 Merry up to the front porch. Ht
 waited. silently, until Mons anl
 Cassie went in,
 Then, while Merry stood wonder.
 ing what he wanted to say 10 her
 he took a step forward and drew
 her into his arms again.
 No" she began, but he paid nc
 attention 10 her He kissed her
 their faces meeting. flame 10 flame
 as they had dozens of times before
 Merry tilted her head back in the crook of his arm and let him kiss her mouth that she had promised to Anthony Gaines, without hardly a | thought Of that promise.
 T don't know why I did it." she sohbed into her hot pillow an hour later, T just don't know
 But she did know. down at the bottom of her heart.
 She knew that she had done it because in some mysterious way she had been trying 10 get even" with Tony for staying away from l her that night. For staying at home with his mother, and with 1 Cousin Louise.
 ! In Merry's jealous little brain i Cousin Louise had already taken form as u good-loohing siren who had set her cap for Tony, and was doing Der best to marry him.
 If Tony Gaines calls me up to- day, tell him I'm not at home" she ordered Jimmy the next morning, as the two of them were washing up the breakfast dishes.
 Where are you going 2" asked Jimmy, who loved to know every body's business,
 "NoWhere.'
 Jimmy opened her wide, innocent eyes. Well, then, why should | tell him you're not here?" she asked. Jimmy vas so honest that she couldn't see the reason for telling a lie unless ii vas carefully pointed out 10 her.
 Merry explained the reason for this one noe- very carefully,
 "Oh. Cassie thinks he's trying 10 iigh-hat me" she said. His mother is back in town, and she's brought some wonderful cousin along with her And Tony had dinner with them last night, leav- ing me out in the icy blast"
 Jimmy nodded, and poured ho, rinsc-water over the cups with thoughtful sloWness.
 "WelI." she observed. he's not half so nice as Derrick Jones. any way"
 Don't talk to nc about Derricl; Jones.' Merry broke in savagcIy. "I never want 10 hear his name again." And she burst into stormy, heart-broken sobbing and rushed upstairs 10 her bedroom.
 Jimmy heard the door slam be- hind her, and went on doing the dishes alone.
 CHAPTER XIV
 Tony Gaines telnphoned the house three times that morning
 But Merry stubbornly refused to talk 10 him.
 Sitting at the top of the stairs polishing her little pointed nails, i she listened to Jimmy tell him three times in succession that she wasn | at home.
 She listened, with bitterness and 1 resentment in her heart.
 "Why does he bother about me-" she asked herself. Let him call up his Cousin Louise and take i her for drive in his car"
 Without ever having q glimpse i of Cousin Louise, Merry had come 10 hate her as she never had hated 1 anyone in her short, happy life l before,
 After Tony's third call, Jimmy same upstairs and rehelionsly an- nounced that she would tell him no more white lies.
 He must know you're here. i Merry" she said, grossly. For Merry had fairly haunted the tel ] sphone for weeks, in the hope that . le would call her up.
 She got up and went into her oom, dropping the nail file and buffer down on the bed. forgetting ! hat there was no longer a patient Helen to pick them up and put hem away.
 "I think I'll go out and look for | iob,' she said suddenly to Jimmy, md put on her hat,
 She would show Tony Gaines hat she didn't need him in her fife. any more than he needed her! 'he would go and get job in an office keeping the files or answer ng the telephone, perhaps. There were lots of good looking men in 'ffices.
 But the job she found was not n an office filled with good look ng men. It was not in. an office t all.
 It was in beauty shop only our blocks away from home--a eat little white beauty shop where { Terry had her nails manicured a ozen times before shc learned 10 rim and polish them herself. 1 -hp t''lNf NtAlll' u r 'V II bll lilt GtuJll ide of GoWer street. she stopped O look at the fascinating bottles and [ oXes that were grouped in the I 'indow. Muscle oil, pore paste. quid rouge, paste rouge, dry rouge, l ig boxes of bath powder, little s ottles of perfume. ( Although Merry never used any { Iing on her face but the slightest | usting of rice powder, she was i by beauty aids as every f oman in the world is intrigued l nd fasci- -atcd by them.
 Just as she was turning away, c CT eye fell on pink card tucked f ito one corner of the window. GIRL WANTED" if read. G In another second Merry was in- Il de the shop. | The woman who owned the shop S as all alone, sitting at a little .ble beside the window. f