New Britain herald., 1926-07-31
THE PETER s. s..,:: s::t;: t:;; s:''s: s:s.' @ A' AsA7@ > ~ ~ ~ ~~
 
REAn THIS FTP ST.

READ THIS FIRST:
 Merry Locke, pretty and gay as her nickname, is a born flirt. She has no ambition beyond having a good time and plenty of beaux.
 At twenty, she fails in her course at business college to the great dis appointment of Mons, her ambitious mother. When her father dies sud. denly she takes job in Lillie Dale's neighborhood beauty shop, a nice lazy job with a tiny salary attach ed to it.
 At that time she is having the first real love affair of her life. The man in the case is Tony Gaines, a young lawyer, who wants to mar ny her. But their engagement is broken when he finds out that Mer- ry goes out with other men on the nights when he doesn't call on her. He goes to Montana and later Mer- Try hears he is engaged to a girl there.
 Helen, the oldest of the four Locke sisters, marries and settles down to have her family. Cassie, the second oldest, marries her rich en- ployer, Morley Kaufman. Merry en- vies Cassie her easy life.
 When she meets Bill Erskine. a wealthy bachelor, she decides he is the husband for her, because he can give her all the things Cassie has, But Bill keeps putting off the date e of harr1t has trapped him into an engage ment. It is finally set for September, but in September Bill goes to Flor ida. Merry begins not to care wheth- CT she Hands" him or not.
 Mons takes Lillie in to live at the house. She rents another room to Mir. Hefflinger, and promptly begins to "act too silly for words over him, as Jimmy, the youngest of the sisters says. Jimmy finally runs away from home and marries Der rick Jones, who lives next door. She goes to live with the Jones family.
 One night Bill returns unexpect- edly, and finds Merry in the arms of Les Purcell, an old beau. He has just been breaking the news to Mer- ry that he is married, and his wife is about to divorce him. Bill be- comes jealous of him, and he and Merry quarrel When he is gone. she has mysteries, and sobs out to Mons that she doesn't care about Bill anyway, but is heart-broken about Tony Gaines still. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY .. CHAPTER XLIV
 Outside of the curb the taxicab waited in the rain to pick up an- other fare.
 Merry jumped into It. and Bill Erskine started to heave himself in after her.
 q don't want you to come with mel" she blazed at him.
 Where to-" asked the taxi driv- CT. turning in his seat to watch them.
 "But I'm coming anyway" Bill declared stubbornly. Merry tried to shut the door of the cab, but he hung on to it.
 I'm not going to let you dash off like this" Bill went on. I'm going to find out what ails you" He to get into the cab at last.
 Where to?" asked the driver for the third time.
 Bill waved one of his fat hands.
 "Anywhere" he roared in answer. Drive until I tell you to stop!" He slammed the uoor, and they were off.
 Now, then" he said to Merry, what ails you. anyhow? I come all the way from Florida to see you - and I find you with another man. You all but throw me out of the house, and when I forgive you and try 10 buy you an engagement ring, you walk out of the store, leaving me standing there like an empty plate!"
 He snorted with righteous wrath, and bit off the end of fresh cigar with a snap of his teeth.
 T think you owe me an explana- tion," he added.
 "Wen, you aren't going to get one! So write that down on your cuff" retorted Merry,
 Her eyes were full of resentment and sulkiness. Their luster had
 R