New Britain herald., 1926-07-09

How silly" said Merry,
 She said fl because she didn't think it was silly at all She said it because she had been wishing the same thing ever since last night
 She had been wishing that she { had met him Whe she was sixteen in stead of Les Purcell. She had been wishing that she had never lived next door to Derrick Jones. She had been wishing that she had not gone on so many automobile rides and dances that had wound up in "potttng parties" during the last four years.
 And yet" she thought gloomily almost every girl l know has done the same things that I've done. In no worse than the rest of them"
 But the thought didn't make her any happier.
 She looked at Anthony Gaines. 1 There was something about him that was SO honest and straightforward looking. Something about the quick open glance or his eye that showed i uim 10 be what men call a square #hootor.'
 "I wonder if hc ever diI or said anything in hls life that he didn't mean" she thought, and then she remembered that he had just asked her to marry him.
 "But he couldn't have meant it." she told herself "Nhy, he hardly ! knows mo"
 They were in the country now, IL lay all abou. them, green and peace ful under Inc raim-- under he brood- ing gray sky.
 Tony turned the car into a marrow lane that ran along tho edge of some fields and shut off his motor. He took out his watch and looked at ii, Hook here" he suid, with his eyes on it, "ifs now two o'clock. Let's 40 back to town and get a marriage 1 license. What do you say"
 His eyes were on hers now. She saw that he was in dead earnest
 There was a pause while Merry | Locke did the hardest thinking she i had ever done in her careless, 1 thoughtlcss lie. Then she laughed. You must he lcrazy,' she answered lightly, that's what l say"
 The man beside her ierkcd his head back an inch, as If she had struck him full in inc face. 4 dark flush spread from his collar 10 the roots of his hair, Without a word. he leaned over. ! turned on the engine, aud backed his great car out or the little lane. He headed it toward town.
 .Hc's taking me home. This Is the end of it," thought Merry. in agony that Was very real. "Wc'yc both liyed in this city all our lives without seeing each other. And after today, probably I'll never see him again."
 She began 10 cry without sound. Presently sne put up one finger to brush the slow difficult tears away. She didn't dare use her handkcr- cuel She was afraid that he Woul3 know she was crying. if she did.
 But Anthony Gaines saw the little movement of her hands. He turned : his head and saw her tears. ] In another minutethe car stopped with a shrieldng of four wheel brakes, and he had her in his arms With her face buried in his neck shn began to sob, niisily, like il hrart-brokcn child.
 "Nou do like mo alter ali. then "" lla asked. as he might have spoken 10 a child.
 Merry nodded, sat up, and looked at him.
 "Ycs, I do." she said, but how long will if last?'
 He rrowned. 'I don't understand you. Merry. What do you mean"
 She shrugged her shoulders IL was going 10 be hard to tell him what she meant.
 But she finally did tell him. with { her head turned away so that she did not have 10 look al him while she was speaking.
 She began by asking him a ques- ton.
 ! Tony" she said, weren't you , ever crazy about girl, before?"
 "Why, sure" he answered prompt ly, lois of time. But not like this. "
 "Well so have l."
 Merry spoke slowly. She had made i up her mind to tell him the truth l about herself. as no one else on earth knew it.
 Eve been crazy about a lot Of { fellows" she said. Sometimes my love affairs didn't last very long-a month or two, perhaps But while they did last they were-pretty in- tcnse.'
 He had been holding her hands, but now she felt his hold on them slacken. She drew them away,
 "The men l knew always wanted 10 kiss me-and l always let them do it. she went on. 'T guess I had quite a reputation at high school for being a better. Some of the girls didn't like mel could always get their men away from them"
 She turned suddenly and looked at nim. His face was as eNprcssionless as stone.
 That boy who took us to the cir GUS last night" she finished breath lcssly that's Derrick Jones. I've been playing around with him for | couple Of years, Next year is his last one in college, and then he wants me 10 marry him. l don't know why tell you all this"
 Tony Gaines shook his head. He Iwcnt on looking al her for two or three minutes, as if he were trying 10 figure her out. AS if there were some secret about her that her face would ctray 10 him.
 Then, at last lie SD, Ike. No, don't know why you tell it to me either" he said. Ut certainly doesn't concern me"
 A half hour later, he dropped her