New Britain herald., 1926-08-07

| why, sure you dld? 7" Lillie con- tradicted in her loud. cheerful, vul-
 gar way Don't you remember |?
 You brought me the towel to pin
 around her shoulders"
 MUST we have these endless ar
 guments at every r.eal?" Mir. lief finger cut in in a deep angry voice. His gray face was mottled with bright color. Cant we learn to eat
 in peace and quiet in this house?
 You may not know it. Miss Dale, but any kind. of excitement upsets the stomach at meal time"
 Lillie glared at him and set down her coffee cup with a chatter.
 Docs the sound of my voice ex- cite you, Mir. Hefflinger?" she de- manded to know,
 Mir. Hefflinger said he was sorry, but it did.
 Well, then. give me my news paper, and won't bother you!" Lillie snapped at him. She reached for the paper and buried herself in 1t.
 My good kid" she said later to Merry, when the two of them were out in the April drizzle on their way to the beauty shop, "how your precious Mons ever tied herself up to that old wet-blanket of a Hef- finger I don't know! You ought'to thank your lucky stars that you're going to get married and get out of the house. I'm going to move myself l. cant stand old Gloomy Gus!"
 The name curiously. suited Mir. Hefflinger. He was the soul Of gloom. He made it known to Mons that the sound of the piano. rat ting out jazz under Merry's light quick fingers. annoyed him.
 Mons passed the word on to Mer- ry. and the voice of jazz was no longer heard in the house.
 On the Sunday night after Mer- rvs engagement was announced in the newspaper, Muriel Kaufman came running in to see her.
 She was sweet and affectionate once more, as she had been in the early days of their friendship. She put her arms around Merry and kissed her
 Honey, I'm so dee-lighted about you and Bill Erskine," she chirped. T just rushed in with this little engagement present. I can't stay a second. Cabby's out here in his car waiting for me. Alli-oops" And waving her slim arm with it's jingling bracelets, she was gone,
 With queer little smile Merry opened the package. Inside the scented tissue paper was pair of white silk stockings. Not the ordinary kind that can be bought for a dollar and ninety-five cents, put the most gorgeous ones that Merry had ever seen or dreamed of seeing '.a
 They were ivory chiffon, embroi- dered with tiny pearl beads and French knots. The kind of stock ngs that nobody but princess or l bride would even think of wear mgr
 Merry sighed as she ran her 1 land through one of them. She won lered if she would ever wear them. |
 Then the next morning she had | | letter from Bill Erskine. A suited hort letter, stating that he would | lee her within a couple. of weeks, l md that he was "As ever Bill"
 That was all Nothing to read between the lines. Just the bare tatement that he was coming.
 It was on the first Tuesday in Jay that Jimmy telephoned one light while Lillie and Merry were loing the supper dishes.
 Derrick and l are flinging a ,arty," she said in her. high, young -oice, Some of his fraternity broth ITS are in town, and we need an xtra girl. Will you come along with ls?"
 Almost without thinking Merry aid that she would. It was a re- ief to escape from the house, now days.
 A half hour afterwarG Merry was queezed into their little Ford with hem. They were going to the White Peacock to dance, and they had ,lenty of "juney" along, so they told fer joyously.
 "Juney?" asked Merry, puzzled.
 Synthetic gin, in other words" inny explained. Not that I ever ouch the nawsty stuff, but the rest f the crowd loves it!" The "crowd" was waiting for them 'eacock. Four of Derrick's college and three girls with their air cut above their ears and their Sirts cut above their knees.
 They all seemed like kindergart- CTS to Merry. Her own partner, a ed-haired youth named Angus Mil IT, was probably about her own age, ut he seemed years younger to her = this dancing fool" of a boy who fought it was smart to get drunk.
 With the air of a man of the orld he showed her a glass flask
 his coat pocket. Hot, eh?" he ,ked her. Hot juney! When the 'Sl are utdu Oll lltlI lttlt SOu anu will still have this, eh?" He hitch 1 his chair closer to hers and ,ached for her hand under the .ble. Merry pushed his away.
 "Whassa matter? Too cuddly for Isses?" he asked in meaningless ang. "All right, papa go by-by."
 Then he got up and walked over table on the far side of the 'owded dance palace. Presently erry saw him doing mad Charles m with strawberry blonde.
 Derrick and Jimmy got up to ance. One by one the three other ,uples followed them out on the GOT.
 Merry was left all alone.
 She had the next dance with