New Britain herald., 1926-08-10
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 her father dies, sh goes into Lille 1 Dale's beauty shop at tiny salary.
 At that time she is having the first real love affair of her life. The man in the case is Tony Gaines. an am- l bilious young lawyer. who wants to marry her. Their engagement ends when he learns that Merry goes out with other men. He goes to Montana | to live. and a year later Merry hears that he Is engaged to marry girl there. She tries not to care. - ! Helen. her oldest sister marries and later dies in childbirth. Then Cassie. the second oldest. marries her rich employer, Morley Kaufman. Merry envies her her soft, easy life. despite the fact that Mor- l ley is not true to- her. Through Cas- sic, Merry meets Bill Erskine, a wealthy bachelor. She becomes en- gagged to him, but he keeps putting off the date of their wedding.
 Mons, her mother. takes in two boarders to help make both ends meet One of them is Lillie Dale and the OlneTH IS Il WIT. <h year later she marries him.
 Jimmy the youngest sister, never forgives Mons for her second mar riage. She leaves home and marries Derrick Jones, who lives next door. and goes to live with his parents.
 Bill Erskine goes to Florida to be with his dying father. He promises to marry Merry in the spring. but when spring comes he writes and tells her that he does not think she is the girl for him - that she is too young and flighty for him. sMerry knows that he hears about her love affair with Les Purcell, married man. She tells Mons about the letter and Mons promptly announces the engagement and writes Bill letter that she says will make him 'sit up and take notice"
 Several days pass by. Then Bill writes to say he is coming to town. One night. after Merry has been out with Derrick and Jimmy on Dat" Cassie comes to the house, all alone. carrying two bags with her. Merry is sure that she has left Nor ley at last.
 (NOw GO ON WITH THE sTORY)
 CHAPTER LII
 In the dimness of the hall Merry saw Cassie put a warning finger to her lips. "Ssh!" she whispered.
 She started up the stairs, carrying her heavy bag. and Merry followed with the big hatbox.
 Stealthily they crossed the upper hall and tiptoed into Merry's bed room, whose windows faced the street.
 Cassie went to them and pulled down the shades. Then she careful ly switched on 'the lights without making sound.
 In their glow her face was so, white that her lips, with their coat ing of paint, were startling. Merry noticed II at she kept biting them with her teth ;1 she sat down on the edge of the bed. Her eyes were swol- len, as If by long hours of crying.
 How do you happen to be awake this hour of the night?" she asked Merry in q whisper.
 Been out with Jimmy and her crowd of Undergraduates" Merry whispered back. as she climbed into bed. What's happened to you, Cas- sic? Had fuss with Morley?"
 Cassie nodded.
 She began to take things from her overnight bag. A linen nightgown so fine that it was like silk. A pair of orchid satin mules. An orchid chiffon bed jacket. A delicate cloud of perfume arose from them - the jasmine perfume that Cassie paid sixteen dollars a bottle fori
 She laid them in a little pile on the counterpane and kicked off her shoes.
 "I thought perhaps you'd been out somewhere with Bill Erskine" she whispered loudly. T knew he was in town"
 "What?" Merry's whisper was all most a shriek. Here in this town? Bill?" She sat bolt upright in bed. her eyes wide and starry.
 Cassie stared at her in amaze ment, evidently forgetting her own troubles for moment.
 Didn't you know he was here?" she asked. pulling off her hat and running Gher hands over the smooth gold of her hai3 Haven't you seen him?"
 Blinking, Merry shook her head stupidly.
 That's funny" Cassie answered. "I saw him this noon. having lunch at the Towers Hotel"
 Tt couldn't have been Bill" her sister answered. Pm sure that if he were in town he'd call me up the very first thing,"
 Cassie gave 2 shrug and dry lit tie laugh.
 "All right. have it your own way, said she, but I saw him with my own eyes, and he spoke to me"
 She got up from the bed and be- gan to undress.
 In silence Merry lay back on her pillows and watched her.
 Cassie's preparation for the night was longsand painstaking.
 First of all, she drew her hair back into a net. Then she rubbed cold cream all over her face and neck. Then 'she took 1t off with wad of cotton dipped in a lotion that closed her pores. Then she patted thick yellow anti-wrinkle cream around her mouth and eyes. And last of all. she bound linen strap un- der the slight double chin that vas beginning to show.
 She was a queer-looling figure as she got into bed beside Merry and stretched up her arm to turn off the light.
 [ As she did 1t. the sound of a Ford tearing up the street broke the nighttime stiffness. It turned into the driveway and stopped just be- hind Cassie's great car, with shrill scream of the brakes. t,,r