New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1926-07-26

| TO spoil Things Tor US. Aren't we,
Monk?"
When Cassie was feeling very
loving and sweet toward Morley she
called him Monk" She kissed
him now. on his bald spot, to re-
mind him that he was getting old
Then she trailed out of the room
with Merry following after her.
"Everything's all right, honey"
she said. when the bedroom door
was closed between them and Nor
ley. II told him I was going to leave
him, and it just knocked him silly!
He all but got on his knees to me
to stay. and I made him promise
not to see Fiji Pell any more"
She sat down beside Merry on
the edge of the bed. and put one
slim arm in its chiffon sleeve
around her shoulders.
81 think there waA't much to the
affair. anyway" she went on, with
a broad-minded air. "Fifi just came
to him to ask him how to invest
some money. and ! suppose she
flirted with him a little. No man
ever kept his head when a good
! looking woman made eyes at him.
l guess-Morley's no worse than
the rest of them. And, as Mons
says, you may just as well live
with the demon you know as with
the one you don't know"
She laughed. and kissed her sis
ter on the cheek. Merry had never
known her TO be so affectionate.
She gave her a bottle of gardenia
perfume that she didn't want, an
other kiss. and sent her home.
Merry had promised Cabby Marsh
that she would go somewhere to
dance with him on Wednesday
night.
But on Tuesday night she tele-
phoned him and told him that she
couldn't make it.
For on Tuesday afternoon, just
before it was time to close the
beauty shop, man she hadn't seen
for five years walked in and turned
all her plans topsy-turvy in five
minutes.
She did not know him. at once.
He came in, slung 4 saleman's
leather case down on the table in
the front of the shop, and asked
to see Madame Dale.
While Merry was walking to the
room behind the shop TO call Lille,
her mind was busy with the man
who had just come in.
Where had she seen him before?
She knew that voice, that smile,
that way of moving his head as he
talked. She knew the gray eyes
and the charming deyil-may-car
smile.
Then all at once it came to her
who he was - Les Purcell. the hero
of her high school days, long agoi
The man who had given her the
first kiss she had ever had. She
wondered if he remembered it,
still?
Probably not. Men forget things
like that. The things that mean
so much to women.
But all the same he remembered
her
Aren't you Mary Ann Locker"
he asked her when she went back
to him. Didn't you go to East
High SCHOOL,"
she said she had and by the
time Lille came out of the back
room, they were talking over old
times.
"Our babyhood," Merry said,
laughing into his gray eyes.
He was a salesman for a firm
that made a world famous cold
cream. When he had taken Lilies
order. he sat down and waited I'M
til Merry was ready to go home.
an take you in my little car"
he told her. At the curb was
roadster of the same make as the
car he had driven to high school,
years before.
The next night at half past eight
it was standing at the curbstone in
front of the old Chester street
house.
Mons and jimmy had gone over
TO Mrs. Jones house to play 800"
with her and Mr.. Jones, and Merry
was all alone with Les Purcell.
you don't remember a ride we
once took in that little old car You
used to have, do your" Merry asked
him, as they sat side by side on the
old horsehair sofa in the sitting
room.
She looked intently at him. her
| lips half opened like the petals OF
rose.
She had the Unborn instinct of
mans woman" She knew, with
out ever stopping to think about
it. Just how TO look at man, how
TO smile at him and when to look
wistfully at him.
It was as natural for a man to
think of love-making when he was
with Merry Locke. as 1t was for
him to think of water when he was
thirsty.
Nature had fashioned her to be
all softness and sweetness and
allure. And she had never been
more seductive than she was to-
night, in the old rose-eolored organ
die dress she had had for two years
Les Purcell moved over to her
side Of the sofa.
"Do I remember that night?' he
repeated. 'Do II" Well, ] just guess
/ don't remember anything else
but" ~
'1've always been a little bit
ashamed of IT," Merry said, shyly'
looking down so that her lashes
made a shadow on her soft cheeks.
"Why be ashamed?" heAasked IN
most matter-of-fact way. II
girl doesn't pet these days, she's
out" 80