The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-09

BENJAMIN MERR1FIELD, aged
capitalist, hires
GAYLE DIXON to make love to
his grandson,
JEREMY TUCKER, a shy student
of archaeology, while
BILL BAILEY and six pretty girls
are employed to help bring life
to the Mortified mansion.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
On Saturday evening Bill Bailey
had drawn his first money, charged
to expenses. With it on Sunday he
left The Oaks.
I'm going out and sniff tn e
winds of ballyhoo,' he told Gayle.
She didn't fully understand him,
but she encouraged him to 60. She
herself would accompany Mr.. Mer-
rifield, MI. Weems and Jeremy
to church.
Bill went to places where he
knew word got around" He him
self was not yet known to be work
ing and staying at The Oaks, SO he
could listen undisturbed. At the
University club he verified the fact
that upper crust society was still
indignant about the forthcoming
party. At an exhibition tennis
match on the Montrose club courts
-swankiest in the state-he heard
more people talking about the Mer-
rifeld Little Theater movement
than about the internationally ia
nous tennis star. All of this tickled
Bills buoyant soul.
On Monday morning Bill, back
on his job, got up early and had
the morning paper ahead of any,
body else. 1t was elaborate with
more news of the amateur play,
but had bare mention of the Tues
day dance. Bill knew that Monday
is a slack period for the society
sections of all newspapers, and so
the afternoon dailies would likely
give generous space to the play,
too.
'I'Il distribute the tickets first
thing after breakfast" Bill told
Gayle as soon as he found her up.
They had sauntered for a moment
on the Mortified lawn to greet a
brilliant sun.
where will you put them?"
There are three established
places downtown-a jewelry store,
a drug store and the Last Curtain
club-where theater tickets of this
sort are sold. I mean, handled for
charity, without commission. Our
expenses on this play won't be
mere than $35 or so, Gayle. Well
have a nice profit if we make any
sort of SALE"
"Oh, I hope we do. For Mr.. Mer-
rifield's sake as much as any.
thing.
Bill grinned.
HE doesn't need any charity
help"
SILLY! But he does want to see
things succeed, see promises car
ried out. You know that, Bill"
Bill indeed did now that. It was
a nagging realization of that. in
fact, which drove him on, when he
had impulsively planned a f W
days ago to chuck the whole bust.
ness of working here and set in
making love to Gayle. He remem-
bered, in time, that he had made
a promise to Mr.. Merrifield. And
there was the added important fact
of his being without funds.
While Bill was away this morn
ing distributing tickets, %photogra-
piers came again from two news
papers, an hour or so apart. Sun
days papers had really found little
to 60 on, p%ictorially speaking. They
had obtained from Mr.. Weems a
formal portrait of Jeremy Tucker,
and one of MIR Mortified. These
two poses, with a small picture
of the mansion itself, had constitu-
ted the layout in each of the papers
and as society pictures they we're
inadequate. Jeremy looked like the
scared collegian he had been when
that portrait was made, and while
Mr.. Merrifield looked distinguished,
that still wasn't enough.
Get some punch, some oomph,"
the publisher of Mrs. Molly Van