The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-13
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

called by Bill Bailey was standing
with Bill now in the great reception
hall of The Oaks. He held a fold
ing ruler, and he "a figuring with
pencil on a paper pad.
1.-THE whole thing can be done for
less than $780," the carpenter SAID.
.'You see, it's a short partition, and
except for the one supporting post
in the center, it's hollow. 1t can
be taken down in a half day, n
put back in slightly more time.
Only new materials needed Will De
some molding and paint"
Bill nodded. Thanks, I'll let you
know. AS soon as I talk to MIR.
Mortified about it."
Later in the day Mr.. Merrlfleld
approved removal Of the partition.
Making an opening there would. n
effect, double the size Of the recep-
ton or ballroom, which already
opened onto the music room. This
in turn could be enlarged by open
ing French door, onto the wide u
porch. Total result was an expanse
of floor something like an audi
forum.
Later, in a huddle with Gayle,
Bill said, We've got enough room
for 300 couples now"
Bill" Gayle was impressed.
Sure! That's 1000 people. I
mean, we could see that many tick
cts this time. They couldn't all get
in here and dance at once, maybe,
but they wouldn't want to. Some
will Just wander through the house
and leave. Some will be dancing
while others are outside. Quite a
few will just come to the play and
not to the house at all. See?"
Eyes. And that will be a lot of
money, Bill-1,6 800 at S1.50 a ticket
isis"
Bill smiled knowingly. Who saio
anything about a dollar fifty, white
child? You just sit tight and let
pappy handle the business. I got
ideas"
Tell me, Bill"
He grinaced at her. mo, it
takes mems brains. Me and Jere-
my'1l do it. No women allowed"
She struck at him, but he evaded
her and ran, laughing when she
pursued. Part of the pleasure Of
working and living here was the
constant teasing and bantering of
the young folk.
AS a matter of fact, Bill Bailey
really did have some ideas about
1.-THE Wit to Woo" That is, about
the business end of it. A week had
passed now since the newspapers
had announced the forthcoming
play. The papers all knew Mr..
Merrifield's reputation. They knew
him to be generous, that he vas a
philanthropist, and that amateur
theater movement in his home was
purely a charity affair. They also
knew him to be a sort of living
legend who interested everyone in
the city and even in the state to
some degree. Therefore, they could
well pay generous attention to any
doings around him.
The upshot had b e e n constant
coverage of the social and theatre
cal news which Bill and Gayle and
the others were creating. Not all
of it was strictly news" but was
in fact speculation, because the
towns columnists, especially Cholly
Harrington on The Chronicle-Post,
who was the most widely read.
spoke almost daily Of The Oaks
and its affairs. Cholly rather liked
1.-The Merrifield kids" as he called
them. He liked their sincerity. He
liked them because they were a
sharp and pleasing contrast to the
sophisticates and the pseudo-sophis-
ticates who cluttered up much Of
society's upper crust. Of the lat
ter, this trenchant observer grew
increasingly tired. The Mortified
kids were a welcome, wholesome
hobby for him.
Cholly especially liked to rub it
in on the high hat crowd that the
first party and play at the Merri-
field mansion had not been "exclu-
sive." The people present w e r e
largely middle-class youths, friends
of Bill and Gayle and of the six 9TH
er girls, plus the early ones who
bought tickets to the play. Only
400 tickets were available they had
sold in two days.
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