The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-13
THREE MEN ON HER HANDS
 CHAPTER TX

This was, by any measure, the longest and the most intimate con- versation which Colonel Merri- wetherS had ever bestowed upon his secretary. Mitchell Grace was startled.
 "Iin sorry, sir" he said. Which. by tue way, was a rather absurd thing to observe. And Colonel Merr1wether, descended calmly upon the absurdity.
 Regrets, too, are to be avoided. There is no prosperity in them. Howover ."
 Colonel Merriwether picked up a card from his desk, and examined it quietly, and handed it to Grace. twill you please telephone MT. Vaughan Dunbar of the hotel he indicsa ases here and ask him to dine with ts this evening"" '
 Mitchell Grace said, Certainly, sir,'' while chemical changes of a deplorable nature occurred in his blood stream.
 He walked out with the card, and made his telephone call, and received word that MT. Dunbar was out but would be given the message promptly upon his return He sat then, at the window of his room, and looked down at the pool where he saw not only Gym tlaia Merriwether but also Henry Prentiss. They sat together on the stone bench, and between them there was laughter.
 At the pool, the gravest matter to fall into the talk between Gym thia and Henry Prentiss was the disgusting fact that he could not go into the water.
 "It wouldn't hurt the mitt," he said, "but think what it would do to all those nice, clean ban llages."
 T could put on new ones. Hey That's the way for gentle maider to capture the hero's heart. isn't it? Binding up his wounds! coult even tear strip of my petticoat That would make it perfect"
 aGranting the maiden, I don't grant the gentle" he said.
 And Cynthia Merriwether blush ed.
 ..Furthermore," he said, where in the name of Harper's Bazaar would you find petticoat? Tel me that, Miss Pretty, and I'll dC a half-gainer of the high boarc and nowi"
 Rat"
 Which, for the ridiculous req sons that obtain in such encoun. ters, brought on laughter, anc Cynthia went swimming, aric PrentisS looked at her. And Prem tiss sighed. But then he got him. self Q cocktail from the glass. topped table near his chair, ant drank it with pleblian swiftness.
 When Cynthia came back to si beside him on the bench with water dripping down from her legs tC make small puddles on the ground he got her cocktail too. and admired her while she lifted it, and saic with a detachment and persipicuity which were not of his usual way o speaking, Something troubles you Pretty. Tell the old boon companion what it is."
 .'Poor Grace" she said.
 "The devil is head over heel for you, isn't he?"
 CTS that it? Is that really it Hank?" 1.
 "You talk like something out O Little Women"
 ssYou make me feel like some. thing out of Gone With thu Win'."
 In such trif1ing manner (thougf surely with no unkindness) thu doleful plight of Mitchell Grace was discussed. And the discussion waned because there seemed noth- ing anyway. And the discussion died because Henry Prentiss sud denly remembered.
 'sPeople dance at the club to- niellt. For the sake of my pres tise, I cannot afford to appear with anything but the loveliest and the best. Meaning you. 1i vou want a sprig of posies you'd better decide which of those two dresses you're going to wear"
 thanking you just the same, but Fred West is in by neck" l" ~AIl right, then, Miss Pretty. eoodby. I'll see you at the dance If I'm permitted to look"
 ssparmiftod is the worl for it.
 Last night
 r4n explainl,' He said this eIkIf an exaggeration of mockery,