Show The TI Fourth Lovely Ply X T ER D tD lp The I Merrill Dobbs T Company IoL SYNOPSIS th the wedding of her hr h r niece which th she ahe h hu has financed Matilda Smith Lovely b by her hu own In- In youngest and th the weightiest of ot th the four x lAve lovely vly I sisters finds find herself In decidedly straitened circumstances but hi hu has h her r own plant plans for tor th the future which th she ah refute refuses to divulge to her eilers liter prominent nt Hit fig ur urea acres In Nw New York Tork society ocl ty Th The Th historic Lovely LOT estate U In Virginia U is owned b by It brother brother- Lee who lives lIy In Chile dearest wish I is I. to own LovelI It I is I. rented to a Mr fr Johnstone Johneton N Nesbit Under tinder the name nam Madame Emir establishes herself her her- self elf If at as a Mill Slater r of ot th the Illch Rich Richa a consultant Th The Th business promise u uto to b be b. remunerative but th the other Ix Lovely sister litter are arB horrified at her be becoming becoming be- be coming what the they term an adventures tur tures hat has a client a man mn who desires to evade vad de th the pursuit of or an extraordinary stout lad lady ladr hi hit wh whom he h. h rf raters refer r to a as AI Mercy Inc CHAPTER IV Continued IV-Continued Continued 5 5 5 Yet for nil all the boys boya warning the woman woman wom worn an who entered while he lie lingered atthe at att the threshold to observe the effect sue Bho produced transcended anything had Imagined This Tills Is a fabulous creature thought a fantastic design by a hotel Hut But ut she met net the lady Indifferently as If Ir she found her hr nothing out of or the ordinary and Muttons Buttons disappointed fled to his hili own post Madame l 1 Emit bowed an assent Never she Rhe told herself henelt had bod she Jeen to so so dimples dimpled chin dimpled wrists dimpled knuckles I am surprised You Vou seemy friend told me you were so reliable I expected expected ex some gome one much older There was w. no answer to this and she went wenten Is Is- Is en My Ml name stopped topped her ber with a swiftly raised handI handI hand I do pot not ot require the names nomell of ot my consultants she ahe said sold It frequently eases embarrassment to remain locus How 1011 discreet the stranger smiled disclosing two more dimples In 0 my ml ease case It Is not necessary My Ml name Is III Martha Washington Mer Mercedes Mercedes edes Miss Martha Washington Mercedes My Ml friends call can me Mercy accepted this Information gra gra- As Aa nothing more was forth coming she suggested There Is something you fanc fancy I can can do for tor you JOu At once the round blue eyes In the round baby face tace opposite her filled 1 with tears tear I suppose It all comes back to the fact tact that Ive I've grown rown stout A love lore affair Is II something t to write poems about bout If It youre you're built like a bean bean pole It If youre you're like Uto m me Its It's only a ft Joke oke and Fm rm In love Im I'm just terribly to In love lore love Mercy Jercy burst bunt out A As If It a cloud had bad burst bunt the tears became a flood Hood Ones Cries easily registered mentally I wonder how much her feelings really amount to tot The next moment she called herself herselt bard hearted hardhearted hearted for tor Mercy raised streamIng stream stream- Ing eyes eres to hers hen and spoke with telling simplicity Please believe me and help me I didn't know people felt this way 1101 when they were In love Maybe ho no one ever eer did before she suggested hopefully Well Welt your condition Is not absolutely absolutely absolutely unique Nor should I call It hopeless Im afraid you will when you hear hearan all an about It It Miss Mercedes sniffed Im desperate Johnny absolutely hates all fat tat women Ive I've put on 00 a little weight lately latell and since then he certainly avoids me Theres There's no mistaking mistaking mis mis- taking tha thatA that t. t A little weight I If It It Its It's only a matter of ot weight wh why not bot reduce What else could It tt be be Miss Mercedes Mercedes Mercedes' Mer Mer- cedes cedes' round eyes erea grew rounder with astonishment and she forgot to cry crr Perhaps It Is lacking In delicacy to boast of It it but I assure you rou Madame no girl t In 10 the whole state had more admirers than I. I Is IsYou You Vou should never have allowed yourself to grow so In large Mercy pouted as If tt she were a chidden child Ive Ie such luch a wonderful cook she murmured 1 with a guilty look Discharge her Oh I couldn't do that My All dinners din ners are celebrated Then dont don't eat ut them In that case Lucinda would leave Ilove of ot her own accord She has often orten tolO told me that she wouldn't stay with a lady who didn't appreciate her food tood Anyway Any Anyway way Ive I've a tiny appetite It cant can't be what I eat fat that makes me fat tat 11 Really ea lIy I take on only 11 enough nough to keep keell my strength op up Emotional as I am aDl and under such a fearful strain I need nourish meat ment You do see that Madame Hm Um pondered the point Plain to her was the fact tact that 11 Sties Miss 3 Mercedes was a a gourmet and probably a glutton In that c case case the only thing to do Is to keep kep Lucinda and you apart for a time You Vou mean mean that I ought to stay here and reduce And not t F see J Johnny forages for ages f How Ilow could I bear Dear It IU Oh Madame De ts' ts nit all you can you rou can think of to help m me me It may not be all I tan an think of of- of II I I at least leut It Its It's the most obvious remedy Isn't It tU smiled It If the gentleman gen ren- gentleman preferred you as you OU were before betor before be be- fore tor It would seem only to be necessary nece necessary sary now DOII to remake yourself more nearly to his hi hearts heart's desire Miss AilS Mercedes' Mercedes tears tearl stopped How flow beautifully you do say lay things she Abe beamed I must remake myself more nearly to his hearts heart's desire 1 I think that's that very lovely Since time wa was pressing It did not seem worth while to point out that Fitzgerald had hod done Ilone more justice to Omars Omar's thought began to tosum tosum sum lum up As I f understand your case the only ob obstacle between you OU and your lover loer Is your size What hat Is III called for forIs forIs forIs Is self denial on your part t i should not think of ot advising either diet OK Ort treatment The most 1 I should be willing will will- Ing to do Is hI to suggest a physician who to my knowledge has haa been successful successful suc In similar cases cases Miss Mercedes Mercedell now exhibited an unsuspected unsuspected un suspected trace of or native shrewdness If It you rou dont don't mind my asking inking have you gone gono to him Mm yourself As All could read real In her face that If It she nhe had her visitor did not think highly of or the result she ahe permitted herself a broad grin No Ive I've ve never taken any treatment I cant can't a fI to My time Is II too valuable Urn Hm said a d Miss lIss Mercedes dell speculatively If It you you w wish wish sh me me meIto to Ito do so 10 Ill I'll 11 call the doctor this afternoon and speak about the case if Jit If he says rays he hean Van ran help bell you you Ill I'll make an on an appointment ni f 31 will then be possible for tor you rou to to decide for tor yourself whether It itis Is w worthwhile worth worthwhile rth while to begin his hili treatment treatmentS treatment'S Hm Um said Miss Mercedes again Ive ve got a better Idea than that You have said laId I have an Idea that's that nothing short of ot an Inspiration Miss Mills Mercedes Merce begrin began began be be- grin gan gan firmly I only hope bope you'll agree to it It waited expectantly and abd she went on You see lee moneys money's practically practically no object to me mI Ive I've plenty of ot my own own and for tor the last four tour years Ive I've not begun to spend m my Income Then Johnnys Johnny's simply rolling If It I marry him I never mean to consider the price of ot anything again as AI long longas as III I live So So looking at this as al a business proposition It will wilt pay me to find out what this treatment Is II worth before I try It on myself And how bow do del you propose to do that thoU Inquired although she Rhe already al re-n re ready l had bad an nn Inkling of ot what was agitating agi tating Miss Mis Mercedes Mercedes' shrewd mind What Is your Idea Idla Y To try It on you Miss Mercedes Mercede answered simply For or a minute was Inclined to refuse to to consider this proposal Vaguely aguel she felt Insulted by It though where the Insult lay she could not say Then she relaxed In other words word you want wont a whipping whIpping whipping whip whIp- ping boy bOI Well I believe that 11 was formerly regarded as an honorable post What Is your our suggestion for the arrangement to be made between us And have you taken into the fact that the causes of ot our too too solid flesh mn may be totally different If It I find him successful with you It will give me roe confidence that he will willbe willbe willbe be with me me too opinion of ot Mercy's common commonsense commonsense sense which had been ben low was rising with every word she said sold now the subject of ot her love affair was wall left In Inthe Inthe inthe the background As AB to the remuneration remuneration tion I should t feel 1 that you ought to be satisfied If It I paid your doctors doctor's bills Sorry said Mid briefly well let t the matter drop I do not find myself Interested In 10 your proposition Suppose Sup pose I give you Doctor Wantons Wanton's address ad dress and you can make arrangements with him or not as all best tIt suits you ou An Any good man would probably do aswell as aswell aswell well for tor you but I 1 happen to have hae confidence In him You think there thre Is no other course coune open to me What about mental sence science science s ence of ot some sort lort Absent treatment The power of ot mind over matter I must do something Rome Jd go through anything for Johnnys Johnny's sake take Its It's only that Ive I've made mode up my mind I want to 10 see Bee the result of ot treatment given some Rome someone one else before I submit to It II Mercy whimpered yet It wa was evident that with her a mind made up was wasI a I mind made up once and for all time and was becoming bored Really Miss Mercedes Merces she began I do not believe that you rou should have any difficulty In finding some one ono who would accept an ao offer such as os you sug SUit suggested suggested If It you OU added a small fee tee I cannot help you OU there Why wont won't you do It IU Peeling lIng herself dismissed the lady begun began slowly slow ly to work her fat hands Into gloves several serral sizes too small for her Because I am om a business woman whose time has a very ery definite value Moreover I am by br no means sure lure my size Is not an a asset set In tn my business There Thre Is something ab about It that Inspires In spires confidence I might be making a mistake to reduce At all aU evel events ta I l it would require a large bribe to Induce me to run ruo tile the rl risk k Very well Miss Mercedes Jacu e In trembling tones tones giving way with surprising suddenness You name t. t shall name your price Nor or shair I undertake It li under a written agreement warned her ber recognizing her ber clients client's vacillating disposition I shall expect ten en thousand dollars dollar Moreover to be fair t to both of or us u. us payment must be behalf behalf half halt In advance half hatt at the termination lon tion of ot Doctor Blantons Blanton's treatments That Is Is when he h has reduced me to what be he decides to be a normal normol weight How do I know that will make you rou slim IUm enough I want to be bp really slender lender girlish you OU know Miss 1 Mercedes le was all plainly again I cant can't guarantee that that returned returned re re- turned calmly I J refue to take off ort a pound more than Doctor Blanton re re- garde ard as safe Rea Really 11 Miss Mercedes dont don't you think you rou are wasting time timet What you require Is some one more tractable than Ihan I also I-also also cheaper she added with s hint of ot contempt for tor after all was 88 a Ix lovely with a Lovelys Lovely's disregard for money when she had It And ApI Miss Mercedes l sensed this his this growing more eager fager the moment she feared was Inclined to draw back bark Ill sign your agreement she an announced Ill pay pal anything In reason Please lease hove have the paper made ready and andI I will make moke you out a check cherk Its It's a n proof of ot my love for tor Johnny she he he added added add adl- ed ell her voice trembling And I look on It as an Investment she ended her practicality again to the fore lore So said so done and Miss Mies Mercedes wended her weighty way WRY toward the elevator CHAPTER V looked forward with an on amount of Interest that she found surprising to to her approaching Interview with the person perRon she still designated to herself is as the gunman On his behalf she was tempted empted to order ordera a a. a amore more substantial luncheon yet after atter all why should she ahe She had not Invited this guest Finally she ahe compromised Three sandwiches an J an apple were to be brought to her as 81 usual while Buttons was told to hold a larger large supply In re re- serve The man arrived promptly and ushered himself out to the lounge without ceremony Plainly ceremony was one of ot the superfluities he be had banished from his scheme of ot existence Buttons followed with a small plate of ot sandwiches e regarded by the gunman gun man with Ith extreme disfavor Are those a Joke he demanded before he saw the twinkle In eyes after r which the rest of ot the banquet banquet ban was quickly forthcoming Well why hy dont don't you talk he asked doing full justice to the sandwiches sandwiches sand sand- the while I l was meditating on the Inequalities ties and Injustices of ot this world IrI If It Iti I consumed a e. tithe lithe of ot what you OU do do the only acal scales I could be on 00 would be he a hay scales and I T suppose the same MOIl Is III true trul of MI Miss s Mercedes Men Dont fool tool yourself or let her fool you Lucinda's best customer I Is io her mistress And an artist So I 1 was given to understand said ald dryly I Judge jude that If lu lu- masterpiece were terl less tempting tempting tempt tempt- ing Miss Mercedes might be he less Its colossal What you'd like ilkI to say Far U is If Miss oIlS Mercedes were not such a pig Miss Mercedes might be less colossal Really null said ald lifting her eyebrows eye ere brows and with difficulty restraining her laughter this man man with the emerald emer aId ald horseshoe was after all so 80 like a rather naughty little boy bOI that Is II not the way woy a gentleman should talk about a lad lady Is It t. t I 1 cant can't see that lie Ile compressed his his' lips stubbornly If It a lady acts like a pig I think a man should be befree befree frt free e to mention It judicially and without Ill feeling you rou understand But ut then what should I 1 know about It I dont don't pretend nd to be a gentle gentle- man You didn't think 1 I was one onto did you Dear me we no not 1 mU answered I wI nud It on good authority that you OU were a gunman Dont Don't rou Honl you want ant to hear of my willi Miss Mercedes Y particularly j And that Is Just as w well 1111 Il she told tolt J Him ulm lm because I 1 hn e no Indention In n dention t of telling yoU J anything thing n I 1 was waa sure ure you IOU hadn't Johnny rejoined re re- joined How could you be certain I would say nothing about Miss MIllS Mercedes I thought she he was your excuse for comIng coming coming com com- ing here was disturbed She preferred playing with people to baring having bar hav ing them play pIa with her ber tier Her guest beamed at her Any excuse |