New Britain herald., 1927-02-09

l III, ohC StOPpCu eio o"N Nhb AObt' again to face the street. Gus Mac Clouds cream -colored roadster wa. streaking by, with Gus in it, hat less and coatless as usual. There was a girl beside him-and Robbie caught just flying glimpse of hel face. A brown pointed saucy face l with blue eyes and red, red 7 Monica's face!
 CHAPTER XXX Robbie gazed after the cream. , colored roadster until 1t was just g shining speck far out on Holly wood boulevard. A cold little wave of something that was more like sorrow than jealousy crept over her. Monica and Gus. Monica and Gus. Together. "Oh we'll, who difference does it make if they are?" she asked her self impatiently, and she turned and marched into the jewelry shop. They've known each other for a long time-and I'm through with Gus, anyway. I don't care what he does!"
 But under that thought flowed another-the thought that she did care what he did, and that she never was through with him while she still missed him the way she , did every minute of the day.
 He's selfish and sulky and l x1yJ 1.o oplf hn handed the jeweler the little box that contained Aunt Gertrude's brooch. And he doesn't really care for me. He just likes to make love to me because he thinks I'm pretty. That's all. He's one of these men that fall in love with thrill and never with the woman herself" The joweler. wizened bald-head- ed man, was looking at the dim old diamonds through a magnifying glass.
 Do you want to sell all three of them?" he asked, scenting a good bargain.
 "only one, I think" Robbie an- swered.
 Then she added faintly: ''They're very good diamonds. even If they do have that old-fashioned cutting" The jeweler shook his head. He knew they were good diamonds, but he wasn't going to let her know that he knew it. He was an old fox.
 In the end he gave her s70 for the largest of the three diamonds, which was about one-third of what it was really worth.
 She took it thankfully, and car ried 1t across the street to the bank.
 On the way home she stopped in at one of the outdoor markets. and bought peanut butter and whole wheat bread and coffee.
 Something cheap and filling" she said to herself, walking along under the pepper trees and the olive trees that swayed ever so gently in the warm salty air.
 Christmas only four days off" she went on thinking, "and I won't even dare to send any Christmas cards. They're too expensive. Five cent post cards will have to do." She took them home. and sat at Mrs. Mangan's little desk to write messages on them. "Merry Christ mas to Andy from Bobs." ITO wish Dad and. my new stepmother c Merry Christmas"
 T ought to send them all pres ents, but I just can't this year." she said to Mrs. Mangan, who was crocheting something with shell pink wool, at the sitting room window. I'm lucky to have roof over my head"
 She was lucky to have a warm, comfortable place to live in, she thought. looking around the room. There were deep cushions in all the chairs, fire of pine-knots burned rosily in the grate, and from the kitchen came the warm spicy smell of fruit cake baking in l the oven.
 The fragrance brought back $. re- membrance of last Christmas when she and Aunt Gertrude had baked fruit cakes, aided by Andy who had eaten most of the citron and raisins while he was pretend ing to crack nuts.
 She could shut her eyes and see the old blue-and-white kitchen at home, with its tabletop scrubbed until it was pure white. its brass faucets that always sang little Idrip-drip- dripping song as they leaked into the sink, the geran- iums blossoming on the window sills, and the cat dozing in the warmest corner.
 T suppose you're invited up to Mir. MacCloud's for Christmas din- ner, aren't you?" Mrs. Mangan asked with pretended indifference. As a matter of fact, she was dying to know how things stood between MacCloud and Robbie.
 "Oh, there, I've plotted a card!" exclaimed Robbie, 50 that she | WOulull | IdNo lO duSWeT tllc queS- tion.
 But when Mrs. Mangan made up her mind to find something out, she was not to be turned aside so easily.
 T saw by this mornings paper that he's going to have quite big party" she went on in her thin tired voice that somehow made Robbie thing of the noise of mosquito.
 That so?"
 Robbie went on writing, and did not lift her head.
 But as soon as she finished her cards she went out of the room and back to the wall-rack in the