New Britain herald., 1927-02-01

n roses look of youth. The mark ol l failure was on Stella If 1t ever wa. ] on anybody.
 She got up. Goodnight, Bobbie.' 3 she said. I'm going to bed. And
 you think over what I said. Iknow what I'm talking about. l used tc
 tear around this town when first r came, and it got me-nowhere! I'll
 tell you all about it some time when I'm in the mood" , Once more that queer little look t-of pain showed in her face for, just
 second. Then she had opened
 the door anf closed 1t behind her.
 Robbie sat motionless on the
 edge of the blue-green bed, and
 stared at her bright reflection in
 the mirror of the dresser across
 the room.
 But Monica tears around like a
 wild woman. and she's getting on," she argued with herself. She's as tough as shoe leather and yet Roy Schultz is going to give her a good i comedy part in a picture"
 She wondered if the private do- ings of the movie folk had anything to do with their success or failure after all.
 If you can just get some direc- tor crazy about you, you're made" Monica had said. Pulls the thing that counts in Hollywood" | Did it? And did it make any real difference if she went to Tia Juana the next day or not, Robbie wondered. She argued the ques- i ton pro and con, lying snug and warm between the fluffy blankets of the blue-green bed, with her eyes fixed >on the palm-leaf shad- ows that swayed across her window l panes.
 The palm leaves. They made her think of Tia Juana. Of hot sun 1 baked white walls with brown skinned people sitting against | them. Of the coast road that led 1 down to Tia Juana, and of herself and Gus MacCloud skimming over that road side by side, in !ong cream -colored roadster. Tomorrow morning. T want to go, goodness knows.' she whispered to herself. I haven't wanted to do anything so | much since I can remember" In the end it was long forgotten memory that settled things for her. A memory of something that had happened between herself and Andy Jerrold more than a year be- fore.
 She had asked Andy to take her to a burlesque show, back home. Some of the gang they ran with were going to go, just for a larky devilish thing to do.
 They did go, too. But not she and Andy! For Andy refused point-blank to take her. A bur. lesque show, he had said, was no place to take a girl that you re- spected and care for.
 T might take some girls there, but not you, Bobbie," he had told her, and she remembered how grim he had looked at the time, But not you."
 That was men for you! They'd do wild things themselves and they didn't care if certain women did them-but not their own women- not the ones they cared for. Other women might take a cocktail or a i cigaret or go to burlesque shows | for the fun of 1t, but not their | women,
 And that's just it." said Robbie Ransom to herself that September | night making up her mind at last. l If this Gus MacCloud really cared 1 for me, he wouldn't have wanted | me to go to a terrible town called l Satan Town with him. He thinks I'm just a good-time girl! Well, | he'll find out that I'm not"
 She stuck to it, too. The next morning when big cream- -colored roadster and an olive-green touring car drove up in front of the house, she stayed upstairs in her room.
 You won't come. then?" Monica asked, dashing in for a second, all bright-colored clothes, dangling beads and bracelets and violent perfumery. Because I know they'd wait while you dressed if you'd only change your mind and come along."
 Robbie, sitting up In bed with her hands clasped around her knees, silently shook her head. She was dying to go, and it was hard to pass up this good time.
 All right, but you're missing half of your life, little darling goody-goody" said Monica, and slammed the door behind her.
 Robbie peeked out from behind her bedroom curtains. Gus Mac Cloud was alone in his big road ster. There were three men and three-gay-looking girls in the olive green car.
 Monica opened the door of Mac Clouds roadster and scrambled in as if the seat next to him belonged to her. There was roar of en- zines and they were gone! Robbie gazed after them and her heart was as heavy as stone.
 At ten o'clock there was call from the Magnifica Studios for Robbie.
 Mrs. Mangan brought the glad tidings to the door of the room.
 You're to go to the makeup man at one o'clock" said she. T took the message for you-not knowing whether you were still asleep or not. The call was from MT. Schultz. Is that MT. Roy Schultz the directory"
 Robbie said it was, and her voice fairly sang the words. Instantly she forgot her disappointment about Tia Juana.
 Lucky I didn't go," she told herself as she took an icy shower that made the blood jingle all over