New Britain herald., 1927-02-17

| way his voice had trembled, stil | thrilled her as she stood ther, alone in the blue-green bedroom above Mrs. Mangan's sitting room.
 She kept thinking about hin while she tried to count up si, months. Finally she did it. ant she jotted the date down on tho wallpaper, inwardly praying tha' Mrs. Mangan, that poison neat woman, would never discover i there.
 "six months! That will bring me to the eighth of August" she told herself. I'll either be in the movies for good sand forever then or it's back to Locust Street school and Andy Jerrold for mel" The thought of Locust street school left her cold. But the thought of Andy brought a surge of hot jealousy to her heart-the thought of Andy, the nice, good looking thing, and that new secre- tary of his.
 T wonder if she's pretty" she thought dreamily, as she dropped off to sleep. "she probably is-but 1 hope she isn't. hope she has a face like doughnut!"
 And with that sweet and chari- table thought, she closed her eyes.
 CHAPTER XLIV ,|
 Nothing happened for a week.
 That is, nothing of any impor- tance to Robbie and her career of motion picture actress. Not a telephone call from a studio. Not a word from the house on the hill where Lottie Schultz and her fla nous husband lived. Not a word or a sign from Gus MacCloud.
 Then, on Saturday afternoon, everything began to happen at once. Things often do, in just that way.
 At four o'clock, Robbie was com- ing slowly up Las Palmas street towards Mrs. Mangan's house with her arms full of little bundles-a quarter pound of butter, pat of peanut butter, six poppy seed rolls, some bologna in greasy gray paper wrappings, a half pint of cream, a half pound of coffee in red sack. This was the food that was to last her over Sunday.
 She had begun to dread Sundays of late. They were gray dull des- erts of time, and not at all like the Sundays at home that had be- gun with breakfast and church, and ended with a drive and supper with Andy Jerrold.
 She seldom saw Gus on Sundays. He always went to the studio for several hours on Sunday, and often spent the whole day there. To him and to Roy Schultz Sunday seemed to be working day just like Mon day or Tuesday.
 T wonder whether they really spend all that time at Magnifica or not" Robbie unused. remembering the story Lottie Schultz had told her about their wild party at Mon- lcaS hateful little flat.
 She was half-ashamed of herself for distrusting Gus, especially when he seemed so much in love with her. But she was.
 Not only that. but she knew she never had fully trusted him. There was so much of the male flirt in him-and then. did a woman ever trust a really handsome man? A man who was as attractive to the opposite sex as Gus was?
 q always trusted Andy Jerrold," she said to herself, "and he was every bit as good looking as Gus. But he just wasn't the kind that chases women, I guess. and Gus is. That's the difference" Then she suddenly remembered that new secretary of Andy's. The one that was so wonderful and such a speed merchant" and she frowned.
 A motorcycle came sagging past her, on it's way up the street. Idly she watched it, and then all at once she quickened her step and her eyes brightened. It had stopped in front of Mrs. Mangan's house. and a messenger boy hoped down from it and hurried up the front walk.
 From where she was, Robbie could see the letter that he carried in his hand-a long narrow white one. The kind that Andy Jerrold used.
 By the time she reached the house he had left 1t, and was off down the street on his bike. She opened the mail box and found not only Andys letter but a small square box with a Special deliv- cry" stamp upon it. It was post marked Los Angeles"
 Robbie turned it over and over in her hand, wondering who could have sent 1t to her. The address was typewriter. and it looked as if it might contain some delightful gift or other. It was that kind of a package.
 Then a sudden thought struck her. Perhaps Gus was returning Andy's bracelet to her! Or per- haps he had bought her some trin- ket. He knew her weakness for pretty frivolous things. Beads or perfumery or a pair of big pearl earrings to screw into the soft rosy lobes of her lovely little ears.
 She tore off the paper wrapping, and opened the box. It was a soiled white pasteboard box, and upon the cotton within it reposed Aunt Gertrude's brooch! The dirty" diamonds in it winked up at her like watery eyes.
 For cats sake" she cried aloud in her astonishment, shaking the brooch out into the palm of her hand.
 She knew, of course, that Monica must have repented of her evil-do- ing, and decided to send them back. Or perhaps she had been afraid