New Britain herald., 1927-02-07

For Gus was all hers that day.
 He sat and looked at her with cuch
 love in his blue eyes that four fat women at the next table could
 hardly eat their lunch for watching
 him.
 | Robbie was always worth look | ing at, but today she was prettier than ever. Her eyes were almost ] black with excitement, and her lips
 went up in a soft smile as she | looked around her at the room with
 its hurrying walters, it's gay we'll dressed crowd, it's dance floor with an orchestra playing on the plat form beyond it.
 A little group of people were waiting in the doorway for table. Among them Robbie caught a glimpse of a familiar face-a dark winsome fee with a flashing smile. :. eatrice Joy all in pale-ycllow or gandy.
 A second afterward Wilma Banky and Norma Shearer came in. Then presently Noah Beery:
 "Oh, isn't this wonderful" Bob- bic was as thrilled as a little girl might have been, in spite of her twenty-five years and her back ground of school teaching.
 All this was the whipped cream and the silver-gift of life! To be here with the Right Man in the Right Place, Beside it. home and Andy Jerrold seemed about as TO-
 mantle as ham sandwich.
 And yet she did not feel comfort able with MacCloud-not the way Eshe did when she was with Andy. That, however. she said to herself,
 was the difference between being in love with man, and feeling friendly toward one. She knew she never could feel anything for Andy except warm friendlireas. Never.
 You lovely little thing Gus was saying. His foot found hers under the table and pressed it soft ly. consistently. You're like Gloire de France rcse.' He could talk like a poet nt times. It seemed unbelievable when Robbie remembered how he could
 roar and rant in the studio. But anyhow, he was wonderful lover when he wanted to be. He knew exactly how 10 please wom- an--if he happened to care about pleasing her.
 He and Robbie spent the rest of the foggy afternoon shopping. They i bought chocolates - the expensive kind that is covered with candied
 rose-petals and violets. five pound box of them.
 They bought big lacquered box of cigarettes that had little bright colored silk tips, and a long cigar cite holder of ivory trimmed with narrow bands of gold.
 Last of all, they went to the per- fume store across from the Holly wood Hotel and MacCloud bought Robbie a makeup box. A wonder full one that had big mirror in
 the lid, and all sorts of cunning boxes and tubes for grease-paint end such things.
 Well 'leave it here to have it marked with your initials" he said,
 and so they did When they left the shop. the early autumn dusk lad come down over Hollywood. And now where do we go?" Robbie asked gaily. as they started across the street.
 MacCloud pressed her arm with
 his fingers. And now" he said, quietly, Its dark enough to do what we've been waiting to do all afternoon. We're going up to my
 house, and I'm going to put my arms around you"
 Hello. you poor palukas" a shrill voice hailed them. and they swung around to see Monica com- ing out of beauty shop. Her hat was off, and little dark shiny ring lets covered her head. Robbie knew that she had been having i French paper curl" She looked very bright and snappy and chuck full of pepper" as she herself would have said.
 Where are you going? Home ?" she asked brightly, and started off with them along the sidewalk. If you are, I'll just hook on to you" ! After that there was nothing for
 Robbie to do but go back to Mrs. Mangan's with her-or else let her
 go up to Gus house with them. "Ies, Gus was just taking me home, Monica," she fibbed, and
 even 10 her own ears her voice
 sounded flat and dull. You come right along with us"
 Monica did.
 Stella was at home when they
 got there.
 | Her face was winter and thinner ! than ever and there were faint | pink scars on her neck, her breast l and her bony arms. .
 "The doctors say they'll disap- 1 pear after a while" she told the
 two other girls when they sat down