New Britain herald., 1927-02-01
CHAPTER XVI

Delroy knocked upon the door O l Bobbies room and walked in. She looked tired, and there were
 purplish shadows of makeup under
 her eyes. She had been working
 late at the studio, and her bod,
 sagged into a chair by the dool as if there were no life in it. Why on earth are you washing your head at this time of night?' she wanted to know. Gosh, Tn
 dead. I've been on my feet almos' i all day"
 Robbie smiled at her through the meShes other wet gold hair.
 I'm not washing it. What Tn trying to do is to get 1t dry" shs said quickly. Tell me about the picture you're playing in? Is it 2 comedy or what?"
 why she was washing her hair She didn't want Stella to know about the Tia Juana trip in the morning. After all, Stella had beer her first friend in Hollywood and 1t might hurt Stella's feelings to know that there was a party on and that she had been left out of it
 You must be getting ready to gc somewhere at the crack of dawn Stella remarked with h little yawn that she tried to hide.
 Her tired green eyes darted around the room. taking in the high-heeled slippers beside the bed the freshly brushed hat that lay on the bedspread. the new gray chif- ion stockings in their tissue-paper wrappings on the dresser.
 Over the foot of the bed hung a flesh -colored satin girdle, q slip of sheer handkerchief linen. and a white organdy dress. From all of these things came the fragrance of wood violets-a smell so faint that it was scarcely more than a hint of sweetness in the air. Tantalizing.
 Did you get a call from the Central casting officer" Stella per sisted, lifting her eyes from the scented clothing to Boobies flushed face.
 Robbie shook her head. Then, very slowly, she came out with the truth. She was no good at lying.
 No, I'm invited to drive down to Tia Juana with some people, !" she said.
 "People?" Up went stella's eye brows in her amazement. But thought you didn't know any peo- pie here in Hollywood" Then, as if a sudden thought struck her, she nodded towards Monica's bedroom on the other side of the house.
 "She going?" she asked, and her tone made it plain that she didn't think much of Monica Mont.
 "Yes. Monica's going, and sos Gus MacCloud-and some other peo- ple," faltered Robbie, wondering how she had happened to tell all this to Stella, when she had just made up her mind not to. Were starting tomorrow morning, first thing after breakfast. I don't know how MacCloud got away from the studio for day while he's so busy working with MT. Schultz on Joan Joyce's picture"
 "Oh, that would be simple enough" Stella told her. "Is Joan Joyce going on this party?'' ger green eyes were cold and wise, and Ter voice sounded like ice crack ing.
 I'm sure I can't tell you -" Robbie was beginning when she cut in again.
 "Well, I can!" she snapped. And l can tell you that she's not going, without even asking any body about it! She's not the kind of person who goes on joy rides to q gambling Town with a lot of rowdies! That's why she's where she is today! At the top of the heap."
 Robbie strengthened up, stopped rubbing her head with a Turkish towel, and listened to her with wide eyes.
 There are two kinds of people in Hollywood just as there are two kinds everywhere" Stella went on. The sober. sensible people who are making the pictures and acting them-setting somewhere. And the other kind that do all the jazzing around and raising Cain! It's up to you which kind you want to be-"
 But Gus MacCloud! Surely he's the right kind of person." Robbie pointed out.
 Something like a spasm of pain passed over Stellas queer little white face with its enormous eyes and dropping mouth.
 "Oh, men! Men are different. They can do as they please and get away with it," she said. T was talking about girls. For ex- ample: Gus MacCloud can run around with nice girls and girls that aren't so nice, and who cares? He's a man. But a girls got to keep some kind of pride or she's 'tiAh tsfNNltlly oul lltlt III 1lOIl}- wood. And a girl with any pride in herself wouldn't go tearing off 10 Tia Juana with a lot of strang- CTS! Why, you people probably won't get home until Sunday morn- ing some time, and not then, maybe."
 Robbie shivered and pulled her she'll pink liimono tighter around her knees and shoulders. Septem- Der nights are cold in California.
 She looked at Stella Delroy, whose real name was Riggs, with eyes that measured her. Stella wasn't getting ahead in Hollywood, for all her purity and her preach ing. She worked like a dog talk ing any job, and yet her clothes were shoddy, her eyes mournful, and neither rouge nor powder could give her face the cream and