The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-03-21

be praised for her good works.
There was no doubt that she was
a wonderful housekeeper, and she
had toiled day in and day out for
her brother and his motherIess
child, for great many years with.
out reward.
She kept the house in shining
order. She did the ironing and
mended the clothes. She made the
garden, and kept the house bright
with flowers. She was one OF those
excellent women who know how to
make peoples bodies wonderfully
comfortable and their souls mar
velously uncomfortable.
Sho was nagging and sarcastic.
and a busybody besides
She had spells OF nagging
when Dad steered clear Of the
house, and when Bobhle, herself,
would have run away from home
II 1t hadn't been for Andy Jerrold.
Andy seemed to have q sort or
second sight when 1t came to Aunt
Gertrude and her spells" Of tenn.
per. Something seemed always to
tell him when she was having one,
and he would arrive on the scene
and take Bobbie away tor a drive
or to one of the moving picture
shows that so fascinated her.
But tonight Aunt Gertrude was
placid and good-natured. Her
house was in order. her Saturday
marketing and baking were done.
and she was at peace with the
world.
81 do find a certain pleasure in
planning cold suppers for hot
nights and doing things like that,
Robert" she said to her brother
with a sharp glance al Bobbie
"I'm not one of these wild women
who think housekeeping AMI such
things are beneath them
II suppose you mean me when
you say that" Bobbie cut in
quickly. fiinging up her cropped
and curly head. She turned to
her father. Dad. I've been tell.
ing Aunt Gertrude that-that."
She Tells Dad
She hunted for words, and then
burst out: Dad, I've made up
my mind to 20 to Hollywood this
fall"
He peered at her through the
cool twilight of the room. And
what would you do in Holly.
wood?" he asked. although he
knew perfectly well what she
wanted to go there for.
IL think l could be a movie
actress" said Bobbie. The words
sounded foolish and childish, even
In her own ears. They were not
at all the sort OF thing you would
expect to hear from a young WON.
an who had been teaching school
for two years.
Mr.. Ransom laughed at them.
NONSENSE" he said sharply. IL
thought we'd talked all that bosh
over too many times to ever have
1t come up again. It's absurd to
have you talk about leaving home
and going to Hollywood! ] can't
imagine what ails you, Roberta"
He always called Bobbie "Ro-
berta" when he was angry with
her.
Auntie Aghast
"All the same, I'm going"
Bobbie answered calmly. II was
going to ask you to lend me five
hundred dollars or so, but IL you
won't do it. I'll have to get it
from Andy Jerrold, ] suppose
ANDY Jerrold! oh, my soul
and body! exploded Aunt Cert
rude. clapping her napkin to her
mouth. you surely wouldn't
borrow money from q MAN,
would you? / never heard Of
anything so shameless" She
was Mortified.
Il don't know why not" Bobbie
told her. We're very good
friends. There's no reason WIN
l shouldn't borrow money from
good friend of mine.''
This, of course, was stretching
the truth quite q bit.
Andy Jerrold was not Just q
good friend. He wanted to marry
Bobbie. and he made no bones
about saying so practically every
time he and she saw each other
which was rather often.
don't believe Andy would
lend YOU any money to go off on
a wild goose chase. anyway"
Aunt Gertrude said after a
moment. ANY more than your
father would lend it to you for
such a purpose. Breaking into
the movies. indeed! Where did
you ever get such a fool idea. I'd
like to known
Bobbie did not answer her.
She pushed back her plate and
got up from the table.
Don't talk any more about II.
You just jangle me all UP when
you do" she said perkily, and
went out Of the room.
|. Ill at Ease
She was angry with herself and
half ashamed. She knew she
should have stood up to her father
and told him what 1t was going
to mean to her to get away from
home. and into some work that
she liked-even if 1t was nothing
more or less than going from film.
casting office to film-casting office
in Hollywood.
While she stood there. on the
front porch looking up at the
darkening sky. she came out of
the house and stood beside her.
Your mother was always talk.
Ing about going on the concert
stage" he said to her surprisingly.
suppose that's where YOU get
this tomfool notion of YOURS that
you're going to be another Gloria
Swanson"
And without another word. he
walked off the porch and down
the street toward Grove Lane.
where the widowed Mrs. Parkins
lived.
Five minutes later Andy Jerrold
drove I'M before fho ho,,sa A. -