New Britain herald., 1927-02-18
g JOHNSON FEATURES ING. 1926

I
wouldn't have wanted to go. Fol-
supper, or any other meal at Moni.
cas-, would be crazy sort of affair
with much drink and little food
deafening noise, silly talk that was
mostly smart crack" and never &
word of sense.
And then, Monica had such queer
people at her house. Girls who wore
too much paint and perfume, and toe
few clothes. Men who talked about
themselves all the time, unless they
were guzzling drinks.
but if l don't go, she'll think
I'm still angry with her about the
pin-and because of the quarrel we
had the other day." Bobbie thought
quickly. And l don't want to hurt
her feelings"
"All right, ri go If she calls me
up" she said aloud to Gus. will
you stop for me here?"
That was Bobbie, all over. No mat
ter how much a person might injure
her, as Monica had she was ready
to forgive her at Il moments notice.
And not only to forgive her, but to
forget all her wrongs as well. There
was great deal of wholesome
sweetness in her character.
But there was a great deal OF
plain ordinary woman in her. too.
And, as she hung the receiver on
its black hook, she made up her
mind to put Monica in her place that
night. To outshine her the way the
moon might outshine glowworm.
When Mrs. Mangan unlocked the
door OF the house a few minutes
| later, she stood still in the lower
| hall and listened, smile on her sag
ging mouth. From upstairs came the
sound of water. rushing madly into
the tub. High above it came the
sound of girl, singing with all her
might and main:
Her beaus are o-o-only rainbows,
And like the rainbows, they disap-
pear-r-r,
She go-o-o-es the way the wind
blows
1t was Bobbie, getting up steam
for Monica's supper party!
Mrs. Mangan went on into the
kitchen. ut might be Monica-the
way she's yelling, fit to wake the
dead" she said to herself.
But she didn't mind. 1t was good
to hear a little healthy young noise
in that house once more, Where
there had latel ybeen so much sor-
row and hushed silence. Where the
Firkin sisters went around, quiet as
a couple of white mice. and afraid
to call their souls their own" as
Mrs. Mangan often said of them with
disgust in her tones. Like most dull
and gloomy people, she adored loud
laxative gay ones like Monica.
She scolded about Monica and her
cheating ways constantly, but she
wished she were back in the house a
dozen times day just the same.
Bobbie owned a bright red dress
that she hardly ever wore. She loved
the brilliant color of 1t, and the gold
stitching that trimmed 1t. But, some
how, she thought 1t was too loud"
Too gay for her. Not in good taste.
But tonight she put it on, feeling
that it matched the reckless unhap-
Ply mood she was in. She painted her
mouth until it was the same color,
and smoothed blond powder into her
checks to cover up any color that
might flame into them. Then she
screwed large imitation pearls into
her ears, and hung a string of them
around her neck.
II don't look like Bobbie Ransom
at ALL" she told her shining refec-
ton in the glass of the blue green
dresser But ! do look like the kind
of girl the men fall for"
She was right. An hour later when
she and Gus opened the door of
Monica's flat, she felt the eyes of
every man in the crowded noisy
room fastened on her.
1t had never happened to her be-
fore in her life. For Boobies beauty
wasn't the kind that famed out like
q peony 1t was a gentle soft liveli-
ness that grew on you the longer you
looked at her.
But tonight her own beauty was
hidden under the scarlet rouge, and
the huge department store pearls,
and the red dress that chung TO her
as she walked, swaying from the
hips, across the room and into Moni-
cas- hot bright little dressing room.
Monica, in black lace that showed
her white skin, looked her up and
down with narrowed blue eyes
We'll" said she, II see you've got
hep to yourself at last. You look like
somebody tonight, instead of Rag
gerty Ann And, leaving that TO
sink in, she made her way TO her
living room.
couple Of card tables in. the
center were set out with plates of
rye-bread sandwiches, with Swiss