New Britain herald., 1927-02-18

Doesn't this? And this" He kiss
ed her twice. "And this? This mat
tiers, doesn't it?"
She didn't answer. Her hea,
dropped lower on his shoulder.
He saw then that she was holding
her hand out to him. and that Their,
was something in its palm that gilt
tered in the glow OF the street lamp
Would you take this, and give mi
back Andy's bracelet?" she was ask
ing huskily and dreamily. She made
him think of child talking in it
sleep.
He squinted up his steel-blue eye.
to see what she had.
your aunt's pin. You found i
then?' he asked. why sure. 20,
may have the bracelet back. Wha'
do you want to do with it,"
He had to bend his head to heal
her answer. And then he couldn't
understand what she was talking
about. Something about red-headeG
steographer was all he could make
out from the tumble of Words
Robbie you don't know what
you're trying to say. You're talking
through your hat, and I'm going tc
take you home" he said.
AS he leaned forward to start the
engine. little Italian car that he
knew turned into the street from
Hollywood boulevard. 1t stopped
across the road, and In the light
of the street lamps. he saw Lottie
Schultz get out.
She was in one Of her plain white
linen dresses, and she had a ban
dana handkerchief knotted around
her slender brown throat. Her dark
eyes were fixed on the windows OF
Monicas flat as she started across
the street.
CHAPTER XIV
Bobbie was wide awake all at once.
Dizzily she sat up in the car and
watched Gus run across the desert
ed street to Lottie and catch her by
the arm. She heard the deep muir
muir of his voice as he said some
thing to her. Then she saw Lottie
draw her arm away, and without a
word walked slowly into the vest
ibule of the apartment hotel.
Suddenly it came to her that she
must do something to stop her. Lot
tie simply must not go up into that
crowd of cheap, noisy, jazzy people!
She must not go up there, where
Monica doubtless would insult her
with her serpent's tongue.
What a story 1t would make for
Hollywood to roll under its tongue
story that Mrs. Roy
Schultz had gone to Monica Mont's
apartment to drag her husband
home with her.
Dazed as she was, Bobbie knew
it would never do for Lottie TO go
up to Suite 2O4, and make a scene
that night. She opened the door
Of the green roadster, and before
Gus MacCloud knew what she was
she had flashed across the
street and into the vestibule.
Lottie was speaking into the house
This is Mrs. Schultz.
I'm calling for my husband"
At her words the vestibule door
began to click and she put out
brown, slender hand and opened it
as she hung up the receiver with
the other.
"Lottie. Your not going up
there" Bobbie caught her by her
shoulder and swung her around.
She looked pleadingly into the calm
deep eyes that were Lottie's sole
claim to beauty.
And Lottie looked back at her
solemnly. "Bobbie Ransom, you've
been drinking" she said quietly, but
he scorn in her voice was like a
ash. II didn't think youd fall for all
his cheap side-show stuff"
She shook Boobies hand from her
shoulder, and started up the stairs.
She didn't seem to know that Bob
bic stayed close behind her as she
vent
She stood still before the door
marked "204" for a full minute be-
'ore she knocked upon it. She SEEM
I'd to be listening to the wild shouts
md the gusts of music within. But
Bobbie could see that she really was
pulling herself together.
And when the door finally opened,
she was an altogether different Lot
lie Schultz from the one who had
-ung the doorbell of the flat mo-
nent before.
She was smiling broadly, and she
stepped into the room with a kind
IF swagger. Her voice was pleasant
md sweet as she spoke to Monica.
She didn't seem to notice that Moni-
"a was trembling and defiant.
Her eyes went straight to Roy.
Who looked very foolish in his chefs
zap and his white apron as he stared
1t her with round eyes and open
mouth. His look of scared astonish-
nent was funny. He looked much
more like cowardly school boy, at
hat moment, than like Roy Schultz.
he famous director.
Hello, Roy" she said to him, and
here was a gay Tilt to her words.
Did / come too early? You said to
'ome before ten, you know She
glanced down at the diamond wrist
watch that licked upon her tanned
.rm.
Now, Bobbie was nobody's fool,
md she knew, Of course, that Roy
lever asked his wife to call for him.
She knew that he had never guessed
hat she even knew where he was
pending his evening.