New Britain herald., 1927-02-05
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Robbie Ransom. a demure little
 school teacher, is anything but the
 type of girl you'd expect to be
 "movie-mad." But she is. For years
 she has dreamed Of going to Holly wood to break into pictures.
 The only drawback to her ambi- tion is lack of money, for she saves nothing of what she earns. Her widowed father and her Aunt Gertrude refuse to lend her a penny to go on such wild goose chase" So does Andy Jerrold. -ho wants her to stay at home and marry him. Finally Robbie borrows $500 from the Widow Parkins, who is to marry her father; and she goes to Hollywood with a full purse and a high heart.
 At Mrs. Mangan's boarding house | there. she meets Stella Delroy, who's an extra in the movies. Through her Robbie gets work at the Magnifica i Studios where Roy Schultz, fa- m ous director, gives her tiny part | In a big picture. The assistant di- rector, Gus MacCloud, handsome bachelor, becomes interested in her and Robbie falls in love with him. l She spends an evening with him in his beautiful hillside house, next door to the Schultzes. Next morn- ing Monica Mont, another extra girl who lives at Mrs. Man ms tells her she's not the only Lirl who's been entertained there. Mon- ica Is a gold-digger. She sponges on everybody, and when her money runs short, she moves in with ! o- bic who doesn't want her around. One night when MacCloud Is waiting to take Robbie up to his | house for supper, wire comes to her saying that her aunt is ill. Mac | Cloud Is furious when she refuses to wait over for his party. hut leaves for home at one. Robbie can't help contrasting his behavior and the intending kindness of | Andy Jerrold, who tells her at the station that her aunt is dead, and {! was dead when he wired for Bob- | bic to come home. He had kept the news until her arrival 50 as not to make her journey home too ! dismal. He asks Robbie to marry 1 him when he learns that her father is going to marry the widow and sell the old home. But Robbie re- fuses and goes back to Hollywood. l She finds Monica with a new part and a lot Of new clothes, and ,Irs. l Mangan tells her that she and Mac Cloud have been seeing much of each other. The next day at the studio, Stella Delroy Is badly burned, and Monica cries Thank God I'm not in her shoes" when she sees her. Robbie begins to ! realize how -bloodedly selfish Monica is.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY CHAPTER XNIII The big iron gates at the en- trance to the Magnifica lot changed open, and an ambulance came tea..- ing up the driveway at top speed. Before it had come to full stop, two whita-garbed doctors were out of it.
 In twinkling they had stella's still little body on a stretcher, and were off again with the siren on their car shrieking like the voice of disaster itself.
 How terrible! Thank God it wasn't me it happened to.' Monica cot e ell, &.t, ambulance vanish through the gates. Her blue eyes were filled with horror, and Robbie knew that she wasn't thinking of Stella but of herself. She shuddered and walked over to one of the "iuicers" who was watching the firemen dart in and out of the burning building.
 How did it happen? Do you know" she asked him, and the man, big brawny fellow in blue overalls, nodded.
 Somebody threw match down on roll of film that one of the girls had up there.' He nodded toward the upper floor where the dressing rooms were. And it cx- ploded."
 Monica nodded. Like everybody else who knows anything about film, she knew that it will explode when tightly wrapped, if fire touches it.
 T suppose you and ought to 20 over to the hospital. and see how badly Stella's burned" Robbie said. taking Monica by the sleeve of CT blue checked apron. Her people ought to be notified. Mrs. Mangan probably knows how to reach them"
 But Monica shook her head. Well, I just can't 20 right now, Robbie" she answered sharply, i've got to have all this stuff fit- ted to me-" She looked down at