New Britain herald., 1927-02-08

at him as 1ght-heartedly as Monlci
 herself might have.
 How should I know who sen
 for me? l was just told to repor
 here and here I ami" Her voice broke into a gay little tune, as Ii she hadn't care or a worry ir tthe world. "But-I'm in the navy Eow!"
 She forced herself to turn around and march away from him. She joined knot of extra girls on the other side of the set. They were whispering and gossiping together.
 At first Robbie paid no particu- lar attention to them. Then she realized that they were talking about Monica and Gus. and she pricked Up her ears at once.
 CHAPTER XVIII
 One of the extra girls. a silly lit- tie plump thing, was talking in a hushed voice. Every now and then she threw sidelong glance at Gus MacCloud from enormous black eyes.
 "Of course he's years and years older than I am," she was saying when Robbie joined the group, but I've known who he is all my life. His folks live back east, where I come from, and they have scads and oodles of money. There's three daughters and he's the only son. The mothers widow and she wanted this Gus to stay at home and tend to the business. But he wouldn't" She broke off sharply as Gus came toward them and told them to go out to the end of the lot. where Roy Schultz was waiting for them in garden "set."
 You go. too, Miss Ransom" he as if they barely knew each other.
 Then he turned and walked away, whistling.
 Robbie stared after him with pug zled eyes. She never could make him out. She never knew where she stood with him. Sometimes, like the night in Monica's flat, he was wildly in love with her, it seemed. Then she wouldn't hear from him for days, and when she did see him he scarcely noticed her.
 T wish could figure you out, Gus MacCloud," she said silently to his retreating figure.
 She sighed and went out into the sunshine where Roy Schultz was waiting for her and the other extras. A garden had been laid out at the southern end of the lot.
 Red brick walls enclosed it, and it was carpeted with wide strips of sod. In the center of 1t was a swimming pool and six or>seven girls were swimming around in t. Other girls in wide garden hats and light dresses were sitting at rustic tables with some of the extra men.
 Roy Schultz. with his cap on the back of his head and a megaphone dangling from each of his hands, lolled in canvas chair, singing out orders to everybody.
 All right, Miss Ransom, I've got a flapperish stunt for you to do today. Can you flap for me?" he asked Robbie with grin, when he caught sight of her.
 She nodded.
 This scene is supposed to be wild garden party he explained, waving both. of his megaphones in the air You're all supposed to be ginned up and raising Ned gen. orally. Now. what I want you to do is to turn a couple of flip-flops in the pool. take a flat dive or two, and then light a cigarette and swim across the pool smoking it. Think you can do it?"
 Robbie nodded again. Easy money" she said thinking of the times when she had raced Andy Jerrold in the water, holding lighted match in one of her hands or crossing both of her hands behind her back and keeping her SCH gong Wlln her rect.
 All right. Mir. MacCloud will tell you when we're ready" he said and looked around for him. He raised the larger megaphone to his mouth and roared, Hi, Gus, Gus."
 Robbie spoke up. T think MT. MacCloud's back on the stage, where they're fixing up that other scene" she said timidly, and just then Gus came through the red brick gates.
 Monica was with him, in an old fashioned dress with balloon sleeves and a tiny hat stuck up on the top of her head like a pancake. Her arm. In a black lace glove. was through MacCloud's arm and her face almost touched his as they came along.
 That's the girl he's going round with now" the silly, plump little extra girl said to Robbie and two others as they backed away from Roy Schultz. q wonder if she knows that he has wife back east who's divorcing him-and a daughter nine or ten years old.'
 Robbie caught her breath in q little gasp. Gus married. and the father of half-grown girl! She couldn't believe it, But, of course, it must be true.
 So that was why he kept saying that he never would marry! That was why he didn't believe in mar riage for people who were in the picture business Because he had been married, and knew what he was talking about.
 Look at the way she's leaning against him." said the talkative little extra, giving Robbie d poke in the ribs with her elbow. She's just bats about him. I'd be ashamed of showing my feelings about q man the way she is! l sure