New Britain herald., 1927-01-27

I,D HAVE DIED ON THE VINE
 LIO help it. It just belongs to me-"
 Turning away from the locked door. Robbie went into her own room.
 She switched on the light and looked at herself in the mirror of her dressing table.
 Her black-fringed eyes went over her face, over her hairs thick deeply golden waves, over her white neck and arms thought fully and critically.
 T know I'm pretty" she said to herself, and she said 1t without vanity. She said 1t as simply and honestly as she might have said, T know I'm blond"
 She was not at all vain of her good looks. There was nothing of the peacock in her nature. But she was clever, and so she knew just how pretty she was. And she thanked Fortune for a face that might become her fortune - in Hollywood, that market for pretti- ness from all over the world. At least she hoped 1t might be her fortune.
 As she stood there looking at herself. the doorbell rang.
 That's Andy" Robbie said to herself, and started down the long flight of stairs that led into the front hall.
 The light from below struck up at her as she came down, and Andy Jerrold. standing at the bot tom of the stairs, seemed to see Robbie for the first time that night.
 That is, he saw her then not as Robbie Ransom, the woman he wanted for his wife-but as Robbie Ransom, who was going to Holly wood to break into pictures if she could.
 He had long been used to the fact that Boobies hair was golden, and that her brows and lashes were black. But all at once, he realized how strikingly beautiful such coloring can be in a woman.
 He saw. too, how beautifully straight and fine all her features were-the level brows. the delicate nose that tilted ever so little, the big shadowy eyes, the perfect mouth. and the round chin with its deep cleft. The kind of face that would doubtless show flawless and enchantingly lovely on the silver screen.
 "Why. she'd be a knockout, in the movies" It came to him like a blow between the eyes.
 He made up his mind then not to try to keep Robbie from going to Hollywood any more that he had no right to keep her from a career where she would probably succeed gloriously.
 But within five minutes he had forgotten his resolve, and with Robbie in his arms, he was beg ging her not to go away.
 T can't let you go" he kept say ing over and over. His hands went over her smooth hair, over her face, and locked themselves around her slim waist.
 Now. before that Andy never had kissed Robbie Ransom the way he wanted to. He had always touched her lips reverently and re- spectfully-partly because he was afraid of Himself and partly be- cause Robbie always took him in such a sisterly-. natter of-fact way.
 Perhaps it would have been bet ter for him if he had been little more natural and gusty in his love making. He might have awakened Robbie to the fact that she loved him with her senses as well as with her heart. To the fact that he was a man and a lover as well as a tried and true friend.
 But he never had.
 Now, tonight, all at once he was swept off his feet. Perhaps ! C. cause he knew that she was going away - and that tom orrow night all the warm loveliness that he held now in his arms would be lost to him, for six months at least.
 He kissed her as he never had kissed her before as if she be- longed to him. Until her mouth was hurt and bruised when she tore herself away from him and faced him, flushed and panting, under the dim hall light.
 Don't ever do that-again!" she said. She said it in a whisper be- cause her father was just behind the closed door of the living room. "I won't have it! I don't want 10 be made love to-"
 But while she was saying 1t, she could feel herself trembling under the warm wave of tenderness and longing that was sweeping over her--longing to have Andy tlke her into his arms again and kiss her as the One Man kisses the One Woman. If he had taken her then. the chances are that she