New Britain herald., 1927-02-19


her head. The room where Stella
had opened the little brown bottle
and set it to her lips
In another minute Bobbie was
out in the street under the stars,
and walking away from the house
just as fast as her feet would carry
her.
l She had no place to go. and she
had forgotten her pocketbook in her
haste.
She remembered exactly where
she had left ton the kitchen
table beside her unwashed plate
and tea cup.
But I wouldn't go back and get
it. If my life depended on it," she
confessed silently.
Then she thought Of Monica's
flat She would go there and stay
until the Mangans or the Firkin
sisters got home. Monica would
i probably be home. resting after the
wild party Of the night before.
Monica was great believer In
beauty sleep. even II she never
went to bed before midnight.
i And. sure enough. when Bobbie
rounded the corner of Cahuenga
Street, there were lights behind the
| gold-colored silk curtains of Mon
ica's flat, and Monica's gay voice
asked her up through the speaking
tube in the vestibule.
! She was In house dress. sNot
ali y
women wear when they are going
to flop around the house." but
Copenhagen blue silk one with sill
yer lace around the square neck.
Monica got her ideas about house
dresses from the moving pictures.
Hello, Lovey!" she greeted Bob
bic. and kissed her as tenderly as
if they never had had a spat-as II
there never had been any bitter.
ness between them. lawfully nice
to see you for minute"
But she did not ask Bobbie TO
come In and sit down. She did not
even ask her to take off her things.
She just stood there In the center
OF the little hallway, with the light
above her head casting queer rosy
shadows and lights upon her face.
Behind her through the door that
led to the living room, Bobbie could
see a table laid out with a cold
supper of salad heaped with fluffy
mayonnaise. poppy-seed rolls, ripe
olives. salmon. cold meats. The
kind OF things that can be brought
In from a neighboring delicatessen.
II see you're expecting someone"
she said frankly. and reached for
the door knob. II Just dropped in
for a minute. anyway to tell you
what nice party you had last
night
Now, what do you say thing
like that for?" Monica asked her
sneeringly. You know it wasn't |
a nice party! You know 1t was a
dickens OF party. with that sap
of a Lottie Schultz horning in and
dragging away her husband! ]
could have smacked her for it,"
A thought struck Bohbie. III
bet it's Roy Schultz who's going to
have supper with her."
And just at that precise second
she saw a fawn-colored hat that
lay on the console table beside |
her. 1t caught her eye and held 1t.
She knew whose hat that was!
She turned it over and looked In
side of 1t. Yes, there they were!
The letters A. MacL. printed in
gold on the leather swaziland, just
where she knew they would be!
But what was Angus hat doing
here in Monica's hall? She had
seen it herself on his smooth blond !
head. less than two hours before!
Whats this doing here?" She
had asked the question Of Monica
almost without realizing that she
spoke.
Monica giggled. so that fine little
laughing wrinkles sprayed out from
each corner of her blue eyes.
Nov, what do you suppose it's
doing here? You don't suppose It
walked here. do you?" she asked
impudently. "F's here because
Gus wore 1t here a while ago. He's
gone over to Chapman's for some
ice cream. Is there anything else
you'd like to know about him?"
Yes. a lot OF things-but I don't
believe you know the answers to
them, dearest" Bobbie said with
that cutting sweetness of an en-
ragged woman. "Just tell him l
was here, will you?" She turned
and started down the stairs.
mo. best-beloved, I'm no messen-
ger service! Tell him yourself"
Monica called after her, and
closed the door OF her suite with
a bang that was like a clap of
thunder.
well, 1t didn't take Gus long TO
console himself" Bobbie thought
bitterly. "If he can't get me, he
goes to Monica"
And how could any man really
want to be with Monica? There
was no'charm about her, no beauty.
but loudness, cheapness.
and a kind Of careless cheerfulness.
Oh. we'll
1t was seven o'clock when she
reached the corner OF Cahuenga
Street and Hollywood Boulevard.
She went into the drug store there
and looked over the magazines. rs
if she were going to buy one.
No one seemed to take any no.
tice OF her. The store was crowd
ed, and the clerks were just as
busy as they could be. serving peo-
al wit i .tnI |
cigars. headache powders, and face
powders. |.
Presently Boobies fingers touch
ed the sheet OF crumpled gray paper
in her sports dress pocket, and she
took 1t out. She looked at 1t,
knowing that she had no business
reading 1t, but that she was going
to read 1t, anyway.
my dear boy IT began. well.
y. hn~ |