Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-02-06
CHAPTER Ii


IN THE women's locker room
Janet slipped out of her shorts anC
pulled her blouse over her head
She stepped under the shower ant
turned on the cold faucet and then
while it ran so icy she could stanc
it no longer, she got grip on her
self. She knew how important il
was to look cool and calm and rest
full.
Vernon Chester had given her 6
good workout teaching her a back
stroke that she had learned years
ago (but could conveniently forget
when it meant the opportunity fol
a great director to teach little
girl a trick and feel like great
big man for doing it).
Oh, Janet didn't have eyelashes
to sweep her cheeks provocatively
She didn't have a Dietrich look in
her eye but she had a sound psy-
chology for making men feel COM
fo able and rested and it was a
distinguishing gift in Hollywood
where glamor was served by the
shovelful.
Dry and fragrant with pine
powder that was refreshing and
not cloying, Janet hurried into her
dimity frock. 1t was an English
print and had touch of lingerie in
the small round collar and at the
cuffs of her short sleeves. She
wound bandeau of the same fab
ric about her head and stepped into
her white sandals. She did it quick
ly. Ever considerate, lesson she
had learned in the school of mar
riage, she did not keep Vernon
Chester waiting.
The. waiter had only just arrived
at their table on the screened porch
bearing tail frosty glasses topped
with sprig of mint.
Where do you girls pack your
energy?" Chester inquired admir-
ingly as he noted the cool, fragility
of her I'm worn out, but you
look as though you'd come out of
a handbook"
That's just what I was going to
say to you," she said. Instead,
suppose just say that I think
you've been most kind, Mr.. Ches-
ter, to give me this lesson. You're
a fine player and your form is per-
feet. thought people in that class
didn't really brother with anna
teurs."
"See here" he said when he had
ordered their luncheon, You're no
amateur! You're doing all right"
He looked over his horn trimmed
glasses at her. II suspect that you
do everything well. Just what else
do you do?"
Janet buttered a piece Of her
roll and said, Every little. I'm
married you know, to Joel Payn-
ter"
"That's right. He's new young
teller on our lot"
"Oh, yes" Janet said softly,
that's how knew so much about
YOU" She stopped speaking and
'Ievoted herself to her crab ravin-
cote. No need to overdo anything.
swell, come on, what do you
do?"
"Im very uninteresting," she
said simply. 1T keep house, play
a little bridge, read a great deal,
try to play tennis. I plan the
meals, count the laundry, talk
about pictures to my husband and,
like all the other girls in Holly
wood who haven't jobs, kill time"
Vernon Chester was an observ-
ant man, He had seen all there
was to see and know of the wonn-
en- IN the picture colony. He knew
their pretenses, their subtleties,
their purposes and their ways and
means of accomplishing them. He
wasn't quite sure of what Janet
wanted or if she wanted anything
He was inclined to think she did
want something. He didn't believe
that she was like the other girls
she had mentioned. lie thought
there were wheels ticking back of
that smooth brow of hers, ideas
and ambitions that lent brightness