The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-01-07
CHAPTER HI

SponSe. When she returned with it again an hour later there was still no response.
 Gibbs face took on it; pinched expression. She knew that this signified a thunder storm ahead. Whether to risk it now, or postpone it, was the question. Already the days schedule overlapped. The masseur would have to be fitted into the same half hour as the manicurist;; then there was that girl coming from Lucille's with the new frocks to be tried and fitted Gibbs set her thin lips; knocked once more on the door, pushing it open at the same time with a decisive jut from her knee crossed the room like a soldier about to face a firing squad.
 "It's very late, Miss Con- nie," she said firmly. "It's a lovely breakfast I've brought" She set the tray on the little table by the mammoth bed.
 Its occupant was a tiny mound buried among the heaps of cushions and the silk and satin coverlet. A mound that did not stir.
 Gibbs crossed the room once more with the same purposeful footsteps. She pulled the heavy gold brocade draperies, letting the warm bright sunlight stream in Its lovely day." she stated, as though expecting an immediate denial of such an obvious fact "A busy day, too, Miss Connie, if you'll please to remember"
 Still the mound did not stir, though there was 8 faint quiyer of the long curling dark lashes on the smooth fair cheeks.
 MT. Brandon already has called three times" Gibbs ventured, and knew immediately that this was the wrong approach because the mound flopped over and buried itself even deeper. There's a lovely account about your lovely party last night" Undaunted, Gibbs tired again, proving the old axiom that 1t pays.
 Connie stirred, sat up, flung out a rounded white arm. Let me see, she said. Sleep had vanished from the blue eyes; fire smoldered in their depths. Her hair hung in loose swirl that just brushed the ribbon and lace on her shoulder of the chiffon gown that had come, with trunk loads of other lingerie, from the Rue de la Paix.
 Gibbs handed her the papers, carefully folded at the proper place.
 Cornie glanced at the first one. flung 1t aside. T knew it," she muttercd.
 The low-down spying sneak. If only I'd been man Or had one with me-" She gave the pillow nsxt to her vicious thurnp. "IIl have to send for the guards if you don't go'," she mimicked in what was a surpris- ing imitation of Rodney's clean clipped Harvard accent. Then she slumped down among the pillows again. Take it away, please" she waved Gibbs and the papers, and the whole universe out of her sight. Don't want any breakfast. Don't think I'll get up - ever. You can tell the newspapers that. Tell them to come take 8 picture of me dying dying of boredom and nausea. Tell them they can have one in my coffin, too. for good measure. Tell them :"
 "Now, Miss Connie. you'll really be ill, if you allow yourself to get all worked up." Gibbs bent to pick up the scattered papers, smoothing out a crumpled sheet that explained - too late - the bomb that had set of the explo- sion. A full length portrait of Miss Connie, clasped, somewhat gingerly, it is true, but clasped nevertheless, in MT. Rodney's virile arms, his lips pressed - not quite so gingerly - against hers, and un- derneath the caption: MILLION DOLLAR PRINCESS BESTOWS BETHROTHAL KISS"
 q am ill.," Connie muttered from the pillows. I'm sick. I'm sick of living. I'm sick of myself. Go away = please. Take the tray and those papers with you. I don't want to see anything or any one ever. Understand, Gibby?"
 "Now, Miss Connie" Gibbs be- gan severely purposefully again; but she saw that it was no use, so she did as she was bid, her lips set disapprovingly.
 The mound underneath the silk and satin coverlet lay quiet once more. It did not move an inch or utter 8 sound until what might have been hours, or days, or years later, when another knock came at the door.
 The knock was repeated, louder, more urgently, The door was pushed open.
 Didn't tell you to go 'way?"
 A pillow, a small affair of silk and lace. but solid and compact for all that, owing to the force of the velocity with which 1t was hurled, caught the young girl in the doorway squarely in the mid- dle, sending the big box clasped tightly in her arms to the floor with smack.
 "Oh." Connie sat up, rubbed the sleep. and some of the fire, out