Show The Sin of Innocence Innocenc By Claire Pomeroy CHAPTER LII LMa Llla Brandon randon called Ailed herself a agreed agreed greed greedy unprincipled m money n. n wor wor- shipper hipper She called herll herself all this and more Uda Lida gave herself herMit H Sc look of or hatred d every tIme Hmo she he chanced to m meet t her face In a 1 mirror She rather wished the tho earth would open up Ul and swallow her liar All MI this because she he believed td that that- John L Lal al had finally 1 wearied of her har of of her uncalled for tor rudeness She tried to reason things out did LIda Llda and chide her herself as aa she ahe would she he wondered deep within herself if It she were ere totally at fault and reasonably she naked asked herself If It she would behave hAve differently toward the youth If It he were wre to re return return reo re- turn and follow tollo his former system of ot disapproval For all her worldly philosophy LIda Ilda ff realized d that her tn engagement to Tarleton was more in tho wa way of ofa a a safeguard safeguard safe safe- guard lUard to prevent her from surrendering curt en dering to the Influence which L Lyal al nl unconsciously wielded o over er her She was 1 like a ft small bo boy whittling whistling In Inthe Inthe Inthe the lark dark hoping to convince hImself him hIm- self lieU that lie hI was not afraid For a tIme she Ahe had been buoyed up by excitement ment but now no the tho sense ense of 01 security that having lasted for tor three I and had d begun to as assume assume M. M sume the outlines and proportions of permanency bad b cn sh shattered and in hi her fath fathers father's illness d had touched Uda Lida A spark of the maternal latent In LIda hidden heretofore heretofore- had become I ignited and compassion and womanly tenderness stirred within the Innermost recesses of her turbulent little heart But she still fought with all tho the stubbornness stubborn stubborn- ness fleas and Intensity which was as such a a. apart apart part of ot her the spectre which she f feared ared and yet et womanlike hoped would vanquish a her John her John Lyals Lyal's masculine control and mastery over oer her II Horace Brandon att a a. second I night of ot feverish delirium awoke to I Ithe the new da day sane eane and after a adeep adeep deep sleep ho bo asked for tor his daugh daugh- t S Storms over oer children he said smiling whimsically Sorry to have hae things this wa way Martha was as struck with the changed expression on her fathers father's face tace Gone Conor was wu tho the look of ot cynicism cn she had come to know eno so 10 well In his hIli eyes was a 5 softness almost childlike and his voice olce lost Its lu edge of ot sharpness For the fit first time In her I life me Martha laid a hand on her fathers father's cheek and she smoothed back the the graying hair hall tumbled and shaggy haggy from froni hours of restless tossing Im Fm so JIO glad youre you're better fa fa- fa titer ther she he said softly She he held baek back the tears that wanted to come The man closed his hi eyes eyu and sighed atoned S Nice once Martha he whispered 1 With my eyes eye clo closed e l. l if It Its It's a as though she ahe were here Instead of ot you OU L Lida d stood tood aside frankly weeping weep weep- ing Sho ho wished she Ithe could do things thing s like that that motherly motherly things the way Martha did Men fen wanted anted mothering Ill Til sleep p sonIC ionic more mor Martha If It you yOU yOU- ou The tired Urel l olce oice died away and Horace Brandon slept agaIn Martha sat at th there rc for tor hours hour watching the sleeping man and Bh she seemed to find solace olace in studying the face race no so white whitt so BO drawn She noticed that the harsh batch lines Jines had b been en erased and the mouth drooped for all tho the world like tho the mouth of or ofa orIl a Il small email bo boy weary of ot playing glad to rest at last last The shrill p peal al of ot the telephone bell Lida Llda ran to answer It LIda Llda She couldn't believe it her cars ears and her hand trembled so she feared she would drop the receiver The olce voIce of ot John Lyal Yes John res John she lit I how I I how Is III our jour father Much Mitch b better thank you ou Of course lie He only called out of or courtes courtesy John sat lint that wn way sway Hed He'd i call up an enemy if there thero was UN UJ nets ness Then you can come out for tor a Il drive drle cant can't you ou said the Ute voice olee anxiously Yes T Ill be there in ten minutes She beat down doivo hysteria Sobs Xo No she wouldn't let Jet him see how glad how glad how frantically glad she was as Composed and apparently the he same LIda Inc Llda inconsiderate of ot others daringly audacious she ran lightly I down don the stone atone steps and climbed 1 gayly 01 Into the seat beside him Lets Let get out of town for a n awhile while he said eald tersely starting the motor ll Hot 1101 toda today isn't It T Scorching agreed LIda Westchester Smooth stretches of or green fields and the twittering of birds A road that turned away front from the paved IM highway highway high high- way and a 11 h sheltering tree that In Invited in- in them theft to stop top und under r its cool shade L-al L looked at the girl beside him until he be held hf her r gut gaze J LIda lda tried to smile an t she looked I Into to those dark eyes ejes with the tawn tawny n flecks ks but the smile mlle wouldn't stay I 1 ono pride Lids LIda said aid the youth Ho Ito ground out a harsh slow stow laugh lauh LIda was waa agitated ell have hao I 1 he ho demanded Xo 01 o Uncertainly treated me as rottenly aa a a- 4 a man has IMS ever ee been treated b by u a woman and Ive I've sworn Id I'd never her ser lieI ep you ou again Once I 1 thought I could conquer you He lie laughed again Fine chance I said once Id I'd either conquer you ou or you'd oud conquer me Well ell he ho finished with will a shrug you rou win I cant can't live lI without you jou Lida Uda Im I'm starving for for- you soul ou soul and body I I. I thought I a 1 pretty prett strong sort of ot a 1 chap but Im I'm Im I'm weak Ho lie turned his face race aW away away ashamed ashamed of ot his admission Xo v w I J suppose you'll hate me worse worse- than ever eer Girls like you OU have no use for tor a blubbering weakling Llda's Lidas heart did a II complete coin som I For a IL mom moment nt she sho was paralyzed Weak eak John Lyal weak No a thousand 1111 times thor 5 no Site She hc saw sats clearly for tOE the tho first that thu this was wan what she had Imd been walling waiting for tor Mutts Mans weakness Is the strength He lie was stronger r than she would b be always alwa's and she site gloried In tho the knowledge Sho loved lo him now non more than titan she sho ever believed she he could love hove him Sho was proud and tender triumphant and vanquished van van- vanquished all in jn one moment Site She knew now that he had hadon won on That which he could never have havo accomplished pushed in his formidable attempt to control her he had now succeeded In doing by ht lila his confession conCession of ot his need of ot her She Sho knew now and didn't care that she would be as flexible as floss as LS yielding as u wax I as as soft as putty putt in his hands for forthe forthe or orthe the rest of ot her life 1111 John she said sobbing Bobbing and clutching at his hili shoulder JohnI John I love you ou She Sho he pulled hi his head down against her breast anI and burled buried her lips In Ih the crinkly waves of ot his hair hall Youre mine dear and youre you're not weak Im I'm th the tho one w who's os o's weak and you'll just have to l put Ut up with me somehow me-somehow somehow because because- Im I'm yours un ours He Ito straightened then and his Ills dark eyes fye flew to her face tace When Wien her mouth trembled and her ber pointed little chin quivered ered ho cried huskily husk buak ily lIy Llda LIda Ills arms held her masterfully then and LIda L crept into them I gratefully and and she sho liked tho the feel teel of them them strong strong al S Sho crooned d Oh Oh bold hold me love me-love love me tAke me-tAke take care of me To be continued Copyright John F. F Dille Dub Co |