Show The Sin of Innocence L By Claire Pomeroy I SY SYNOPSIS N 0 PS I S. S I ILlda I Lida Llda and Martha Brandon two I sisters who were separated during childhood are now reunited due to the tho death of their mother with whom LIda Llda Jived ived Martha lived until her eighteenth birthday In a convent The girls girl's father Horace Brandon who was divorced from their mot mother er Is a la taciturn and pe peculiar peculiar pe- pe culiar man The The- girls meet John Lyal and Leslie Bonner Lyal yal loves oves Lida Llda and n she sl C cares s for or him but she fears tears his will and decides to to marry rl rich h Tarleton l B chester Martha Martha knows knows vs itt In her heart she will always love Jove Bonn Bonnet Bonner r but he has the reputation of being a. a a philanderer and she fees feels that he wl wit will l never love Jove her sincerely The girls meet Mary Crosby an art artist who is heiress loa to lo toa toa a large arge fortune Mary Mart Crosby had Paris known the girls girls' mother in Mary invites them to a house party nartY at her brothers brother brothers estate on Long Island There Martha meets Fletch Campbell an enthusiastic sports ports man He promptly prompt Informs Mart Martha that he Is going to marry her Martha Martha Mar Mar- tha is indignant The next day John Lyol Lol and nd Leslie Lesle appear Bonner on the scene CHAPTER 37 Now grandmas Lida her cheeks bright tangerine tanger tanger- ine me with repressed excitement her eyes dancing turned t to her sister and held heM up tp p a a. hand In protest Well I mean it Lida said Martha Mar- Mar tha Try to act at least east half haf way human It embarrasses me roe to see him Mr Mr Lyal Lya Oh I know Lida LIlia answered Ill be good You know Martha I may mayas mayas as well admit that if It I didn't have haye this beastly ambition to wallow around in the lap tap of luxury I could let Jet myself get quite maudlin about J John hn H Hes He's s 's that dark rk ugly keen sort that woman always find Irre Irre- I You eel the tremendous I II strength and paradoxical delicacy i that's in him as aj soon as ha you look took I Into his dark eyes That's what got me th that t first time I S saw Sy y him at the Ritz Lida Llda slipped sUpped that pleat pleated pleated pleat ed geranium silk frock over her head and patted it in pac place Aman Aman A Aman man who could make love Ove as casally casually casually cas cas- ally as any other young man Jt f fhe fhe he e didn't possess that hal streak of puritan But pshaw Im I'm not go goIng going go- go ing Ing to let et my merY lIt lip g St t all messed up by taking a a. man man and and love Jove too seriously Martha fartha Lida's Lidas remark I r vI Men do make love Jove casually dont don't they Why I 1 wonder Do they find it amusing Yep Lids Lida v pulled iL a comb through her hair and gave herself a a. final Inspection in the mirror That and force of habit Come on lets let's tell teU Mary there will be two more at lunch They found Idary 1 Crosby enjoying enjoying en en- a late breakfast in h her hr r room a pile of letters etters which she glanced oved lazily and tossed carelessly careless aside on a a. table tabe at her elbow The three women giggled giggled giggled-as as only ony women c can n do when do-when when Lida Lilja related the story of Fl Campbell's Campbells declaration declaration dec dec- tp Martha and nc his pursuit of her this thi morning Mary Crosby lay Jay back ag against lacy acy pillows and shook with laughter all Martha Martha Martha Mar Mar- I dont don't blame bame you yot at tha darling she said sobering I can think of nothing more dreadful dread dread- ful fuI than to marry one Ose of those outdoor outdoor out out- door maniacs Worse Vorse than being the wife of of ofa a matine Ido Idol Martha gave her a a. grateful look oot I know It Mary Iary she said and any other women with a sense of the fitness of things would woud feel the same You ought to have h heard ard Lid Lida going ori on about it though You'd think I Iwas was turning down the Prince of Wales Oh Lida Llda returned Mary with a shrug Lid Lida a could marry Fetch Fletch or any other man and carry off the honors honors provided provided he had plenty penty of or money But then Lida Is Lida Nice you Nice you murmured Lida Lido planting a kiss on the older der womans woman's el cheek eek Nobody but you could have said that without having it sound pound cattish Imagine that Kitty person saying it Ah said Mary l with one of her delightful grins so youve you've got gother gother gother her number eh eta l' l Tal Take c warning my dears and dont don't let Jet your our two swains fall Into h her r clutches DIsaster Disaster Dis DIs- aster f fellows fellows' in her ler wake She's deadly is Kitty Noble Nobe She waved them away Get out t no nov v and let Jet me rest i In middle-aged middle Peace peace Im I'm about to get et my face Ironed and I Id d dont don't nt want you to witness the harrowing harrowing har bar rowing ordeal They found John Lyal La and ani B Bon Bonner n- n ner neron on the broad verandah slumped into basket chairs both smoking moodily chins s sunk on th their f lr chests A beautiful tawny collie dog be belonging belonging be- be longing to Cass Crosby's kennel kenne of prize winners sat between lh them m begging attention Bonner absently absent absent- ly y sc scratched the dogs dog's e ear r Sorry you yot had ad to wait walt s so long iOng ong l r H q 11 said Lida Llda perching herself on oi the stone wall vahl that the veran- veran veran veran- dah dab We Ve had such a hilarious party last ast night that were we're half halt dead this morning Both Bolh young men leaped to their feet feel and Leslie Bonners Bonner's eyes eres sought Marthas You dont don't took look half halt dead Martha Martha Martha Mar Mar- tha he said his voice holding a anole believe note nole of eagerness I 1 dont don't you jou ou went In for much hilarity last ast night t. t Lida Llda laughed much to Marthas Martha's discomfort Oh h. h Martha l had lad other fish to fry last night ight she she said wickedly you Martha Then waitIng waitIng waiting wait- wait Ing for no reply repy she turned to Lyal And how are you ou old ashtray Lyal looked All AU right thanks he replied you Just told tod you Half dead she returned lightly What brings you out here this bright m morning Nice of you to remember us Lyal reddened I had some business out this wa way The Jason house you ou know Im I'm doing the plans pans for them Leslie Leslie Les Les- lie wanted a ride so I brought him along and he suggested we stop and see you as long tong as we were in inthe inthe inthe the neighborhood Lida Llda nodded Leslie Bonner was looking at I Martha He heard none of ot the conversation con con- he he saw only ony a girt girl In a white crepe frock that blew bew around her hel graceful body a as the breeze brushed past her He saw her I sweet face the sensitive mouth mouths and the downcast e eyes es as she leaned against the pillar There was a pator pal pal- lor tor to her skin and Bonner thought she had grown thinner Her dark hair hall framed her ler face in vivid contrast con con- Pale Pate lovely lovey Martha MarthaJ Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly denly- this reckless carefree young man whose blue bue eyes had pinned butterflies to the wall wal in his desire desire deslie de de- de- de sire slie to defeat boredom found himself himself him him- se self pinned to to the inexorable wa wall of of love love Suddenly he lIe found himself himself him him- self sef following hands lips hips a a. voice he le couldn't forget Often so Often so often before he had loved oved for adventure but now he suddenly loved loved for for Jove hove Martha l he said with an at at- at tempt to be casual Lets you and I r take just a a. little ride Will VIII you Marthas Martha's heart fluttered Yes Yes if you like Uke she replied evenly eveny As they ran down the steps Lida ilda turned abruptly and called caned to Leslie Leslie Les Les- lie fe Dont go too far Leslie LesUe old od thing He didn't answer Martha and Leslie go for a longer drive than anticipated anticipated-a a drive that takes them to Venice to-Venice Venice I To be continued I |