New Britain herald., 1922-05-09
oio11 H l.ouia JossA vAAcs
BEGIN HERE TODAY

LUCINDA.DRUCE, New York societ,
 matron, in the fifth year of her mar
 ried life. She and her husband BELLAMY. continued to drift apart
 and more openly he indulged hi,
 appetite for promiscuous flirtatlor
 and heavy drinking. Then,
 RICHARD DAUBENEY, Lucindas old . sweetheart, returned just as Bellam,
 was plunglng into his latest affair
 this time with
 MRS. AMELIE SEVERN. An oper
 break between Lucinda and Bel
 lamy had been averted by the ap-
 parent sincerity of his penitence. lr
 his heart he felt shame and self re.
 proach.
 GO ON WITH THE STORY
 Why must he be such fool as ever to let himself be Aattered into forgetting sheer perfection was to be found nowhere if not within the walls of his own home?
 Bending to kiss his wife, he put that thought behind him. He couldn't af- ford to dwell upon it. Already he was too far committed in this new affair to withdraw without losing face. But . he would find some way to make an end of it (thank God, they all had an end sometime) and this would be the last-"and after this, never again."
 He really meant it this time, he vowed he did
 Rest well, dear? Don't need to ask that, though, only have to look at you. Never looked sweeter in you life than last night, Linda. was quite jealous of old Daubeney, monopolizing you ;"
 You needn't have been, Bel, and I don't think you were in a good condition to judge" Bel winced, be- cause he had laid himself open to this, arid it could be taken two ways neither comforting. It was actually a relief to hear Lucinda add: You seemed to be fairly preoccupied your self. at the table,"
 "Oh bored to tears, assure you. Amelie's pretty little thing. ami able enough, but nobody to talk to- no conversation whatever"
 Lucinda limited comment to mildly quizzical look.
 "Doing anything special today?"
 Lucinda shook her head slowly, watching him with a half smile lam- bent with lazy intelligence. He felt vaguely uneasy, as who should of a sudden find himself hard by the brink of some abysmal indiscretion.
 Thought we might meet some- Vuyho fNr 1rr o,t'r out"
 '1'd love to-" Lucinda put out an arm deliciously rounded beneath skin of. a texture fairer and fined than any other Bellamy had ever seen, and took a morocco bound engagement book from her escritoire. Let me see :" She riffled the leaves. "Oh yes: I'm having Fanny Lontaine to lunch at the Ritz, with Nelly Guest and Jeah Sedley What pity. Though nothing can prevent your coming, too, If you like"
 A dark suspicion knitted Bellamy's eyebrows. Some actress? Sounds like it."
 Fanny Lontaine"? Lucinda laugh ed. Nothing of the sort. Fanny was at school with me-Frances Worth"
 "Old man Worth?" Bellamy put in with symptoms of approval. Terror of the Wheat Pit" they called him died not long ago in the odor of in- iquity, leaving eighty millions or so. Your little schoolmate ought to be fairly well-fixed."
 "I don't know, I'm sure. I believe it's something to do with the will that brought them over. Fanny's father dis liked Harry Lontaine, so Fanny had to run away to marry him and was duly communicated by the family. She's lived in England ever since; her hus- bands an Englishman. Come to my that I think you'd care for Fanny, though she is pretty to death"
 Why not, if you like her so much?"
 She's not at all the type you seem to find most attractive. Why is it, I've often wondered. the women you lose your head about are almost al ways a bit-well-!"
 Bellamy flushed sullenly. It was one of his crosses that he seemed never to have tbe right answer ready for Lucinda when she took that line After all. there is only one salvation for a man married to a woman clever CT than himself; to do no wrong. "Oh, if you're going to rake up an- cient history-.'
 But Lucinda pursued pensively. as if she hadn't heard: "I presume you've got to run after that sort Bel, because they don't know you as well as l do-can't."
 Even slow man may have wit | enough not to try to answer the un- Bellamy got stifly to Als feet.
 '1'H drop in at the Ritz if l can make it."
 Do, dear And Bell" Lucinda rose impulsively and ran to him. "I'm sorry, Bel, I was so catty just now. Only, you know. there are some things one can't help feeling keeny. Dear,"
 She clung to him. lifting to his lips a face tempting beyond all tell ing. Insensibly his temper yielded and catching her to him, he kissed | her with warmth that had long been | missing in his caresses.
 Linda: you're a witch!"
 T wish l were enough of a | witch, at least, to make you realize | nobody cares for you as l do, nor ever will Bel: don't go yet. There's I want to ask you :"
 "Yes?" He held her close. smiling down magnanimously. As long as