The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-10-04
SO m IA
A Story of Dangerous L0Ue
Continued From Page y
Blu VIDA HURST

from the earth.
"Well, of all things. l like your
nerve"
81 merely wondered"
With a little audacious laugh.
Sonia slid near his chair.
How much do you wonder?" she
dared him.
At that inauspicious moment,
Mary entered with a lemonade Her
eyes took in Sonia curiously. Don's
mother would hear about this. They
could be sure of that.
When she had disappeared, the
spell was broken. Sonia felt awk-
ward and i'll at ease. They drank
their lemonade in silence. Then
Don spoke, in a well-controlled voice.
perhaps l shouldn't have asked
you that, Sonia. | was just won.
dering if you are in the habit Of
kissing the boys.
The blood CONCEALED in Sonia's
veins at his tone.
And supposing 1 am, DR.. Don
Saltwater"
He smiled.
professional curiosity, that's all
II you are. I've no doubt you're
clever at it,"
Something in his bantering tone
cut Sonia like a sharp knife.
"Well, I'm not" she said, sud
denly. For no reason at all, tears
stood in the gray-green eyes. 1T
was the first time I'd ever been
kissed in my life, and now the whole
towns talking about it."
Don put down his glass of lem
onade and came over to her.
"Why, you poor kid! And here
was thinking you a regular little
devil in your own home town"
Every one does" gulped Sonia.
But, my dear girl, how can they
help it. when you pull stuff like
this? You should have known bet
ter than to go into dark bedroom
with a boy if you donN expect to be
talked about"
Other girls get kissed"
"Other girls are probably more
discreet than you were. There's some
thing about you, Sonia, that makes
you appear more sophisticated than
you really are"
do YOU think 1 look like the pic
lures in Vogue?'
I'm sure l don't know, I never
read a Vogue. But you look entirely
too experienced for 17.year-old girl.
Sonia, I think you ought to get
away from TINS little town"
Her eyes shone.
That's just what I want to do.
I want to go to San Francisco and
go to work.
ut would be the best thing in
the world for you. You're going to
be spoiled if you live much longer
il this atmosphere. But you'd have
to watch your step in a place like
! San Francisco. No one will talk
about you, but it's awfully easy for
things to happen to girl there
IT want them to happen"
He lifted her face in his hands
and looked deep into her eyes.
mo. you don't. Sonia. There are
a few experiences in life no woman
ever wants to go through, Things
that scar the soul. that eat like acid
"a doctor knows. There are things,
Sonia, you want to avoid.
$50
His set face frightened her.
Il don't see why you want me to
go then"
He smiled at that.
| II want you to go because I think
you're smart enough to play the
game. You say you're in bad In
Stockton. This is only an episode
in what I trust will be very full
life But let it be a lesson to you,
Sonia. Don't do things that give
people a chance to give you a black
eye. You're going away. Everyone
will soon forget about it. And when
you come back. it will ell seem diff
ferent What kind of work can you
do?"
II took bookkeeping at school,"
Are you any good at it?"
Am II" she answered modestly.
Head of my class"
THAT doesn't mean a whole lot.
But 1 take it you know enough to
start. You know, I might be able
to get a job for you in my uncle's
real estate office"
your uncle?"
by marriage. Sonia. Aunt Grace
Stillwaters husband"
But do you think he'd do it?"
HE might. Uncle Jed is awfully
fond of me. OF course, it would be
small pay, you understand. In the
bookkeeping department with a lot
of other girls. You'd probably have