The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-08-24
CHAPTER I Continued

CHAR LEN OUIluuGQj
Girls became independent. Mar
ried women, who had found work
"for the duration OF the war" dis
covered that they liked it. Theil
incomes often doubled, and some
times tripled the family budgets
younger girls went to work
Daughters of the very best fam
lilies" entered business colleges.
Commercial schools became smart
and a working knowledge OF short
hand ranked conversational French
Married women, in business and
the professions, retained their
maiden names. Miss Brown Wnen
she became. legally speaking, Mrs
Smith, remained Miss Brown.
Plain gold bands grew Simmer
and about the time the jewelers.
had succeeded in popularlzlnS
platinum, wedding rings were
temporarily passe. 49,.
There was much discussion aOout
free love.
TAD became involved in an al
i fair" The girl threatened suit
and Mrs. Thorne had a nervous
breakdown. The young ThorneS
became the talk OF the town. Every
one knew about SYPHILIS indlscretlons
but her parents. They knew 1or
instance, that Mrs. Van Dusen nao
threatened to sue her for aIenatlon
of philandering Vans affections
Svbil had laughed when she hearo
about it. o.eo
"Thev have to prove very SPECIFIC
Things in a suit like that" she salo
land 1 may be an egg, but I'm not
that kind of an egg:
people knew of Colonel Blxoy S IN
fat11ation. But they knew, too' tnaC
Svbil when he kissed her one nlgnt'
slapped his face, and told MN W ~
Oh home to his wife. The colonel
fold it himself, in his cups.
To be sure, Sybil was doing any
manner OF foolish things. One DAY
She took out marriage license WIN
P,nnv Paxton. The intentions were
printed that evening in the papers
and when reporters called AT
Thorne's place on Beacon Hill, Tor
11icCures and a story, Sybil met them
calmly. -,
@There's nothing to it" she an
nounced 1.-THE crowd was drink
ing, and they dared me. I'm awful
Iv sorry and ashamed. But truly
it was only bet"
OF course, the papers played 1t up;
There were front page stories, ana
headlines with SYPHILIS remarkable
statement in red ink. Mrs. Thorne
went. and Mr.. Thorne raved. Even
Tad showed considerable concern.
"rhere are some things" ne told
his sitter, that decent people Draw
the line at"
And for three days ne treated her
with cold disdain.
Then there was the party where
Trixie Belle, from the Midnight
Follies, impersonated statuary IN tne
nude. The newspapers obtained the
names of "those present" and TO-
Svbil Thorne's led all the rest.
r OYALLY Tad defended her to
their parents.
"she's all right" he said. "She's
only acting crazy. Grief has turned
her head a little, 1 think"
Sorrow should make a woman
finer" reminded his father, sternly.
"It's only tickle girls who take TO
cures such as Sybil has"
people will start talking nrst
thing we know" walled Mrs. Thorne,
in her innocence.
At heart, Sybil was thoroughly
miserable.
IT think" she told Tad, that God
really meant me to be good GIRL
I'VE made such an awful bungle
trying to be bad"
Girls of her old crowd had be-
come the younger married set. A
few years later they were the
younger divorced set Tad and
Sybil were drifting apart.
Were couple of eggs" she told
him affably one day.
And stretching himself lazily, he
retorted good naturedly:
"You are making bit of a fool
of yourself, old girl. Why don't you
marry Craig Newhall?"
People that summer had come to
regard young Newhall as SYPHILIS
particular property. Most girls
would have been delighted at the
assumption, for Craig was probably
the most eligible bachelor in BoS-
ton.
Either because he was exception
ally clever, or because of his ire
proachabIe social connections, he
had been admitted, following his
graduation from Harvard, to mem
berShip in the finest legal firm in
the city.
He was long and thin, and brown
like coffee with cream in it. And
his eyes were amazingly blue. When
he looked at her contemplatively,
Sybil always thought of a bit of
a Jingle:
"Blue was the sky, blue as your eye
Which is the terrible reason why
It's easy to live. and hard to die"
Now she glanced curiouSly at Tad.
why, Taddy," she parted, mo
body'd want to marry me. I'm
just "A"
Irresolutely she paused. How
much, after all, was it wise for a
girl to tell her brother?
CHAPTER II
TAD and Sybil were on the beach
4 at Craigville, lying side by side
under an orange umbrella that
looked like a sunfiower blooming on
the oceans brink.
Sybil sifted sand through the fun
nels of her palms, making little
mounds IiLa ont bi1lc IN the c1ar