The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-12

But. meantime. Sybil has had another
loyer-CRAIG NEWHALL. ,,,,-
now Go ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER XLIII
CYBIL drew away, but he held her
- in the circle of his arms.
"Oh, John!" Prayerfully she be-
sought him mot now-don't ask
me now, John. It's been such a
long, long time. So much has hap
pened. How can tell?"
His arms about her frightened,
and he kissed her hair as he had
done so many times before.
you've bobbed it, deareSt!" he
accused her.
He held her away again, and,
looking up, she saw that his fore
head was wriIlkled as though he
were puzzled.
'It's that odor," he said surpris-
ingly. ., .4,,,,,,,,,,
"What odor?"
The stuff you use on your hair, "
he told her, and pulled his eye
brows together perplexedly. What
is it?"
"Verbena," she said. You used
to like it."
John closed his eyes tightly SO
that they made crinkly furrow.
And furtive memory drew her skirts
tantalizingly across his senses.
y Il
CIT was a girl in Paris" he said
at last. "She used that same
stuff. Girl at Maxim'S. Something
about her reminded me of some
body. But 1 didn't know what it
was-or who it was. She drove me
almost crazy. I used to sit and
watch her-and listen to her. One
night-she was a cocotte you see,
Sybil-and this night she asked me
to buy her a drink I stood there,
staring like a fool-and all of a
sudden I got giddy. I didn't know
what it was. God, Sybil don't
you see-that girl had on Yerbena
tool"
John passed his hand over his
forehead.
"I can smell her now. Verbena.
>. That's what it was"
"Poor darling" Sybil took his thin
cheeks between her palms, and
drawing his head down, put her lips
to his hair. "She reminded you of
me, I suppose, only you couldn't
know"
Gan odor," he said 6rokenly. Like
a breath from the past
and it didn't bring back any
thing?" she asked. You used to
kiss my hair, John-remember? Re
member that big psyche wore?
When 1 had it cut, put it all away,
and kept it in memory of you and
your kisses on it. I remember /
had some perfume in little green
atomizer with pink roses on it-Tad
gave 1t to me one Christmas. And
I always squirted it on my hair
when I was going to meet you be-
cause you told me once I had the
sweetest hair in the world. That
thrilled me awfully. Tell me
about that girl, John. You didn't
associate her magnetism with any
particular thing about her?"
Il knew there was something" he
repeated, "but I couldn't quite lay
hold of it. I sort of thought it was
her hands. She kind of f1uttered
them. You know the way some
girls do, when they talk.
81 ~ fOnCa white
hands of hers held the secret OF all
I'd forgotten. ! don't remem-
Der of having been conscious of any
scent about her. But now it all
comes back. I can close my eyes.
and see her sitting there.
"She always wore black. French
women do mostly, you know. Her
hair was sort OF goldy-bleached, ]
suppose. And 1t used to kind OF
slip out from under her hat. Shed
sit there, toying with glass, and
smiling quietly. Sometimes
thought it was her smile that
would bring things back.
Didn't you ever talk with her e
demanded Sybil.
JOIlIl IdIOC0 1A1O DAASNANtSAS'
eyes" he said heavily. I talked
with her-after a while. 1t didn't
do any good, of course
Oh, WE'LL" Sybil slid her arm
through his. Lets talk about
something else. Come-sit down
Well talk about me. Have
changed, John? Much, I mean
OF course I've grown older"
THEY sat on the divan in front
L OF the fire, but he did not touch
her. i,
Look at me-" she commanded
land tell me-" She laughed.
Talk to me tenderly," she
begged. "Tell me lies"
"Lies?" he said. II don't have
to tell you lies, Sybil. You were an
exquisite child, my dear, and now
you are a beautiful woman"
She clapped her hands softly.
Hear Hear!" she cried. TEL
me more, John" And she drew
closer to his shoulder.
"You were a white-souled child,
he said, and said it in the voice a
man uses when he speaks Of the
dead. so sweet and gooc.
He looked deeply into her face
so that she felt herself flushing
holly, and put out her hands be-
seemingly.
eyes," he said gravely, II should
say you had changed.
But" she stammered, "you-
really don't know anything about
me. OF course I've grown older.
I've lived so f1ercely-and loved
and hated 1 suppose I have