The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-19
CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
DUT the thought of Eleanor
ID made her avert her face,
break his clasp and release herself.
After all, vulgar though Eleanor'S
mirthful anticipation of something
like this had been, she had not
thought it probable, else her voice
had not been tinged with humor.
Nor did the fact that Eleanor was
in the very act of perpetrating a
great disloyalty to Dean do any,
thing toward minimizing the base
ness of what Cynthia was doing.
For it was base. There could be
no argument against this summing
up of her actions. The fact that
Dean might never know that his
K1rst marital kiss had not been given
20 his wife made no difference in
the wrong that Cynthia was doing.
But now, flushed and trembling,
Cynthia began to comprehend the
driving force that had animated
Eleanor's madness. Love in Gym
thia's understanding had been a
vague sort of thing. She had
wasted little time in consideration
bf it.
She knew that she was pretty,
knew that she was attractive to
men, but men never had attracted
her. She liked their companion
ship, found them useful and enter
tanning, but never had seen one
whom she particularly cared to see
the second time.
But now, just released from
Deans clasp, she knew all about
love. All that was worth knowing,
anyway, she thought. Enough, sure
", to make her understand why
Eleanor had gone to such unbe-
lievable lengths today.
For she knew that she, Cynthia,
would have done the same thing
under the same circumstances.
Honor? What was that? 10y
atty? OF what value was this?
Duty and devotion we're things to
teach children, but which had no
real part in the activities of living.
The only important thing was
love. Yet, as she came to this age
old conclusion, n1irth crinkled her
ewes and curled the corners Of her
mouth. What potent thing an
Illicit kiss was that should knock
down all the moral barriers.
Only it didn't! Not in her case
SurpriSe-though heaven knew she
shouldn't have been surprised that a
husband should want to kiss his
bride-had unbalanced the barriers
but the weights of decency were
already tipping them back into po-
sition.
Now. because she knew that they
could be pushed over. she would be
on her guard. She might have to
exist on the memory of this one
kiss until spiritual starvation set in
but the occurrence would have nc
repetition.
NUEERLY, as she made the reso-
" luton, she thought of her logic
which had made her believe that
Phil Jennings would not be de-
ceived by an imitation Eleanor. She
wondered how true her reasoning
had really been.
She had th1ught that the reason
she would be able to deceive Dean
lay in the fact that Eleanor did not
love her husband Perhaps she had
been ali wrong. Perhaps Dean has
accepted Cynthia so unquestionably
because she, Cynthia. did love him
But she hadn't loved Dean until
he kissed herl But how did she
know che hadn't? Perhaps We love
before we ever see the object OF
our passion The blade of grass that
reaches vainly toward the sun had
one definite purpose while yet it lay
beneath the earth.
Seeking the light, who shall say
that it did not love the light b..
fore it ever was aware that light
existed9 These and q thousand
other chaot-s thoughts tumbled
through her consciousness, as, final
" free from his cropping arms, she
managed to face him.
Sudden jealousy mingled with hel
tumbling thoughts. The passion, th'
gentleness. the restraint. the chiv-
alry-all these were not for her. but
for another. The very light in hi:
eyes as he looked upon her now. the
flush on his face, his heavy breath
Ing were for another substance.