HOME AFFAIRS: Case of the Friendly Bride

The testimony said you were likely to meet almost anybody at the Beards' house in Berkeley, Calif. There was that Marine who dropped in one night and stayed three days. There was the impassioned glass blower. And there were sailors, bus drivers, railroad workers.

There was also, of course, Damon Beard, who taught astronomy at the University of California. But nobody paid much attention to him, least of all his wife, 20-year-old Virginia, who married the professor in 1938. She kissed the Marine, she kissed the sailors, she invited the glass blower to pop into the bathroom as she toweled...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!