Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-06
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story of Woman's Transformation.
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
Protected by Georse Matthew Adams.
ESTHER'S IDEAS.
Chapter XLVII.

tits Providence, mats Wpat IL Is,
said Esther. shaking a pillow vigorously.
What is Providence?' asked, smooth,
ing the sheet carefully and tucking in all
the corners methodically, as Esther liked.
For reply she murmured some words
which would be impossible to set down
IA she gave them. What she said was;
ats Providence that Sarah's sister
died and she found that other fellow
out West some place"
But as she was holding a fat pillow
tightly between her teeth, and pulling on
a inflow case. her words were very much
garbled.
saw that Esther was about TO ex--
press her opinion concerning Mark and
myself and there was nothing to do
but let her have il out. pulled the white
counterpane up neatly, and began fold
ing the blanket carefully at the foot OF
the bed.
Ii had been a hot and busy week:
The farm work alone was more than
enough for us. Jim had enough hired
men now. bat two OF them lived with us,
and that meant extra beds to make up,
two more rooms 10 be Kept clean, anu TWO
more 10 cook for.
Having accustomed myself to the
small amounts of marketing necessary
for Violet and myself during the win
ter. | used 10 stare in amazement ut
the huge roasts that went into the oven
for the midday dinner-and that were
completely demolished before the meal
was over. Jim was always what Esther
called hearty feeder" and James
came home ravenous The hired men
alwavs ate enormously. We had meat
three times dav-at least. they did.
Violet and II suppose having trained
our appetites differently during the VIM
ter-ate. rs Esther said, 'like sparrows."
But | think we were the healthier for IT..
We really worked so hard that there
was little time for long conversation.
Mark came once again that week, but
| managed not to see him alone. Then
he went back To his own home. This
morning we heard he was coming back
again in few days, and that started
Esther un the subject.
Providence she rc-afkrmed shak-
ing the pillow hard and then setting 1t
erect unon the head Of the bed. IL can
see the hand of Providence as palnl
You was fool enough to let him got away
when YOU was voungI don't know whether
YOU could have gotten him back last
summer or not-l guess you could He
really did ask you TO marry him, didn't
p
her little grecnish eyes.
'He wanted housekeeper-thats S
what il amounted to | replied, gath
erlng up the soiled sheets and going off to
anof her room.
Esther followed behind me, pretend
inc to help do the room work-my spe-
cial task We stripped the covers from
the bed. and began putting on fresh
linen. still fragrant from It's long sun
bath when it was bleached on the grass |
Well he'll be more romantic this |
time" she predicted. Even n man of |
30 has romance in him / spose-though |
Lord knows, Jim got over his romantic |
notions soon enough after we were mar
rcd
She took out another pillow, and |
held it between her teeth TO put on a |
new case looked at her critically again /
no wonder Jim had gotten over his /
romantic notions" There was curious |
resemblance in shape between Esther |
and the pillow. She had allowed herself, |
even when she was'quite young and only |
married few years, to grow fat and rather |
bluwsey.
She had fulfilled her mission in life
she had found a man, married him, she
was bearing him children and keeping
Ills iAtsSt. w AAaAN tASt Was AAHtEt. WHY
should she keep his love? Hadn't she
married him? Wasn't that enough? He
had TO go on loving her-he had promised
10. il was in the wedding ceremony.
And beyond that she did not think.
Later she rcgretted-but that was later.
much later. Meantime we shook out
the pillows and turned the mattresses
and discussed Mark.
Course we all thought YOU were a
hopeless old maid, she said with her
usual frankness. but now | got hopes
Of YOU. | dunno what YOU did TO YOUR
self this wInter-maybe YOU needed a
change Of air, or something. But YOU
used 10 look older than me. and now
you look younger. / don't think YOU
even look as old as you are. Course YOU
got gray hairs. ] can see them, but your
hag somehow has more color.
And of course. she went on. laura
and ! both think YOUR clothes sillv and
they do make YOU look
younger, there's no denying that And
as ] SAYS 70 Laura, after all it don't matter
what she does TO herself now, she can
wear things with skirts that hike in and
show her ankles, and she can toddle about
1n high heels when she ought to be wear
ng common sense shoes at her age, and
she can smear her face all up with cream
and such truck-but it : all right, l saws.
~ long as she gets him"
Esther i cried In anger. what
are YOU talking about?"
Mark, Of course, she said. her ewes
growing round IN surprise. ''You had
ihese sentimental ideas about not TAX
ng him because he didn't love YOU.
Now you are making yourself look Young
again, SOS he'll fall in love. And he'll do
9 too, # YOU treat him nice. As said. il
vas Providence made Sarah's relation
ile out West and sent her put there to
marry that other man. Otherwise, she'd
nave Mark and you'd been too late"
Iomorrow-An Ugly Suspicion.
II n D.. n.