Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-19
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story Of Woman's Transformation.
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
Protected by George Matthew Adams.
OUR NEW PLANS.
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.

SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.
Enid Hainee has been considered an
aunt-of-all-work in the Haines family
by everyone except her I7-year old niece
Violet. She is 35, looks so, is hopelessly
an old maid She lives with her brother
jim, farmer; his wife, Esther, their
daughter Laura, son James, and Violet.
Violet takes them out of the rut they
had fallen into by insisting upon going
to college in the city Enid gives vi her
own tiny legacy to send her through, and
goes to the city TO take care OF her. There
is much comment at home, because Mark
Upjohn, beau of Enids youth, bad re-
turned to the village and had come To
see her In the city, the two suddenly dis
cover the possibilities life holds for them.
Violet is much in love with Bud Pearsoll,
from home.
cHAPrER XXI.
Violet's college term began, and with
her new work and the examinations she
had to take to make up for the deficiencies
of our High School, the girl had little
time for anything else. She left early in
the morning, after we had our egg and
rolls and tea, promising to buy herself
nourishing lunch during the dny. And
she came home late in the afternoon
having done some of her work in the Ii
brary on the college grounds.
Then while fixed supper, she told of
the days adventures, and while we ate,
| related all ] had done. Mrs. Tupper
at first did not like us to have our meals
in this room, but after time she agreed
to it.
Mice people is always NICE" she said,
using her favorite explanation. $50 long
. L. Nf ~
the house, guess it's all right. had an
actress once, here in this room. She asked
to make coffee. Said she was coffee
fiend | guess she was. She said she hard
ly ate thing. They all say that. She
weighed 300 guess she was n coffee ficnd.
And fried ham hend. And a pan cake
fiend | guess she must have cooked 10
course dinners here. So had TO forbid any
cooking In the rooms, that is, Smells
SO"
She ratified on, making a pretence at
dusting And presently she began giving
me the details of her last operation she
had. and then offered to let me wash
clothes in her laundry.
Violet and had soon learned the mys-
terious ruses of the economical roomer,
the petty, penny economies that soon
become second nature. Even so, our money
went fast In Henly Falls there was moth
ing for me to spend money for: here |
would break bill and the change would
be gone before evening. And still we
lived miserably in the disagreeable room.
''The West Side is wonderful" ] said
to Violet one evening as | fixed salad
salads being nourishing and healthy
and needing no cooking, we ate many of
them.
I'm going down there and hunt
fiat" ! went on, scooplng salad dressing
from a small jar, with fat piece of wood
for a spoon.
''It would be nice to taste a home
made cake again, and have rare roast
beef for dinner" Her eyes looked visit
fully into space. Violet was young and
had the healthy appetite Of the country
bred girl.
So day after day wandered up and
down the streets from Fourth street south
and over almost 10 the river. There were
clean places, dirty places, some without
light, but finally, one that | loved. Ii
was the top floor of funny, old-fashion-
ed, three-story brick house. The ceilings
were low, but as those in the farmhouse
had been low too, we liked that.
The wall paper was atroclous in de-
sight was red roses large as caulItlower
heads-but ! thought | could paint the
walls The woodwork was dark brown
but ] was going 10 make it white. The
main thing was that II gave US a small
front room with two windows, a tiny bed
room next, with one window, and last,
a still smaller room with a wall thrown
across to make kitchenette on one side
and a bath on the other.
The woman who owned the house had
had her third floor done over this way
to make an apartment of it, and she
wanted s25 month. | took il gladly
and even signed a lease-the first time |
in my life | had ever put my name to |
a legal paper.
We'll write home and tell Mother TO |
send us in some of the furniture from |
the garnet, Violet said.
1t took quite bit of money, of course.
but by that time we had agreed that il
was better TO be comfortable for short |
time than miserable for a long one. We
moved In with no furniture but two cots
and some kitchen things bought from the
ten-cent store Bud Pearsoll, delighted
10 have Us move To a real home. spent