Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-04
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
rhs Sanry ofs Weman's franshnrmatton.
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
THE CLIMAX.
SYNOPSIS oY rRncKpINo CHAPTERS.

Al IS Aunt Enid Haines looks 50,
and rs considered by her family and the
village 90 be hbpeless old maid. The
family consists of critical sister-in-
law, Esther: Jim, Ends brother; and
three grown children, Laura, James
and Violet. Enid is taken from thi shope-
lc~s rnt by Violet, who wants to go to
college. Enid gives Vi her own little
kSscy and they 60 10 the city together.
There they swake 10 the possibilities
of hfe-Enid begins to make herself
Young srain and pretty, vi natures in
to n charming young woman. vi is IN
love with Bud Pearsoll, of whom her
family disapproves; Enid falls In love
with Francis Meade, Buds employer.
Bud falls in with crowd of unscru-
pulous men, and when he is robbed of
some money he was carrying for his
firm, everyone believes him guilty. Enid
and Francis become engaged, and try to
help Bud when the hearing of his case
comes up. Vi rs heartbroken. When the
trial comes up, Bud is caught In he
and things look bad for hum.
CHATTER xcvu.
In never forget those few days fol-
lowing that Christmas. The special
morning when Esther and myself came
penl0usly near a quarrel Is particularly
clear % me.
For il was another milestone in my
career. Before, ] would never have dared
answer her AS ! did. Indeed, for some
wears While was living with her, ] would
scarcely have dared to disagree with her
even meutally-while as for standing
up and telling her she was wrong Well,
1 could not have done it.
But now ] was out Of my shell. / had
re-made myself, and ] was happy. ! had
sufficiently developed myself, IN q COM
paratively short time, 10 the point where
| could take my pla,e by the SIDE OF such
man as Francis Meade. And ] was happy
far happier than ] ever thought 1t was
possible 10 he.
wanted 10 give some of this TO Esther.
Why shouldn't she do what ] had doneY
I looked AT her-but no, there was
certain complacency, a certain stubborness
about her. / believe she liked being what
she WAS.
Jim won't ever consent TO vi mar
wing Bud" she said finally And in
her tones WAS that curious pleasure
which ! never could understand.
Some women who are well meaning and
charitable and ''good" have this incom-
prehcnsible quality "a certain virtuous
pleasure In giving pain TO Others. 1t
because they have LET bitterness and dis
appointment eat into their souls and where
they have missed something sweet IN
life, they grudge IT to Others.
had seen this in Esther before-but
IL Jim, who hated the Pearsolls, intended
20 make things unpleasant-and If Esther
intended 10 back him up, why. it only
made the whole affair harder for US.
''She might marry without his con-
sent" ! answered AFTER all, she's no
child And this is the twentieth century.
Jim thinks sometimes we are bac IN
medieval times.
She might, but j doubt it" Esther
said ''Vi is very sweet. but she is soft,
too. don think she would do anything
directly against her fathers orders"
Wondered. Violet's feminine charm
was partly this sweet yieldingness-bu
the gir was very much in love, highly
romantic, and quite apt to run off and
marry Bud IN spite Of her family.
~Tm going to send her through col
lege," / told Esther. 81 haven't the
money myself now, but Francis likes
her very much, and he will gladly stand
the cost Of il. Only want to adopt her" "
II came as a surprise to me, this state
mcnt of mine. / had thought that vi and
] were so close 10 each other in our relation
ship of aunt and niece. that we could not
Be closer. But suddenly knew l wanted to