Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-06
\ SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Snry Of a Woman's Transfer nation
ny MARION RUBlNCAM.
, taC tcti hy GeOrgC MAI thcW AuAmS.
THE GIRL HELPS.

Enid Haincs is the old maid aunt OF
all-work in the Haines family. She lives
with her brother jim, farmer; his wife,
Esther; the son, James; Laura, IN love
with young farmer near by; and her
favorite Of the family, Violet, not yet Is.
Violet insists on going TO college IN y,
the city, and Aunt Enid gives her her small
inheritance and decides TO go along TO
take care Of her The villagers gossip
about this, since Ends one time beau,
Mark upjohn, widower, is back In the
village looking for a wife. Enid being 30
and looking so, is considered almost hope
lcssly old and on the shelf.
CHATTER XIX.
There is no one quite so despcabie as the
man or woman who does mean ace
under the giisc of kindness. The hypo-
crite is the worst of sinners, Tor he tor she
prctends TO goodness, and thereby doubles
the sin.
For several days following the announce
ment Esther made, | went about ieehhg
dazcd and hopeless.
Nhat good was it that | had at last
awakened from the lethargy in which
| had lived? Before | had been vaguely
unhappv and wretchcd-this, | find, Is
tho fate of many women-now was acute
Ia unhappy | was in the middle stage
did not know exactly what | wanted, nor
how 10 20 and get it; | merely knew the
present life was intolerabie, and that the
way out seemed to bc for Violet and my
self 20 90 10 the city. There we would be
free of the family, at least. =,
You had one great weapon, VI SAID
a few davs after Esther had said | was
not te 60. THAT was your legacy. Money
i power-hut IL doesn't seem To be any
ise, does il, IL they won't accept IT You
might aS we'll have no money at all!
| agreed with her, and for while we
Worked together IN silence. "Ot course, L
won { GO 10 college If YOU don { come along
10 take care of me- Violet added. But TO
this | would not agree. =,
Wait" | advised her. Things VIII
settle down and well settle down and
we'll see what happens.
So life went on as usual with us, daily
round of hard work, with almost no diver
sion.
Jim ouarreIed with one of the hired men
and sent him off m the busiest part OF the
season. He WAS already short hand, and
he tried To make up for II by working
harder himself | think he scarcely slept;
he wss up before dawn, and about the
place. and at supper time when the out
side work was through, he would come 10
the table, too tired to talk.
There was something very pathetic
about his figure, rs | look back now. Ills
shoulders bent so from the load of Worry ne
carried--much of II unnecessary-hls
face was tanned n leather colored brown,
and the deep wrinkles over the skin look
ed like black lines His coarse shirt, usually
soaked through with persplration, chung
10 his arms and back.
Even Esther was slightly in awe OF him.
She did not wish 10 worry him, and she
was afraid of stirring up his temper, al
WAYS worse when he was overworked.
James got more than his share of the work
TOO. he did IL sullenly and silently and
rarely spoke at the table After the meal
was owe . he would 90 out on the grass
and Inc fiat on his back or his face Tor hours,
until bedtime. end not even answer when
we spoke TO him. But his face was rather
peaceful and happy at these times. James
wes always a dreamer.
Laura was the happiest OF the family.
Her bland eye rarely changed IN express
sion. though have found this true with
people who have very subtle minds, and
with people who have no minds at all
and when she was through her work, she
went out on tho porch to her eternal en-
broidcring.
When Mark called, he found us always
the same-Jim sitting and staring duly
into space on the porch; Esther sitting IN
n nearby char. also staring duly INTO
space and never speaking. This was Their
married life-a daily monotony. They
shared the same room, but not each other S
thoughts. They shared the same work, but
not each others enthusiasm-h indeed,
they had any enthusiasm.
James living out IN the grass. never
moved when Mark came up, but Laura
sometimes came and sat with us. VI, who
disliked him, found an excuse to study an
went indoors. But ! always was expected
% sit out there with them.
IL was Esther who led the converse tion
Il hear YOU We fine house and business,
she would say. Tnat IN itself was enough
To keep Mark going all evening
'How's Mrs Diggs' cousin Jane? she
would ask during lull IN the tai k, And an
hour of gossip would result. Esther extract
cd an amazing number of perfectly useless
facts from our guest
| rarely took part IN the conversation
One evening, unable to listen to q reception
of Marks recent business exploits, | ex-
cilscd myself and went indoors with Vi
Esther came in after Mark left. furious
How do YOU expect man to make
up 20 YOU If YOU never open your mouth,
and get away as fast as YOU CAM" she
demanded. Il declare. Enid Haines, you
haven ( any sense where men are concern
ed. No wonder they never looked at youl'
She doesn't expect to have him make
up 10 her, vi said suddenly, shes going
10 go with me 10 the city in September,
and we don care what happens to Mark
t'pjohn. Do we, Aunt Enid"
shame on YOU. then, wantin to take
your Aunt money and spend it. when your
own father Is willing to spend his on you, -
Esther answered.
"Ill pay IL all back. no matter whose
money ] take, Vi replied serenely. "Now
mother, be reasonablel You know Aunt
Enid can Z stand Mark-you know all he
wants is a housekeeper."
II want Enid to keep her money, she
NAV need IT. And | want her to look after
her best interests" Esther said virtuous-
lv. II want TO see her married before L m
en- old useless woman. Every woman ought
10 marry"
| thought OF Esther and Jim s married
life. Would mine be like that?
Tomorrow-The Villagers.