Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-24
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story Of WOman's Transformation
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
REMINI SCIENCE.
, Mat thew Adams.
Protect ted by Geo
Chapter Y.

Chapter X.
| One afternoon III early May, Sat
urday that had been as blue and cloud
less as the best of the June weather, we
were sitting out on the farmhouse porch.
We had all worked hard that day, and
this was a little interlude between the
days cleaning, the preparation for the
| gigantic dinner that always took place
| Sunday, the preparation of that evening S
meal, and the milking.
Esther, was resting; she had been at
it hard since early morning. Laura was
| peeling potatoes | was doing some of the
drawn-work for Wis dress. And vi her
self was out on the lawn in the sun, her
| hair hanging about her, studying. The
| light caught her gold hair. shampooed that
dav, and made it shine like polished metal
| From time to time | glanced at her, my
eyes drawn by the sheer pleasure OF look
| ing at the brilliant mass of hair.
Esther lying back in rocker, followed
my eyes.
asked "Looks well after it s been washed.
New never can make mine do anything
/ want for weeks, and Lauras hair is too
limp to look well either. But Vi can do
hers up as nice right after washing as
before"
She observed her daughter pensively.
II don't know where Vi got her yellow
hair" she went on. 'The Haines are most
ly dark-Jim's hair was black, yours was
dark, too, once"-a casual glance at my
mouse-colored head followed. MY mother
had sort of nice hair, but it was brown too.
vi doesn't look like either family; guess
she was sort of slipped in"
These elementary studies IN heredlty
hprS and
hopeful sign. The only trouble seems to he
that the mothers speculate as to where
the children obtained certain characters
tics. If they would only go further and
study the traits of the families, in order
combat inherited weaknesses? But Esther,
of course, never went in for anything so
profound.
Sometimes / think vi looks like
me, sometimes like Jim" she went on.
Your Pa used to say she looked like
YOU, when she was baby. But Lord,
you don ( look no more alike She laugh
ed comfortably, swaying back and forth
in the rocker.
''Auat Enid's brunette. Laura sup
Piled
"You was-were-a pretty kid, Enid,
as | remember YOU Plainly Esther was
In a reminiscent mood. You used TO
have scme curl to your hair and It was
fuzzy and shiny, like Wis. Only yours was
dark, of course \ on had n nice little nose
too. Remember how used 10 admire IT be
cause it was small?
MA. il 5 sign of age when YOU sta ri
talking about your childhood, Laura said.
We'll. never deSied | was old Some
thing in Esther tone made me feel | had
denied the fact that | was old-it held
notes of accusation. | remembered the
white dress and blue sash incident, and
my face felt hot.
II m middle-aged, and We got grown
up family" Esther went on. My job IN
life is mostly done. 1t Will be when you
all get married OF course, We got to keep
Jim comfortable
Was there nothing in life but that,
| | wondered? To grow up, to bear children,
| to keep family comfortable, and then
! to die What of the women like myself,
! denied love and husband and children?
| Should we not have died in the very begin
ming" Surely there was something else.
| Esthers voice went on:
Enid was pretty and she was awful
romantic Her mother had sentimental
| ideas. and named her out of book
! When we was-I mean, when we were both
kids, we used TO play real lively games,
| and Enid would shin up trees and 60 over
/ fences the day We tried TO
ride the red COW, and you got thrown over
| the walk"
| laughed and nodded. Those days
| did seem dim and far of.
| And when we weren't playing Wild,
when we got older, Enid began read
In'-mostly fairy tales, you remember?
/ though YOU were getting big, II or 13.
1 p.,. Hid hn NJ
| = Then | got married, and End seemed
10 grow up awful fast-I guess she had to
work hard and that II make any girl grow
| ND fast. ANYWAY, after jim and me moved
| here, and Just before Enid came here to
| live, she seemed to grow up overnight
/ remember the first time Mark Upjohn
saw you, you was kid, and the next
visit, you was grown up.
| ] started a little Mark Upjohnl
| had forgotten him. doubt whether ! had
| thought of him for years.
Laura stopped peeling potatoes, and
started.
Mark Upjohn! Related to the Up
| johns at Sanders Corners?" she asked
Son of Hannah Upjohn and Mar
Gus. She was COUSIN to Mary Baxter out
on the Turnpike, and they lived in Henly
Falls then. Hannah and Mary are both
cousins Of the Dwyers."
Esther had all the family genealogies
of the neIghborhood at her finger tips
And II was a complicated subject, for
all the people around our way
were related.
Marx Upjohnp' Esther repeated
He used TO be crazy over Enid. She
could have had him too, if she ID tried. He
hasn't been around here for years"
TomorroW-Plsns.