Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-26
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story of a Woman's Transformation
by MARION RUBlNCAM.
COMMENCEMENT.
Cbapter Mi.


From the first of June, things seemed
10 go in mad rush.
We were to entertain great many
relatives for the Commencement ENer-
clses. and as some of them were COM
inp from a distance, we had to keep them
overnight. Henly Falls was back coun-
try enough to take its hospitality very
seriously. The Commencement Day dlhher
WAS TO be rs big a feast rs though the oc-
casion was a wedding. The day before
there was to be huge picnic supper on
The lawn. and then everyone was To so III
the evening to the Class Day exercises.
~But why are you going TO do all the
strawberry preserving now? L questioned
Esther one morning. She was busy with
box of sand. securing out an enormous
preserving kettle-scoured, mcldentaiiy,
when IL was put away IN the Fall and sure
" not in need OF such vigorous treatileIC
rs it was now getting. j,
Esther looked up, her mouth pulled
down at one side. | remember her SO
well that dav. her hair hanging around
her face, her skin hot and red, one sleeve
nf a blue calico housedress torn to the
."Because Mabel Danford's coming
and she thinks she makes better preserves
than me, and I'm going to show her.
Esther said sourly. And YOU can get
Grandmother recipe from that book oi
mine in the settin' room forget Just
the ouantities-and after that YOU can
help Laura with the berries IN the garden.
And that was only one thing.
j had long since finished the DAINTY
white wolfe that Violet was to wear.
II was very Dlain. old-fashiOned per
hams but charming on her She had wanted
silk dress for the Glass Day event, Tor
thar was in the evening and the other
girls wore very fancy clothes, but such a
storm was raised that Violet decided TO
drop the whole matter. | managed fnally
10 get her really nice frock from some
cheap pink crepe and some lace lett from
an old dress. 1t was, OF course, very
bad sort of dress-but we dldn know that
then.
Then Esther had to have new dress,
and so did l. We spent a few days snop-
ping in a nearby town. and many evenings
making up our material Esther wore
blue: mine was some sort OF brown mlsllh'
| think. jim shared III the general re-
iuvenation. But James, poor james was
forgotten-as always. James mad eceh
taken from school when the Spring ploWng
began. and no attention was PAID ms occii-
si0nal remarks about his needs.
Poor james, I'm afraid, felt that bad
ly-he had wanted to graduate, ana nc
was missing now more than two OF the
final months of work.
That part being over, We cleaned ano
cooked and baked for days IN advance
Laura a little sullen because this excite
nent was not about her, but dong hel
share of the work valiantly. We tended tht
Garden. the bit of lawn before the house
and the flowers: We did the milking; oc,
rasionallv we were called on for some q
the lighter asks in the field. The day
were long and hot.
And al last the Class Day itself came
There's Cousin Bill Haines and hr
wife coming, Esther said eNcltedly
standing in the door. Look, they, Y,
got new car! My, he does drive Il well.
And Uncle Joe and Aunt Anna.
Vi said, dancing about the porch u
her excitement. "Oh, isn't Ii lovely 4
have a party-a party, party! Sh'
had dropped into her queer little sing
song tones and | smiled over at her
ives blue-black from excitement, cheeks
scarlet. hair blowing in fluffy curls AROUND
her face, she was certainly picture K
look at and admire.
Laura. palmer and more stolid. wa
lite lost; this was certainly violet
own marty. But Laura, pleased at hav
iag tie presence of Charlie Dwyer, TO
once did not mind this.
And after the reunion-that wha
il was for nearly all our relatives hat
come Overland the huge picnic suppe
on the lawn, we trooped over 70 IN
school building for the exercises 1t wa
n great event In the Falls and the country
around about.
James came with US, in his shabb,
best suit. the picture Of all that wa.
wistfuI He sat In the large hall witt
Us. watching his sister and all hls trlend
going through the foolish personalities
and the formal exercises that max
Itp anv class day-yet that are OF suci
absorbing interest TO the class and tn
girls and bows families. If his sister NIole
was one OF the poorest dressed girls on IN
platform, she was certainly the prettlest
and the only one without some trace Q
self-consciousness
There's Billy Diggs-see him, Aun
Enid? Wonder who gave him the gree
tle?'' James whispered to me.
Billy was James chlIm. ! alone knew tn
envy with which my young nephew wat
ched him-for Billy was part Of the gradu
Suddenly Esther all excitement, cluttI
ed my armi
Look, look over therew she pointe
towards a corner of the room. There
Mark Upjohn-look,. do you see him
Your old beau, Mark? What do you SUI
pose brought him back here after q
those wears. Do you 'spose 1t was lut
to see his nephew, Billy Diggs, graduate.
AIonday-The Old Friend.