Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-17
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story of a Woman's Transfer n alton
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
Protected by George Matthew Adams.
MORE ABOUT THE FAMILY.


Jim looked up and grunted a greeting
as sat down. Esther handed us each q
plate with the meat already cut and placed
on it, and we reached for the vegetables
There were boiled potatoes s-therc were
always boiled potatoes, we had them at all
three meals-and there were beans, and
canned tomatoes. And we had stewed
fruit. also canned, and cake for dessert.
| remember because all our meals ran
So except on special occasions And then
we had two sorts of meat instead of one,
and some of Esther's special preserves,
and cake with icing instead of the plain
sort that did not take SO many eggs.
Esther wiped her face on her apron
and looked fretfully over at James.
Put your book down, James" she
repimanded her son. ITO sec YOU bury
YOUR nose In book every chance, you'd
think YOU was regular book worm"
81 like to read. and | don't get time,
James replied, putting his book away re-
luctantlv.
IF you like toread so, why aren't YOU
ahead in your lessons" Esther went on.
Here's, vi younger than you, and IN your
class at school, and gets higher marks :
The red OF shame spread over James
face. The red of anger, too, for his gray
eyes flashed as he spoke up.
Maybe if you hadn't taken me out
of school a wear to help build the new barn,
| might get better marks. Maybe if you
hadn't kept me away from school so much
three wears ago to mend the north field
fence, and in the spring TO do the plowing''
None of your sass, Jim spoke up angril
Il might have been ahead where |
belong" James finished his sentence in
spite of everything
Hn Ill, lar
persr' Jim fairly roared it out, and having
reproved his sons bad manners. he went
head down again, attacking his supper
with more noise than grace.
Violet moved restlcssly. These fire.
quent family quarrels upset her; if they
were too prolonged, she lost her appetite.
But | was the only one OF the family who
saw that.
What a contrast she was!
| began looking at my family critically.
There was Jim-thick set, sunburned his
face full of lines, not lines of character
but lines Of work, his stiff black hair full of
gray, the beginning of bald spot showing
at the top. His dark eyes, that once used
to be rather fine, seemed smaller TO me,
perhaps because the skin around them
was a little puffy.
There was Esther, getting very fat in
deed, shapeless, careless, her skim hot
and rcd from bending over the stove, her
once yellow hair dirty mouse color. her
once blue eyes faded and blank
There was the son, James, with high
forehead like his father, and yellow HAIR |
like his mother The upper half Of his face |
was that Of the dreamer there he looked |
as Jim looked in the old days The lower I
half of his face was thick set very much /
like his mother :. From the eyes and fore /
head, one would think James could be I
anything; from his mouth and chm and I
thick cheeks one would fear lie might do +
nothing n all.
And lastly, there was Vi the young
est. the baby. my pet. They had allowed I
me TO name her and chose Violet because |
OF her deep blue, almost purple-hlue eyes |
Violet grew up as slender and graceful T
as a reed. Her hair kept the gold Of sun |
hight, her eyes stayed always that lovely, T
deep, deep blue Her skin was quite white, /
and her checks almost too bright a pink /
Her face was long and slender too, with /
a high forehead, a thin and somewhat /
irregular nose, and pointed chin. Indeed I
her face might have been thought thin, /
except for the fact that her checks were I
full towards the ewes, so that when she /
smiled, the line of the cheek on a three I
Q4ai XXI AdIC NASN5 AisauC = A4ldi iSs lct4etN
graceful curve.
| wondered where, from these two
families she had inherited the many won
derful qualities she possessed. She was like
8 bright bird staying restlesslv among us.
jim spoke suddenly, breaking the silence
that fell upon US when he had scolded /
James.
Where's Laura"
''To Dwyer's 5. Esther answered. Mrs. /
Dwyer is showing her some fancy en-
broidery stitches
One sensible girl, anyway" jim ap- I
proved, deep growl in his voice. She
wants TO learn something. You look at |
James, and his heads in a book-not |
that he wants to learn anything, Just |
wants to dodge work, that 5 all /"
That's a hei' James stood UP sud- |
denly, his face white He opened his mouth |
70 speak again, saw Violet, and perheps |
caught from her some unspoken plea. For |
be turned and rushed from the room. And |
each of us miserable or angry or uncom- |
Portable, returned 10 the meal.
For peace is not possible, nor menta nor
spiritual development, in ahouse where love |
IS not the ruling spirit. Love builds up
discomfort destroys
Tomorrow-Yiolets s Ambition