Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-09
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
Tie Ssssy ola Woman's Transform alton
By MARION RUBINCAM.
DIsAPPROyAL.
rro..tco ~ George Matthew Adams.
ChnDter NH.

We had arrived AZ the little town
popularity known n The Corners-orig-
inalv = place where three roads crossed
and now a collection Of small houses
store, and one moving picture theatre.
| think both Mark and myself felt un-
comfortable by this time. But Mark dis
MISSED hls feelings with one word BoShi
AMI went and bought tickets FOR the show.
10 WAS, ! suppose. a very bad show.
But ! saw 50 little IN those days that
the cheapest movie hlm was a thrilling
event 20 me The clothes the actresses
wore seemed the last work in style and
beauty though the film must have been
years old for that little house TO get ii
and the whole thing delighted me.
Vet all the way through the evening !
carried this uncomfortable feeling and
when We drove home | was glad that
Marx ran ms car faster. Ii made the
ulp shorter.
Dad YOU mean what YOU said-that
YOU won T." he asked as We reached
the farmhouse.
"Nes, | answered. climbing down
unassisted as usual-from the machine.
Well, Of course" 1t was all he said
But his voice implied volumes.
Mark ! said impulsively, standing
by the car. There are a lot of things
Id like 10 tell YOU 10 say next time you
ask a woman 10 marry YOU.
End, he answered shortly, you re
. sentimental foOl!'
sighed a little as ] walked up to the
dark house-for course the family had
gone 10 bed long ago II was nearly II.
10 this was my first propOsal-and my
last IN all probability. For ] was old, and
] Wa homey.
One OF the greatest tragedies Is to be a
misfit IN life. The woman who asplres to
things far above herself who has not the
power To get them, Will never be satisfied
with the things on her level-or below
that she can get. Such woman Is a
misht There are millions OF them. Yet
Il they steadily refuse the things that are
lower, they NAV never reach the heights
but al least, they will have climbed
little higher
And this was myself. ! did not know
what ! aspIred 10, but ] did know that
IA something a sacred AZ love and mar
Fiage. II would be higher and better than
MARI Or else IL would be nothing
! went indoors never locked up
Al night not even since the horses were
stolen There was a light IN the kitchen;
when ] went ont there, Esther was sitting
waiting FOR me.
Esther m negilgee was a strange cTea-
ture though ! did not think much of
IL then. Her neglected, overgrown fig
ufe was encased IN a red flannel wrap
per, faded INTO yellowlsh pink streaks
and hideous enough 10 make the most
exquisite woman terrible
Why are YOU up ] asked ! could
think Of nothing but illness to keep her
up ~ the busy summer beyond or 10.
- wanted % know all about il, she
said Her little ewes were beady and
eager ! wondered whether ] could avoid
telling my conversation with Mark
1t Wa a nice show. ! began. They
had one funny film about a boy and "a"
Enld HaInes, YOU know we'll enough
what ! want 20 hear about" she inter
rupted sharply Did he speak or didn't
be-
Why do YOU think he did? answered
Grossly. still wishing TO avoid telling her
Never mind, ] got some sense. Now
tell me
Il was useless to keep anything from
Esther
"Nell. he did, If you want to know,
! answered defantiy.
II thought sol' Her face RELAXED into
lines Of approval and Of pleasure rs il
all settled them
Its all settled. ! answered, dreading
this n refused him.
You what" Her whole face tensed
again, her eyes opened vide, her hair, in