Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-27
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story of Woman's Transformation.
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
protc,ted by George Matthew Adams.
THE PARTY.
Chapter XNXNU.


Chapter XXXVIlI.
That was the 6rst of n series of parties
that Violet went on, and that sometimes
also included me. Pete was always one
member and usually the girl we met-they
called her s'Toots. when there were other
girls they were apt To be the same type
oyer-paintcd. overdrcsscd rs to style,
undcr-dressed as To material. :,
Whenever vi went alone, ! stayed
awake until her return usually and
? O'Clock in the morning. :,
Il cant understand II, she would
say. What docs Bud see IN that fetc.
I can't stand him, don't trust hum
Hes clever enough, he knows lot, ne
knows So much that he makes me leei
horribly ignorant But somehow l feel
that he's really the ignorant one, not
l." -,
Another time she came in, looking
paler aud more tired than usual.
You look Ill. | said In alarm. =,
II feel a httle-little upset, she SAID,
beginning Ia take down her hair. u smok-
Ell cigarette, and II dldn agree with me
Pete had been teasing me To do 1T Tor weeks
and | did not want to- He kept Laughing
and calling me his little country COUSIN
hut | didn't mind him. Toots smiles q
mean Nltlt >tlilNt WIFI iNaNA'N
night there was an older woman along
n Mrs Brandt. And she said Violet MINI
icked her. curling up her lip little,
Don't tease the dear child into dong
tits such charming pose. A pose
mind YOU. Aunt Enid, 80 | did smoke,
and IL made me a little Ill.
Again and again she went out with
George on these parties, and always came
home exhausted. Her lessons naturally
suffered. for she would lie awake hours
after an evening of this kind, and next day
start untoun for college sleepy and de-
pressed Often she would neglect her les
sons TO so with him, and that meant extra
hours 81 reading % make up for IT.
Don't 90 tonight" | begged her,
when Bind sent ar,Alnd q note saying he
would come for her for the theatre ana
dance.
Bu, have 10, she said, and in her,
tone WAS the tragedy that only a glrl
deeply IN love can feel. If don't 60
Il viii he some other girl Md none OF
those other girls are good for hlm. lhey
keep him up and make him take them
around in taXis and spend money on them
/ don't know where he gets II. He says
he's been buying stock and selling II mt a
nrofi' Pete j. clever al that, You know,
md he's put Bud on 10 several good things:
Have you finished my new dress
she ven on. her tone Fat and dlscour-
agrd Bud saws this l. 20 be a big party,
and he's ircd Of taking me around IN that
blu. silk all the time lie wants me 10
wear something new.
a\u. ~ not. done. hut ! can basic
q az un YOU. ana tomorrow iiN II, J said
We finished our supper early loiet
insisted hat VIZ call IL dinner now.
she bought little aftCr-dlnner coffee
r,lps. and even when Bud did not come
tn sec us. we served ourselves dcml-
,asss~ and fingered over the meal, talk
ne and reading the paper. II was de
hrhtful custom. was glad Bud suggested
u
Then Vi Slipped in,o the new frock, a
hhnv affair % malinc in blue rs soft
a. the light that fingers after sunset.
| made Il up over an old white dress
dyed pink. and the pink showed family
through the blue | taught myself how
"a make French roses from scraps Of
silk. and put wreaths of these on the
waist with a belt of them and few fall
lng over the skirt.
She was exquisite in 1t. II brought
out All the fairy-like lightness and grace
of her figure, il set of the shining mass
al her hair les we had come = long
distance from our old life | looked smiling
" AT the girl as she stood before the mirror,
80 slim and modish, so much improved IN
manner and appearance-yeta as sweet and
wholesome az heart as ever she was In our
quiet life before.
Bud came running up the stairs and
into our apartment, highly excited at
the prospect Of the party.
Gee. but YOU re pretty, he exclaimed
as she went out to greet him.
And impulsively he put his arms around
her and kissed her
The color left her face for an instant,
then came flooding back. II was always q
barometer OF her feelings. She looked up
~ him. return of that same sweet shyness
IN her ewes. a look that promised so much
and vet withheld so much
But the kiss was an impulse with Bud,
nothing more.
Are yol ready" he asked. 1--WE
taxi outside
But that costs 50 much Vi protested.
'Mhy not a street car?
on, they re so darned uncomfortable.
Besides. were all fused up. And it's
party. so lets celebrate.
But the money
Now don't start to talk about that
There was a new note in his tone, some
thing did not like Anyway, the money
part Il all right, ! made $50 on the Curb
TODAY IN a gold mine stock
Violet opened her mouth to answer.
Then the good Judgment she showed that
sometimes made her seem much older
than she was came to her rescue. She
said nothing. but slipped into her coat.
Aud tlrey went out together, leaN lug me
alone
TomoTrow-The Turning