Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-10
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
Ike Story of1 Woman's Transformation.
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
Protected 10y George Matthew Adams.
Protected 10y George
A DINNER.
Chapter LNNNll.

Bud did not come around for two
davs after that amazing discovery oi
ours and when he did, he said nothing
about his loss.
Violet, indeed, was rather clever about
il. She wanted 10 find out, yet she
was afraid TO say that she knew he
had lost money So she remarked cas-
ually:
How about that oil stock that you
said looked so good 10 YOU?
'Oh! Well, it didn't look so good
Afterwards.
That was an answer that might be
interpreted several ways. Vi made an
other attempt.
She got no further for Bud inter
rupted A >
It's too late for a show, but Id like
to do something
The girl tactfully let the question
drop But | knew-and she knew
that Bud had lost heavily.
| was very much worried over the
whole thing This was no sort OF be
ginning for q happy marriage.
For the first and most important
thing in marriage is that the two shall
trust each other absolutely, in every
way This is a. important as love, for
love cannot survive where there Is no
trust :,
And Vi felt this too, though she would
not saw so, even to me. L watched her
20 up the street towards the subway
standing in the window quite distance
rom her, | could still notice the little
iroop to her shoulders.
felt very badly about It, All the
singing. JOYOUS life had gone out OF her
| wondered for an instant whether 1t
had been a good thing for us 10 come to
the CITY. After all, it was my salvation,
uot hers Alone in the country Violet
might have forgotten Bud and cared
for someone else IN time-for she was
very voung-but here In the city. seeing
him almost every day, she had hin
always IN mind u love and TO worry
over.
turned from the window TO the few
letters lying on the table, just IN from
the mail delivery A couple OF clrcu-
lars-and "a square envelope addressed
to me. i knew, even though | never
had seen that firm handwriting before,
that il was from Francis Meade.
He said that he hoped l would dine
with him the next night, and that he
would call for me at o'clock unless |
let him know to the contrary.
A very handsome black car with a
oolished aluminium hood stood by our
door the next night, and Mr. Meade
helped me into its luxurious interior.
His driver seemed to know where to
20 without direction. And presently
We were walking into the dining room
Of a hotel l had never entered before
"A table away from the music he
told the waiter. Then we can talk, =
he added, smiling at me.
/ was little nervous-there was an
air about this place quite different from
the atmosphere of the hotels and restau-
rants | had been TO with Bud and his
friends There was music, but 1t was
subdued; the play was gay enough,
but IL was not the rlotous. loud, false
gaietv of the other restaurants.
And somehow l felt at home in the
place as | had Dever felt at home in
any of those othersl / seemed to be-
long here. ! could become a part of
this lost my temporary feeling of
nervousness, and leaned back TO smile
at my partner.
This Is yerv delightful to be dining
with YOU like this, ne said In answer
70 my smile. Do you know you have
something that is priceless in this so
phisticated town? A shy smile like that
OF young glrl.
A warm little tingling feeling went
through my blood and into my heart.
No one had ever talked to me like thal
beforei That one sentence was more
than enough reward for all my efforts
at self-improvement.