Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-02
SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story ois Woman's Transformation
BY MARION RUBINCAM.

|
CROPPING.
Chapter XVII.
The June days ran along and July
| came. Esther and j worked like slaves
We always did ut this season. In the
| morning it was the house work; the can.
| ming took our afternoons; these late af-
ternoons, and while the light fingered
after supper, we worked in the garden
What time was left, was taken up by
the immense amount Of darning and
mending.
IL was the usual routine--Mondays
we washed land we had several farm
hands to wash for now, whose clothes
became so revoltingly dirty it always
astonlshed me that we ever got them
clean again, Tuesdays we ironed, and
Wednesdays we cleaned We were near
enough to the road to get its yellow dust
over everything. Saturdays we cooke and
baked, and every dayfwe cooked a heavy
breakfast, a heavy midday dinner, and n
hearty supper for the FIVE of us, and our
help. And we did the milking--in fact
we had to drive the cows to pasture and
home again daily. Jim and James and the
hired men were too busy in the fields.
And the heat dragged the strength
out of us more than the work.
'Lauras willing but YOU can't blame
her for wanting to do some work of
her own," Esther said, excusing her
favorite daughters occasional lapses.
Il guess Charlie will speak pretty soon,
and they ought to be married this win
ter.
She rang out the wet cloth and per-
mitted herself a moment Of leisure while
she thought this over. Then she picked
up the kettle of boiling water and poured
it into the milk can she was washing
bending over while the steam of il rose
around her face, making il hotter and
redder than ever.
"Of course she wants a nice lot of
linens and things. She's going to en-
broidcr some pillow cases next week, and
she's dom hemstitching on sheets this
week Ill buy her some scarfs to do too
girls like fancy things like that, and |
must say | think they're pretty. never
did get time TO make myself many linens =
Laura had not taken much interest
in embroidery before. 1t was only since
Charlie had been paying marked atten-
ton to her that she began learning new
stitches and fancy sewing. Since that
time, nearly a year ago she had been
at II constantly. and already had fair
lot of doilies and napkins and tablecloths
That was like Laura.
Love affects women in curious ways
II starts some dreaming rose-colored
dreams, others to reading poetry, still
Others to learning embroidery stitchesi
Violet's soul scared TO the highest star.
Laura tied hers 10 the kitchen stove Vi
idealized the man she loved, Laura want
ed to feed him.
We rinsed the cans and turned them
to dry. and started for the house
You got a lot of things in the green
canvas trunk in the attic Esther said
suddenly. Il was gom' to have YOU give
en- to Laura when she married seein'
as YOU wouldn't be likely to want them.
But now with Mark comm around every
week YOU might want en- vet.
Give them to Laura | said very
positively Its not likely Mark will do
anything but continue to come around
every week
Well, if he does say anything YOU
can make some more There's I3 towels.
and crocheted bedspread-"
So she had been up in my old trunk,
counting over the few things had gather
ed together in the days when / too, was
making hope chest = ! could picture
her delving among the poor remnants of
my ono romance, her small eyes eager while
she searched for treasures to bestow upon
her daughter. To be sure, had forgotten
the things-yet there was a sentiment
about them. They were laid away in
lavender, rs my poor romance had been
For Il while | hated Esther.
Was glad when the work was done
and could be for time alone in my room
in the cool dark ] sat by the window, q
wrapper over nv nIghtgown, and thought
about myself
What could do? II wanted 10 make |
myself better now was the time Esther. |
under ordinary circumstances, would saw
there's no fool like an old foot" if | |
made the least attempt to cast off nv age. |
But now that Mark was in town. and |
coming to the house, she had an idea | |
still might marry him-or, rather, that he |
might be persuaded 10 marry me Also I
whatever | did %o recover my youth, |
would be at least tolerated.
What did these women do. who kept |
their youth and their charm? ] thought |
over the ones llnew-but at 35. nv friends |
were all married and had families One |
already had daughter Is, and she herself |
looked older than |. One had had six
babies, and was about 70 have another-she
was older than |. One had married and
JttN iOfCt 10 ltdft IeI UIStldUu-
90, looked old, but she went through worse
han ever had been. Another-once love
v young girl with gold curls that used
% blow about her face-had married
roung, had borne and lost four children,
md at % had suddenly run away with
man. We never mentioned her name,
# course.
| remembered this girl particularly
yell. She never ceased to care for her
kin; she was always putting something
N it-of course. | might try this There
we're cold creams at the drug store and
'owders in little gay colored boxes. Would |
hat help? Suppose ] curled my hair?
aura had curling iron somewhere |
ad heard that olive oil was good for
he complexion.
] slipped into the kitchen IN the dark,
nd found the bottle of oil there, kept
Or salad dressing, and some white corn
tarch from the kitchen cupboard. ] ran
p the back stairs with my heart in my
l0uth, and locked my door Then, light
lg the lamp, and bending close to the
lirror, rubbed the oil over my face and
ands and wiped off, and used the powder.
looked at myself then
! looked like a circus clownl
TomOTrOW-The Girl Rebel.
~~