Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-24
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story Of Woman's Transformation.
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
Protected by George Matthew Adams.
ESTHER'S PHILOSOPHY.
Cha,tnr INH

Chapter LAll
The morning of the. day we expected
Helen to arrive, Esther and | worked
together fixing up her room.
We were giving her Lauras old room.
. IL had an iron bed, white enamelied, the
pride of Laura's heart when she nvea %
with us-it was n curious aflair WITH
the hars twisted into some sort oiiuthe
dcsign--some chairs and queer, heaVy,
walnut bureau. 1t was anything ou,
attractive.
But Violet and put in tho, japanese,
prints We brought home with us, anu
nlaced 4 large lar of old-fashioned flow
crs on the bureau, and on the manteI
a couple of my brass candlestlcks. L
brought in the plain rug from Nis room
and we laundered the curtans-and IL
was at least fresh and clean and made
liveable by the flowers.
Esther and | were dusting and max
ing up the bed ., ru.hor
asked suddenly. "Shes Wis friend, isn't
she?"
"VTs and NINE" ! answered: -,
"And YOURS? Why, isn't she Wis ageI
"No. she's almost asold'as | am, IL
told her , ,u
dropped when she was aston1shed, ana !
gave her such a curious expression; 1
thought she was a young girl. 20 she
vour agel Pretty
| guessed at once what was IN heT
mind. Never before had Esther feared
another woman. Now she was airaio
of them all. j did not envy her. =.
For when trust goes, 1t takes everything
with il. Eventually it takes even love, Tor
L lNx-n there
confidence. The woman TO whom every
other woman is a possible unpleasant
complication and danger, is the uhhaP-
piest woman in the world.
"No. she's not pretty" | answered,
pitvine her as | saw her features relax
But she is really very nice and we
like her lot, and I'm sure you Will TOO
Esther looked over at me. linen q
little shame-faced smile spread over her
face.
II guess YOU know why l asked,
she said Il guess you We got periec'
right to think I'm fool. But L dunno
where | stand any more, not since James
ont with what he. knew about that othei
woman.
.1Of course. | always knew men ran
wild a bit" she went on, smoothing .
perfectlv smooth pillor absent-mlndediy
but | guess | thought Jim was dlifer'
ont He used to be so much In love with
me. Do you think it's my fault-he isn
-now?"
ssDid YOU try to keep up the romance
OF YOUR early married hfeE l dld no'
want to say this, but | felt as strongly
that | knew the reason for Esthers un'
happiness that i could not help myself
'.Do YOU think there much romance
in this? She waved a hand that tooh
in. somehow, our plain little tarmhoust
and the whole farm Not much chahc'
for the novel and love story stuff wher
~, work Ia hours a day And ther
hard work pulls YOU down, and you LOSE
your looks, and there you are. SONS
Young chit comes along that hasn I work
"a o,,t her soul for a man, and of he goe'
after her"
.It's always the mans fault then?
l put in as a question.
s.It is when the woman's been a goot
and faithful wife" She evidently took my
words as a statement. 'And been that
He wouldn't have found better one
Kent his house well and | never spent 8
cent more'n | could, and / helped hln
seve and raised his children healthy
And YOU know what | get.
But | guess" she said, going bach
and smoothing once more the perfectly
smooth pillow, 81 guess l amt gettins
any worse deal than most. All men arr
alike. if it amt one thing it's another
I don't know any wives that are per
fectly happy.
"ls far as Jim goes, he's promised
not to see this-this creature, little
venom came out in this remark. 81
I forgave him, and everythlngs as Il
was before. But / guess it's only mattel
of time before another one comes slone
that he'll like. And sometime IL hnC
that out. Probably there have been other'
before this, though he says not. Ii couie
only find out from James!
but he's as stubborn as balky mule,
she fretted. II don't know where he get
IL. not from my family.
She numbered across the room. In
sudden rush of pity l went to her.
Look here, Esther, you go on IN ane
live with Violet this winter" SAID
even If Jim thinks ne can't spare thu
money. You'll have mine. You can stay
mid-winter And you just do all th'
things / did. You'll feel young again
all YOU need is to lose little weight
and get some pretty clothes, and corsets
and do up your hair, and some thingi
like that"
Esther looked thoughtful for a moment
Then she shook her head.
"No. / appreciate 1t, especially since
/ know what the city means to you ane
what good it's done you. But well
I'm afraid to leave jim"
"It would do him good, / urged
''He would miss you, and he would Learn
TO appreciate you if you were away from
him. You've never been separated fol
more than week during all the time
you've been married
mo" Esther said decidedly. 81 guess
III stay where can watch him. would bt
worried all the time if ] wasn't here. Nc
YOU go on, and have nice winter.