Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-25
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story Of Woman's transformation.
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
Projected by 0eorRe Matthew Adams.
HELEN COMES.
Chapter LXIII.
Projected py 0eorre M,

AudptSt
II we created sensation when we
arrived with our new clothes and what
Jim called our "city manners certainly
Helen thzew us all into shadow
Violet drove over to the railroad sta
ton to meet her, and when they came
up to the house, il was at the slack time
OF the day--when the men were coming
in from the fields for supper, when the
children were assembled in their own
yards waiting the announcement OF the
meal and when member or so OF each
family was out on he porch.
| went out to NEE. them when l heard
the horse coming. Like all country folks.
we knew the peculiar characteristics OF
our own horses, and could distinguish
their way of trotting from the sound made
by all the other horses.
vi had the buggy with the top down,
and there was Helen, hatless and cont
less, in green flannel smock over a
white flannel skirt, the smock trimmed
with colored embroidered wool roses,
and her short hair blowing In the vino.
! was used to seeing her IN bizarre cos
tune. and of course, short hair was no
novelty to me after my winter In the
art students quarter of the ciey.
I1etlO! III heavenly w SeV yN'
again." she cried, jumping over the
wheel before the carriage had stopped en-
tirely and putting her strong arms as
tight around me as she .ould. This is
darling place and I'm crazy over 1T
already. That view from the hilltop
mile back on the road is the most Won
derful thingl Do those hills always de-
velop that misty purple on the horlzoni
l shall write a poem about 1t. "Oh!
This last was because l turned TO
Esther, who came out TO greet the guest
| introduced them, and then jim. who
came around on the porch, and hnally
James who, | knew, was eager to meet
this girl that we talked of so much.
The greetings were lacking in enthu-
siasm. < sudden chill fell on all OF us.
| forgot entirely that Esther might find
this woman queer" and that Jim, con-
servative to the last degree, would un-
doubtedly not approve.
And we had asked her for two weeks
then we were all to go back together
The chill lasted through supper. a
meal made very elaborate by the addi-
tion of strawberry jam made that sum-
mer, lot of vegetables and an elaoo-
rate layer cake. Esther stared frankly
and not very pleasantly and Jim re
N~N
draw about himself.
Only James seemed to approve-of
course the hired men scared their eyes
out. but that was to be expected. But
James seemed TO like Helen at once:
He lost his sullen look, he even talked
| little to her, and his rather sleepy
ewes lit up several times. Since the day
of the quarrel when Jim had smashed
the boys workshop, James had not ut-
| tered q word at any meal.
"Do YOU think the neighbors Will see
herr" Esther whispered to me teariuiiy
| as we gathered up the dishes. :,
II suppose so, why notY' / answered
| on the defensive at once.
'Wen, she saws she's going upstairs
| to get into something cool, Esther SAID
| Lets hope it isn't full Of whatever
| she called those things on the funny
waist she wore"
! .sThev wear lot Of wool embroidery
on clothes in the city" said GROSSLY.
| But if Esther objected to the very
| smart flannel smock and skirt that Helen
wore on the trip, she gasped at the. cool
/ frock she came down. the porch IN.
/ Like MANY girls in that part of New \ ork
/ Helen had gone in for Batik silks, IN the
| leisure left over from running her tea room
| She came down nov IN long, shape
/ less gown OF silk batiked IN cobwebby
design that covered it, the silk itself
shading from deep purple at her ieet
4 through lavender into rose, ana almost
/ shell pink around her face. strange
/ design that suggested gazelles and trees
4 and birds was done over the front III
| blues and greens. The. whole had taken
a great deal OF work and, as knew, was
! Il ,+A Anll
"I shall do scarf like that view oi
the fields in front" Helen said. Green
trees around the top, and q setting sun
animals ls-symbolic ones worked into the
design. and the whole on orange silk tC
suggest the golden haze over the telds.
This wasIa language new to her hear
ers. Esther made a supreme effort a.
polite conversation.
What a pity you had an accident
to your hair" she said. did you burr
it. or did you have a fever, that you
had to cut it OFF,
Helen stared In a puzzled manner
then laughed.
s'Oh. | bobbed il because / like it SO
Gives me more time to do things | pre-
fer. Really, combing hair is vast
of energv-unless long hair suits one
type. Enid looks best with her hair high
as she it has now, and Vi with hers in
debutante knot"
There was silence. Helen broke
by asking.
'Do you mind if | smoke? ] get s
restless in the evenings when ! don
Besides, that sunset should be We've
through haze of smoke"
Jim got up deliberately and left u:
Esther had not the power to move.
Tomorrow-Poor James.