Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-16
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story Of a Woman's Transformation.
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
MORE COMPLICATIONS.
rrotec TED hy George Matthew Adam,

Enid Haines at 35 looks 50, and Is
considered a hopeless old maid by the
people in Henly Falls She lives with
her brother Jim and his wife, Esther,
Laura, the oldest daughter. James, and
Violet. Youngest and prettiest.
Niolet's decision to go to thre city to
college saves Aunt Enid from sinking
entirely into hopeless middle age For
she goes 10 the city with Vi, and the
two. freed from Fsther's oppression. sud
denly find out what lie can hold ,or
them. Vi IS in love with Bud. but the
affair IL not very happy. When they
return home for the summer vacation,
Enid looks scarcely 80 Mark Upiohn,
an old beau, comes around again. Laura
marries. Jim qtIarrels with his son who,
in anger. mentions woman his father
knows in some other town.
CHAPTER xv.
The sudden silence that followed
James threat was even more explosive
than the conversation before it. It fairly
fell upOn us. We were stunned by II.
looked about me. frightened, yet
somehow fascinated. jim shrank back,
as though the boy had struck him bod
ilv, and the red blood of anger ran from
his face. Instead, sickly pallor came
over it-but his eyes were more danger
ous than before.
James, having been goaded into this
outburst, suddenly grew calm. But he
would not. or could not, meet his faith
er's eyes-those little, deep-set eyes that
were cleaning now with a wicked an
ger in them. James, ] think now, real
ized how far he had gone. He had said
something that would change the course
Of all our lives perhaps-that would,
perhaps, break up our family. And he
was afraid.
had plenty of time TO watch every
thing. for we were all stunned and our
silence lasted a long time. Violet had
gone dead white. Her eyes looked uD-
earthly in their blueness against her
pale skin As for Esther-and we all
turned to look at her-I never saw so
many emotions reflected simultaneously
on anyone face.
Esther had worked hard that day, and
her face showed it in every sagglng
hne. ] felt suddenly so very sorry for
her-sorry for her narrow life, her lack
of any interests outside her family,
sorry for the old age that was coming
so swiftly over her, and for her frank
LONELINESS.
And now, by one sentence, all her
heart of her life was taken away from
her.
''Oh God, my Godt" she said. And
sat down suddenly on one of the chairs
We turned, as she did, to Jim. But
the red was coming back to his face
again. and he found his voice.
1T amt so, he said, loudly again,
and looked threateningly at his son.
Esther looked at James pathetically,
pleading.
james, James, she cried. 'What
are YOU saying? What are you saying?
A woman-where? What do you mean?'
I've said enough" James answered
sullenly.
You've said more'n enough" Jim
beloved, and swore at him again.
But he says 1T amt so, James, he
says"
1--WE said enough" James answered
again. 81 won't say anything more
and j wont take back what ] said.
And he turned and went out of the
room.
'I'll kill you for this" Jim swore.
] looked at Violet. Then, by some
mutual fash of intuition, we turned and
went out of the room-leaving Esther
dull-eyed, still not eomprehending, fac
ing her husband.
.'Inl going to find James. Come on"
Violet said.
We went out the front door and around
the house-James had slammed through
the kitchen door. He was nowhere in
sight, and he did not answer when we
called, as we did when we we're sure our
voices would not reach TO the house again.
Finally We went through the barn.
There was no one around. Then vi
climbed to the haymow, and called his
name where be could hear her if be were