Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-30
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story of Woman's Transformation.
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
Protected by George Matthew Adams
BUDS STORY.
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.


When Enid Is IS, she wakes to the fact
that she is a homely, hopeless old maid
Her past is barren, her future blank. She
lives with her brother Jim, his wife
Esther, and three grown children, Laura,
James and Violet Only Violet believes in
her.
Violet's desire to go to college rouses
Enid from her lethargy, she draws out her
small amount of money, and they go to the
CITY. Here both suddenly realize the pos
sibilities of life When they 60 back to
the country for the summer, they are
changed-Enid growing young and pretty,
Violet maturing into charming girl
Enid refuses Mark Upjohn, a glrlhood
beau, now widower, who suddenly wants
10 marry her, Violet is unhappily IN love
with Bud Pearsoll. When they come back
TO town. Bud is in with a wild crowd OF
men.
CHAPTER LxvII.
Yet when Vi did get the story from
Bud, IL was meagre in its details and un-
satisfactory enough to both OF us.
He came round the following evening
and had dinner with us. As Vi was not
attending classes yet, she had the whole
day to prepare for that dinner-and 1t was
amusing to see her.
Pm going over to the Italian markets
and see if they have Artichokes, she
said ''Ill do the marketing, don tbother.o
So off she went with basket, while 1
secured and cleaned and brought out the
treasured possessions we had stored for
the summer. There was more than
enough work, even in those few rooms,
for the summer dust had settled down on
everything, and Helen had not had time
to keep things clean.
1--WE gone over the surface" ] said
finally, late in the afternoon. Tomorrow,
I'll begin and scrub. This whole place
needs it, and think I'll give the woodwork
a new coat Of white paint.
"All right, tomorrow" vi answered,
somewhat impatiently. Il only want it to
look nice for our dinner tonight"
She put away her packages, rolled up
her sleeves, and began working fast. She
served a delicious dinner, doing all the
work herself, and even making tiny, faky
biscuits.
And George ate ravenously. He al
ways had healthy appetite, but tonight
he seemed so hungry that | wondered
whether he had eaten any lunch. / did
not know till later that the only good
meals he ate those few weeks, were at our
little apartment.
Finally he leaned back comfortably, the
last of a third helping of frothy dessert
finished, and his demi tasse before him.
vi was very particular about this little
end of the dinner ceremony. She bfought
in our incest china pot and the little coffee
cups on a separate tray, and served it all
as daintily as she could.
II think I'll go over to see Helen" l
began. 'Tn pack the dishes and do them
later"
@In do them," vi said. looked at rhe
in her pretty blue tafTeta-a little worn
now, but still most attractive on her, and
shook my head.
"No, don't go, I want to tell vi some
thing, and / want you to hear it too" Bud
said.
That settled it, / sat down and waited.
But first of all Bud rolled himself q
cigarette, to smoke as he drank his coffee.
And this amazed me too. Bud usually
smoked an excellent brand of gold tipped
cigarettes, and had never seen him pxac-
tice this economy. Plainly, something
had happened.
''The first part is an apology and con-
fession," he said, and sent little shame
faced smile to vi.
81 have seen Pete this summer"
aI know that"
"You dop' All the drama of bis confess
sion gone, Bud could do nothing but look
confused-and ashamed of himself. Evi-
IDENTIFY he did not know about the post
card vi received from Petel
"WelI, l don't know how you know
he said after q time. Il told you,
promised you, when you left that /
wouldn't run with that crowd any more
But Of course l couldn't promise not to
zee Pote. run across him all the time in