Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-11
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story ofa Woman's Transformation.
by MARION RUBINCAM.
Protected by 0eorre Matthew Adams
THE SISTERS.

In spite OF tnO fact tnat W0 nau DceH
making preparations for the wedding OF
Laura and Charlie for weeks, as the
day approached wc were in perfect
frenzy Of haste.
Laura doesn't seem TO think il would
be legal ceremony if she didn't have
oil her troussca,i ready and at least q
dozen of every known variety Of linen"
Violet said to me once, when our work
brought us together for a few moments
| laughed with her Mt the idea.
And indeed, that seemed to be tho
way Laura felt. She was working her
self into state of nervous collapse,
and carrying the whole family with her.
"Mother can just ns we'll can corn next
week as this, Laura would say. 81 have
SO many things want her to do for me.
"And you can just rs we'll do these
cushions after you're married As before,
Esther would retort---the neareyt she had
ever come to complaining of her eldest
daughter.
That was only the beginning. As the
dny of the wedding came near, we began
working with nervous speed. Laura and
Charlie expected To be married that spring,
but thev wanted Mr. Dwycr TO give them
n small house Mt the further end of his
farm This was, or rather could be, a very
attractive place II was an old-fashioned,
white-washed stone house, with tSree
rooms on the ground floor and three on
the second floor and small attic.
"He can do il as well as notr-his
head farmer used to have IT., but since
he died, no one has lived there. de thinks
maybe he'll rent IL, but he won't It's
too far down the back road, and he might
just rs woll let us have 1t.
IL L. Ia, .,{rr mi anI
EXPRESSION. Charlics father was known
ne rather tight" man with money,
and stubborn one But looking at Laura,
I began tn suspect that he had met his
match and more in his prospective daugh-
ter-in-law. And thinking over Dwyer ard
his little calculating eyes, | felt rather
pleased with my niece.
He captulnted at last and gave the
house free to his son to live in. Then Lsura
began husily house-eleaning the empty
place and measuring the windows Tor
curtains. and examining catalogues Tor
rugs and furniture. Violet paid practicai'
w no attention to this at oil.
But one afternoon few days before
the ceremony, by burst OF temper,
Laura finally secured the services Of
vi and myself for the day, Esther doing
tho routine house and garden work. Laura
got us on the porch. and set us TO work
Violet hemminR curtains and myself
finishing some crochet work for sofa
cushion.
Satisfied and once more bland in ex-
nression. Laura settled herself 10 work
and for while there was silence.
''But | should think you'd like some
Of this work 70 do after you move IN,
vi remarked, biting of new piece Of
thread.
mo, | want everything perfect 10
the last detail, Laura answered. be
ginning to sway back and forth IN the
rocker as she worked
"Id love fussing over house after
| was married, Vi said again Besides,
II took place and fixed IL up. Il might
not be the way he-my husband wanted
il I'd rather have him help. ] think II
would be rather nice to have him help
make-make our home.
Charlie have plenty 20 do with
out f,Iaslng over the house Besides /
don't believe in men having any say
about where the chairs go and what
color the curtains are" Her fairly thick
lips closed firmly She looked amazingly
like her mother.
But it's-romantic. don't you think"
Violet was hesitating and stumbling
lttleias she talked, "to build up the house,
the home, together, even If you'll yous
make mistakes"
mo. | don't said her sister decid-
eily. you've got awful sentimental
ideas about things. Vi. But you'll get
over them. When two people get mar
ried they have to have q house to live
in. And as the woman is in IT most, she
should say as 10 what goes into It. Charlie
wanted red curtains in the sitting room
because the carpet is red, but | wanted
blue because my couch has n blue cover.
She glanced with little triumphant eS-
preston AZ the curtain Vi was working on.
Laura had won-the curtain was blue
"I wouldn't tell him what 70 plant in
the fields" she justified herself,
"No-but if he didn't-well, if he
didn't like the things-I'd want him to
be as happy about everything de-
tails-as I was
Romantic nonsenser' scoffed Laura.
IL don't know where you get such ideas.
I'm not bit like that.
mot romanticr' Vi exclaimed. But
aren't you-aren't you IN love with
Charlie?"
81 want 10 marry him, Laura an
swered without hesitation. I'm be good
wife TO him-and he'll be good husband
to me. I'll see to that" Again there was
that thick-set look, when she so resembled
her mother.
'But-but aren't YOU in love?" Vi was
clearly amazed
Don't be silly," Laura said sharply
"Do YOU think that makes people happy?
Tomorrow Wedding.