Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-02
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story ofa Woman's Transformation
BY MARION RUBlNCAM.
Protected ny George Matthew Adams
I DROP FIVE YEARS.
Chanter I'M.


Chapter LXX.
"The trouble with Vi" Helen went
On. lis that she lets George see she adores
him And that won't do 1t is all right with
some men, but never with one OF Bud
'Pearsoll's type"
''Wcll?"
well, the answer is that vi must be
nice 10 some of the other boys, and go
about with them. It's an old bromide,
but it always works-this thing of making
a man jealous"
"a great many of them come around
at odd times" | said. "And sometimes
she does go out with one or more OF
them. But she never encourages any OF
them, because. as she says, they don't IN
tcrest her"
That's il! She's so wrapped up IN
Bud she won't look at them, and she
lets them know it and drives them all
away. Now them, there's Toby Markham
she likes him, doesn't sheY'
'Yes. probably best next to Bud.
well. then, YOU must bring Toby
about lot, invite him to dinner when
Bud comes and sometimes when he
doesn't, and I'll have him do portraits of
vi"
But Toby's not an artist"
NO, strictly speaking, he's a pho
camera portraits and makes an excellent
income from it too. III have him do
vi i'm various costumes-you know, things
in different periods, and some of those
artistic out-of-focus pictures. He'd love
to-she's so pretty she'd make an ex-
ccllent model.
Helen went on planning, wrapped up
in her new idea, and she stayed till late
In the morning.
INV wordr' she exclaimed about half
past eleven, I'VE open the tea room at
Il and I'm not dressed. The cook will
be in fine state getting things ready
without me.
And off she went.
But we followed her advice neverthe-
less. That is, | did. | did not tell Vi
that | was deliberately bringing Toby
Markham around to the fiat, for Vi was
exceedingly honest, and she would have
felt this was unfair to Bud. For once,
was more feminine and the greater
couuette of the two. She posed, too, for
some artistic camera portraits, some what
10 Buds annoyance.
And once, later in the winter, q pic
ture she posed for took prize and was
used as the cover illustration of q camera
devoted 10 photography.
Are you going to fall IN love with
your nttle artist irlenu. Duu teaSeu oiio
evening.
No. of course not. ;" Vi blushed little
Il hear he is quite devoted.
From whom
"Oh, from Helen, who is always at
great pains to let me know when YOU
have seen him Bud laughed, but there
was little note of anxiety in his voice.
You know I'll never like anyone but
YOU
Made up your mind 10 il? That's
nice Still, it's not wise. Id feel more
complimented if YOU looked over all the
Others carefully and then said you pre-
fer me, instead of turning them all away
without even glancing at them"
What do YOU mean
Vi, clever enough In many things, had
few subtleties when she was in love. And
l regretted this.
Think it over" Bud laughed. "You' re
awfully pretty tonight, dear"
His occasional endearments made her
happy for days-for hers was the sort
Of nature that can live long time on a
little love.
Are YOU going to take me to the
dancing class Wednesday," she asked
eagerly.
mo"
''Oh, I'm so sorry.
II have another date-that is"
"You're going out with Pete" Wis
voice chilled a little.x
well, | am. Id rather tell you the
truth than fib. You needn't frown so.
Pete's been going straight as a string
lately"
That crowd of s-Simon-Simons
.-and the rest
II know | don't like them so much
myself. But they've the money and the
brains in this game I'm working in
this stock game, and i have to know
such people"
"sll stock brokers aren't like that
there's your own boss, he's not like
Simons.
oh, that reminds me, Bud broke in.
II m glad YOU mentioned nv boss. Mr..
Meade has hired hall uptown and an
orchestra, and he's going a dance and
dinner for all the members of his firm
its to celebrate the tenth anniversary
Saturday a week. He told all of us to
bring one nr two ladies-so if YOU and
Aunt Enid
"Oh, we'd love to-
And Vi was all smiles and happiness
again.
As for me, ! felt my heart jump sud-
denly. Once again | was to meet that
charming man-the one man who ever
made really deep impression on me.
That night / studied myself carefully
IN the mirror. Yes, | had dropped FIVE
years. looked like woman of rs,
slightly mature, trifie gray-but scarcely
80 wears old.
Happiness was making me grow young
--as worry and anxiety were making
Vi grow older.
Tomorrow-Respite.