Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-15
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story Of Woman's Transformation.
BY MARION RUBINCAM.
Protected by George Mat thew Adams.
CONFESSIONS.
CHAPTER III.


Esther, 1t seems To me now, as | look
back over our life together, had positive
ly uncanny habit of saying the nastiest
thing at the time when IL would be felt
most She never meant it, of course-in
fact I've found out, cynically, that the
world is full of people who do hurtful
things and never mean anything but
good II was, rs Jim used to say Esther s
manner.
Now. to go back for moment, so
YOU can have the picture of our family
as it was on the day when my Great
Awakening began-Esther was my sis
ter-in-law, and my very best friend was
we'll
We had been brought up together
our families lived in adjoining places
and we had been inseparable. We had
been almost like sisters; in fact. we got
along rather better than sisters. So, when
Esther married my only brother Jim.
! was delighted. / was going to have her
for a real relation instead of play one.
Esther was Is when she married jim,
and Jim was "A. Our uncle died sometime
afterwards and left him his farm, which
was on the very edge of one of the tiniest
villages in Connecticut, a little bit of a
place known as Henly Falls. | was lonely
enough after nv very dear brother and
nv verv best friend moved away, es-
pecially as had few other friends TO con-
sole myself with. | did not like many of
the people around me. and | suspect
they did not like me. They thought | was
queer
But Henlv Falls was not far away
from our old home and | often drove
over to see Esther and Jim. Indeed, |
knew as many people in that place as IN
the place where my own parents lived.
Then, when mother and father died, jim
closed UP the old home, and / very natural
ly. went to live with him and with Esther
Esther had three children. Laura was
the first she came not quite year after
they were married, and she was one Of the
chubbiest babies | ever saw. She was the
prettiest. too. She took all the beautiful
baby prizes at the fairs and once was
gwen medal of some sort by magazine
that offered prizes for pictures Of the best
looking baby III the state.
Then came jim, two years later and
then vi, a little more than year after
that Jim. or James, as we called hlm-for
his dad always came running when Esthe
was calling for the babv-was not Il pretty
baby, though he did have lovely eyes.
And Violet was not thought pretty at
all. But | used to think and | know
now-that like many homely children.
Violet was bound to be the best looking of
them all in the end. Esther didn't think
so when she was q baby, but did; and for
that reason, they always called VI my
child.
Now-that is. a; the time Of my Great
Awakening-Esther was about 40, the
most tragic age for a woman. She had
been married % years Laura was 21.
James was 10 and nice quiet lad, and
Violet was not vet IS And l, as Esther
reminded me so cruelty that afternoon,
| was 35-and an old maid.
The remembered birthday, seemed to
make Esther reminiscent.
You was only l3 when was married,
she said, her mind on the subject Of ages
lord, we used to play together almost
as though we was one age. You seemed
nearly as old as me. That, too, was n
cut. but did not think OF it at the time
IL always was mature, ! agreed
Il remember YOU didn't do up your.
hair until you were II. | had mine up
when YOU were marrled-mOther let me do
II up first for the wedding.
Indeed, ! had grown up early; at least
the responsibilities Of life had been thrust
on me fairly early. There had been several
children between Jim and myself, bur
they had died and my mother had not
been very strong 50, when the davs came
when Esther ceased to care for children
romping games, was being initiated into
grown-llp responsibilities and had little
time for such games either So Esther
al IL and / at u visited staidlv together
when our various household tasks were
done.
But at Is ] used to 60 chasing around
as hard as any voungster. Esther ans
wered when ! reminded her of the old
days Lord, hadn't so much flesh then
But | never was 9 SHIN one.
She glanced down at herself, rather
complacently, | thought. as many stout
women do. Esther was fat-but Of course,
that idea didn't occur TO me then.
Laura takes after me. she said,
speaking Of the older girl, who was out
that afternoon. James, don't know
who he takes after He's all for dreaming
and sittin' around dom nothin' at all
There's none OF that IN my family, and
not much In Jim S, as ] can see. Vi now,
she has more animation than James. and
she's quick as can be, but she doesn't
stuck at anything. just hops around like
8 bird on tree. think she more Halnes
than Laura, or James.
She went on back to her ironing, and |
gathered up the curtains had been mend
ing and carried them to the bedrooms up
stairs. On the way ] stopped m my room
and stood before my mirror
Self-revelatloQ begins with 3 looking
glass.
Tomorrow-The Haines Family