The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-01-29
A SWEETHEART AT THIRTY
The Story Of Woman's Transformation
BY MARION RUsINcAM

he sulked. and was hard to deal
with.
But Francis was coming for me
Christmas day. to take me to dine with
his mother. l knew would have to
explain that and when came home,
would wear his engagement ring. So,
next morning, when we woke up and
greeted each other. told them.
We exchanged our gifts at the
breakfast table-very simple things,
since our money was running so very
low
First Christmas Day | ever spent
away from home" Esther commented,
leaning back in her chair 81 hope
Jim is all right. The Tuppers asked
him for dinner. and James will be
running around someone's house"
81 hope you won't mind something
I'm going to do today" began. I'm
going to run away from both of you
for dinner tonight, and for part of
this evening"
They looked at me in surprise, so I
hurried OH
W.T.. hedu6. Is coming 1Or
me, and is taking me to his home for
dinner. His mother will be there and
no one else"
you mean" vi asked her eyes
alight suddenly. 81 knew of course
everyone knows-that Mr.. Meade is
in love with you. But this-looks
serious, doesn't it,
"Meade-whos Meade? Who's in
love with you?" Esther asked, her
eyes and her mouth open at the same
time.
'He is the incest man I ever knew"
vi explained eagerly. HE is about
40 or As and awfully distinguished
looking, and has the most adorable
way of being kind and thoughtful
when you are simply wretched. And
he's been in love with Aunt Enid all
along, only she is too modest to ad-
NIT it.
I'm love with Enid" Esther plainly
did not believe it, She looked me over
slowly and carefully-and l was glad
had improved myself so l could
stand her critical survey.
well. of course she said. Enid
has done marvels. l guess I will have
to stop thinking of her as an old maid.
Then there was Mark. He was smit-
ten. But after all. Mark wasn't so
much to look at himself"
Il know he wants to marry YOU"
vi broke in.
Il know he does too" answered,
glad to tell it so easily
Aunt Enid! Are you-oh, are you
engaged already" The girl was on
her feet, and her arms were around
me. even before | could say yes"
Plainly, Esther was enormously i'm
pressed with Francis when he came
for me-so much that she scarcely
said a word, for which | was secretly
thankful. There were SO many wrong
things she could say-and she would
be sure to come out with the worst
one. Poor Esther had that knack.
The rest of that wonderful Christ
mas passed like dream. Settled
back in the luxurious car, l began to
realize for the first time that all this
luxury, money, leisure, friends, and
best of ALL this amazing man by my
side-that all this was going to be
long to me. l turned toward Francis
so overcome that the tears sprang to
my eyes. l don't know whether he
saw them or not, because he put his
arms around me SO suddenly that my
face was against his coat.
Look here" he said after minute
And l drew away to see. Before he
left the city, he had taken the meas
ure of my finger, and he held out
now one of the prettiest rings l had
ever seen-a single diamond, set deep
in a filigree band of platinum. the
whole so delicately done it looked like
cobweb work.
l took off my glove and he slipped
the ring on my finger-it fitted as
perfectly as though it knew it belong
ed there. He kissed my finger and
my hand, and l turned to him in the
most divine contentment and happi-
ness,-and he kissed my lips.
That ride was one of the loveliest
experiences l have ever had. But it
ended soon enough and the dinner
with his mother was not as easy as
we had thought it would be.
Mrs. Meade was most charming, Of
course-the courtesy of countless gen
erations did that. But she was not
entirely at her ease, and | was a lit
tie anxious, too. l felt that she was
disappointed. | was sure she would
have preferred the vivid, handsome
CcCllS. ttllu L SdW tlldt Woulu nave
to be very nice to this old lady to
make her like me. And it would not
be an easy task, for under her surface
of charm, there was an undercurrent
of antagonism.
And now we have a job to do that
is not so pleasant" Francis said, as
we arose from the table. There is to
be a private hearing of that messen-
ger boy robbery case this evening,
and | must go, and I want you to be
there"
| felt nervous and frightened as I
put on my cloak.
NOTWITHSTANDING Happenings.
Champlain founded the city of Que
bee in 1908