Evening star., 1927-09-28


~ who never allowed any other
"A woman to get ahead of her.
4 a Her motto was. "One better"
and she lived up to ii in a
way that soon began to attract a
great deal of attention in Wildwood.
In the beginnings her triumphs had
been essentially small according to
her means. For a long time after she
married George Dyer she had had to
manage very carefully. Nevertheless,
she could always make the best salad
and cake that appeared at any of the
Wildwood parties, and she could al
ways grow the best flowers that were
to be seen in the neighborhood. But
these achievements were small; she
thirsted for greater ones, and and as
soon as George began to get hold or
some real money she began to launch
out into new enterprises. For instance,
when Mrs. Bradley purchased new
gown Adelaide immediately appeared
in one that spoiled the effect of Mrs.
Eradley's. True, she had bought the
materials and made it herself. but it
looked better than Mrs. Bradley's.
And Adelaide looked better in it. She
was handsome and there was more of
her than there was of Mrs. Bradley,
SO she made a larger impression.
: zone better Adelaide fought to
/ uphold her motto in every place, and
at all times. The Harts got a new
car. Adelaide had never had one. She
waited until she could get what she
wanted and when she came out in a
dashing sport model Wellwood gasped.
Mrs. Hart could not drive her great
Speedover but Adelaide could and
did drive her little Tanager. while
George grinned to see her go it.
otv.s{ - S.te ,~ix 1fsx- "a
in Wildwood in that particular set to
which Adelaide Dyer belonged. Mrs.
Hart and May Bradley. gritted their
teeth and vowed secretly that they
would "down her or die" They COM
bined forces and gave a party the like
of which had never been given IN
Wildwood. Adelaide went and appear
ed unimpresSed. But a month later
she alone gave a party that was so
much bigger and better than the Hart
Bradley one that nobody could fail TO
see the improvement. Adelaide had
nodded ices and hand-painted favors.
1t was all very expensive, and she
would have to economize unutterly to
make up for it. but it paid. She had
gone zone better" again.
But would it all end with cars and
gowns and parties? Old Mrs. Hood
said. NO" She professed to know
Adelaide from the ground up, and
she insisted that she would go faster
and faster like a runaway freight car
on a down-grade until she smashed
into something or spilled over an em.
bankment
II haven't a bit of patience with
such performances" old Mrs. Hood
said. Adelaide is a big, good-looking
woman who ought TO be doing some
thing worth while in this town instead
Of setting all you women by the ears.
George makes a fool of her. He won't
actually let her ruin him financially.
but he will let her spend lot of
money they had better hang onto.
Adelaide will go one better for a
while, then she'll get her come-up-
pance. And when she's got it it's go.
ing to do her a passel of good
But "come.uppance" seemed the
last thing to be thought of in con.
nection with Adelaide Dyer. Every
thing she did f1ourished. You could
not down her, no matter how much
you tried. And with every success she
grew bolder and bolder. 1t was, after
Adelaide was made president of the
woman's club that Mrs. Bradley drop
ped out of sight. She was unmistak-
ably defeated, and owned up to it.
Adelaide had beaten her ten to one
at the election.
But Mrs. Hart was made of sterner
stuff. Besides, she had something up
her sleeve all the time that she was