The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-07-10
BEAUTY'SSECRET
By ALAN MUIR.
Author of VANITY Hdrdwure." Golden
Girls" Etc.
(CoNTINUED)
BOOK SIN.
LADY BE4 UTYS JOY
CHAPTER l.
By ALAN MUIR.
CHAPTER |.
THE TIhEPIECE OF ONE GAY LIFE BEGINS
To STRIKE THE MIDNIGHT QUARTERS

CHAPTER l.
THE TIMEPyECE OF ONE GAY LIFE BEGINS
To STRIKE THE MIDNIGHT QUARTERS.
Sophia found her mother seated on the
edge of the bed pale and exhausted, but with
nothing about her to account for her maid $
sudden excitement. The old woman passed
her hand feebly across her forehead, trying,
it seemed, to collect her thoughts, and then
began to speak,
"Have | been asleep, / must have been
asleep! Where is Jones' Did l not see her
here o, Sorby, ! have had such an odd
dream thought there was a ball here in
this roon aud vet my bed was here too and
living on it, and between the dances girl in
a blue dress, whose face could not see, came
and sat on the bedside. and she had a lover
with her, and they We're toying and kissing,
and then ] called out something and after
ward awoke. | suppose | awoke. had not
known l was asleep"
The maid subsequently told Sophia that,
so far rs she knew, her mistress had not been
asleep at ell; that all of a sudden she began
to call out very loud, as if she were scolding
and that in the midst of a torrent of words
she became deadly pale and seemed to faint
away. Seeing this, the maid had rushed off
for Sophia, and upon their return the old
woman was come to herself, and sitting
down as Sophia Ind found her The doctor
being sent tor made the usual inquiries and
examinations, and ordered his patient to bed
for day or two, saying that she had over
taxed her strength; but when alone with
Sophia he told her that there had evidently
been an attack in the brain which might be
the torerunner Of something very grave, or
might he only symptom of weakness and
Old age.
The latter | think, he said As he was
leaving; 'your mother is a very aged person,
| should fancy, and her last decay has prob
ably begun How long she may live no ono
can say. but she viii not be the same woman
again, and the rest of her life will be going
down hill, how fast VI how slow depends on
her constitution and our care
81 told YOU, Sophy, that | felt little
shaken" the old woman said, when her
daughter came back to her bedside Don't
YOU remember what | said about the peach
trees, A little rest, Sophy, will set me up--a
little rest have had hard life Of it, enjoy
ing myself | dout feel tired of that in the
least, but every one wants rest sometimes
There followed the contraction of life which
is the sure token of advancing age. Old Mrs
Temple got up late she seldom drove out,
and then only at the smniest hours. and she
had all through the day her little delicacies-
turtle soup in tablespoons, champagne in tiny
glasses. and all the usual dainty forms of
nourishment for wasting lives. Sophia re
marked, however, that her mother was more
than er solicitous about expense
Il declare ii Is a sin TO be eating this soup.
she would say. How much is this q quart
= guinea, daresay. And as to seuding to
Guntars, Sophy, it is waste, sinful waste
toners here Fancy if went on with cham
payne and turtle at this rate for year or
two, why, money would come to an end,
Sophy-money would come to an end
Everything pointed in one direction. Mrs
Temple was living on capital: and she
dreaded the approaching exhaustion of her
means Sophia tried to get some knowledge
of her affairs
Could not do that for you, mamma, 2 she
asked one day, as the old woman was tigur-
ing over her bank book
you, Sophy,' she answered with CLEAN
of her former vivacity. You. dear child
You would not know which side is which
which is the mother and which the banker -
Let Archibald help you, them Sophia re-
joined.
Archibald indeed,' the old woman ex-
claimed. That great man stopping to nv
little bit of business would he like a camel
trying to get through a needles eye. No,
thank YOU"
Elsewhere, too. some CLEANS of her old
spirit broke through the clouds of weakness
and illness, but Sophia, watching her mar
rowly, thought the vivacity only assumed.
Even now she fancied she could discern a
look of deeper care on the old womans face
as she returned to her calculations Next
day they drove to the bank. and feeble as
Mrs Temple was she insisted on going in
alone; and she had long interview with the
manager When she came out she showed
Sophia a roll of notes
Two hundred and fifty pounds Sophy,
she said. Il shall put it in my drawer. and
If am not able to get out again this winter
there will ho money enough to 90 on with
! don't wish anyone to 90 TO the bank about
my business acain-m'nd that: and YOU need
not pay any bills just at present. What
ready moIry * wanted we can take ont N
slis.
vi this was alarming to Sophia. She wa!
not de girl TO give way to covetousness at :
time like this: but who, without uneasiness
could face the prospect Of supplies perhaps
suddenly cut off at the most trying juncture
As TO herself, Sophia did not feel mucl
anxiety. Had Percival continued true t.
ner, how gladly she would have put any for
tune she might have inherited into his hand
TO repair his loss, but now she was not in
terested enough in life to fear poverty. BE
yond care for her mother she imagined Their
was nothing TO live for She had tried ever
after Mrs. Hands visit to disbelieve the re
ports which he'd seemed so fatally authenti
Gated, but the very next day Sibyl told her
that she, too, had heard from another quarter
the most Indifferent account of Percival Al
this Sophia became hopeless. 1t was curiou'
that the only person to whom she said any
thing about her trouble was Prendergast
Whatever Ind passed at the time of his pro
rosal had set up something like an intimacy
between them: and one day when he called
noticing that she looked pale, he made som'
remark upon the trial her mothers illness
must he