The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-09-02
BEAUTY'S SECRET
BY ALAN9MUlR
Author of "Vauity Har ware" Golden
Girls" Etc.
CHAPTER VII.

Prendergast, who resided not far from Ket-
tlewell, had occasional opportunities of meet
ing the Temples; and it had been the little
mothers expectation that he might renew
his suIt, and, perhaps after a time, draw
Sophia's affections to himself He made no
sign however; and for long enough it seemed
as if our heroine was to have no further
trouble from mankind But at last-at the
end Of the five years after Percival's depart
ure for Australia-a new lover came upon
the scene.
His name was Done He was the only son
of one. Mr. John Done, T retired merchant of
great wealth, whose antacedents were gener-
ally described in this way, that he had some
thing to do with leather The Dones were
plain people, but not vulgar; and having re-
sided in Kettlewell for twenty years, and
being charitable and religious, they had grad,
ually made their way into our town society
In fact, they were now received in companies
where at their first coming they dared not
have set foot Still, it was never forgotten
that Mr.. Done was not altogether one OF us.
When any stranger would make inquiry con-
cerning him, the reply would generally be in
this form: Done is a worthy old fellow, and
gives capital dinners. If you want a sub
scripton for any good cause go to Done
He is modest, unaffected and not the least
purse-proud. IN eurly life he had something
to do toith trdther.n This last clause was a
formula repeated as faithfully as if it was a
line of God Save the Queen"
The virtue of the Dones being not Of Mrs.
Barbara Temples knd-piety and charity
could not make Ger regard anybody with
favor-and their origin and manner being
plain, she had never liked them. Indeed, at
home-she would not ridicule people in COM
pany-she would sometimes say to her daugh-
ters that nothing could ever be made Of those
glorified trades people Then, with a charac-
teristic dread of too sweeping assertion, she
would add; Except sometimes, dears-eX-
rept sometimes" "You know, girls" she
said one day, in her gay style, lit is pro
verb that there is nothing like leather; don't
think there is" Which she delivered with one
of her Frenchified faces of dislike, which al
ways set the girls laughing. The plain Dones
dreaded he witty, dashing fashionable Mrs.
Barbara Temple; and Mrs. Barbara Temple
regarded the plain Dones with repressed, but
not invisible scorn.
There were John Done the first, and John
Done the second. As is very often the case
with sons of self-made men, John Done,
Junior while lacking his fathers native sense
and business energy, had inherited a double
portion Of his LONELINESS, made quite intoler-
able by a brassy assurance and disregard of
other peoples feelings, which indeed amount
ed to an anxiety to infict pain wherever he
could AT school he had been hated for a
tyrant and a bully and it was also known
among the boys that he would tell u lie-and
that not sChoolroom lie-whenever it suited
his game. Pereival Brent went to school
with him, being just three years his junior.
Percival was a bright, merry little boy, very
well put together, and everybody's favorite,
only that Done, who always disliked boy in
proportion to his school popularity or his edu-
cational promise, never lost an opportunity
Of tyrannizing over him. One day, when
they were all in the playground, Done, in
making high jump, fell very awkwardly,
and, amidst the roar of laughter which fol-
lowed, little Brent ran forward and made
a pretense of smoothing the ground after
the overthrow of the weighty Done. Exas-
perated by his fall, Done dashed forward and
gave little Brent such box on the ear as
sent him spinning round, until he fell heavily
to the ground. Brent sprang up, all knit into
compactness with rage, and tried to give
Done q blow on the face, which he scornfully
warded Off, and told the little lad not to be so
impudent again But Brent bristling and
stamping with passion, declared he would
nave q IlglU lOI lUs WHICH Done du ulSJ IB-
fused, for all the boys cried out at the idea.
But as the little fellow would not be appeased,
Done having satisfied his honor by one re-
fusal, and always liking to inhict pain, ac-
cepted the challenge, and the two stripped to
their shirts and went at it. For several
rounds little Brent was knocked all over the
place; and they all felt for the game little
lad, but were sorry to see him so punished,
and especially in hopeless fight. For my
lady readers will observe that one of the
crowning achievements in the noble art
is to imprint your fist on your opponents
face. Now if your arms are only two
feet long, while those of your opponent are
three feet, it will follow that while he may be
merrily hammering your countenance into
ruin, your return blows may fall only on the
unoffending air. This was just what hap
pened now; and poor little Brent was hav-
ing very dispiriting time Of it. Some Of
the boys however, noticed that he went
down wonderfully easy; and others, who
knew that the rectors groom was one of the
best pair of fists in the county, began to
think that perhaps the little fellow had
picked up some of the tactics from Bobby
MILLER" and was trying a waiting game.
Done thought so, too; and being large mealy
boy, with rather uncertain wind, he re-
solved to bring the thing to an end, and gave
Brent one savage blow, which produced very
disagree able results on the poor little mans
nose. Brent was not knocked out of 1t, how
ever, as Done hoped but the very opposite.
He was strung together with fury; but even
in his rage he did not forget the instruc-
tions of his master, Bobby miller" He
rushed at Done; and, while the other in his
magnifcence was guarding himself carelessly,
little Brent "got in" and began to return on
Dones face all the blows he had received,
principal and interest. How those little fists
flew and hammered! How Done retreated
over the ground, wildly trying to get his
adversary outside range again, while still
little Brent drubbed away with astounding
rapidity and vigor The fact was the little
fox was quite fresh, while Done was thor
oughly blown. Bobby "Miller" knew his
business, and would have been proud of his
young master had he been there to see. At
last Done, nearly blind with blows and rage,
made one grand effort to destroy his enemy
with an appearance Of ease. 1t was fatal to
him. Brent was really warm to his work,
and not likely to miss an opening. In rapid
succession he managed to plant three blows
just under Done's left eye the last delivered
with such force that it sent the lumpy fellow
to grass, where he lay vanquished Brent
standing over him with fists still clinched,
and burning, it seemed, for little more.
That was sixteen years ago. John Done,
junior, was now rather bulky young man,
with white fat face, very small sunken
eyes, smile which expressed narrow mind
satisfied with itself, and unprepossessing
manners His habits, too, had not been the
best, and it was known in Kettlewell that he
was, in his sly way, man of dissolute habits
He had now been absent. off and on. for