The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-12

| residence OF Egerton UOohttle, II have Sc
cured Sibyl and her husband"
She checked off two fingers.
II want three more. shall get them; and
then, Sophy, dear, think your future viii
he safe; and in years to come you will thank
your poor old worldly mother"
CHAPTER III.
EGERToN DooLITTLE GIVES HIS VOICE FOR
| SEVERE MEASURES.
| When Mrs Barbara Temple was ushered
into Caroline's drawing room, she caught
sight of the young husband and wife sitting
side by side on a sofa. Her coming was evil
IDENTIFY unexpected, and Egerton, calculating
My gracious" dashed out into conserva-
tory adjoining the drawing room, while
Caroline, composing herself, met her mother
with just the smallest signs of momentary con-
fusion. The little woman glanced at two
love birds perched side by side in a cage
which hung over the conservatory threshold,
and then she recalled Sibyl, sitting in her
lonely splendor.
"For some things" our little Pilpay re-
marked privately, "for some things young
fool is better than an old sage But these are
only the etceteras of life; Sibyl has secured
the grand thing, after all, and more of it
than Car. Life is pretty equal
"Caroline, my dear girl" she said after a
few casual words, Il have come this morning
to consult you on a matter of the greatest i'm
portance. know your good sense, and the
energy with which you can act when you
have decided what is right to be done. If it
was not for you, Caroline and your tact and
Judgment should be in despair"
With this insinuating preface she told The
story of Prendergast's PROPOSAL and after
expanding in the most glowing style In praises
of his person, character and estate, she turned
to the dismal topic O. Sophia's infaruation for
that penniless Australian boy.
For this within, this caprice, this idea,
which is not worthy to be called an idea, she
| will actually sacrifice man who is not ont
a man of family and fortune, but whose char
acter is of the very pattern she most processes
to admire. Iprotest, Caroline, it will drive
me wild
1T certainly is unfortunate Car said
"And unless you cooperate with me, work
with me, and work hard and wisely, too,
Sophia will lose the best chance in life she
ever can have. / can do nothing without
your assistance, dear"
II shall do all in my power, mamma Car
oline replied; "but you must tell me what
you WISH
ut was on my tongue, dear girl You
must have a conversation with Sophia-let it
seem northumberland say you have heard
about Prendergast. Praise him little; but
that is not your particular point Set before
Sophy my delight at the idea of the mar
riage; the happiness it will give me; how
miserable / shall be if it goes off Sophia is
an affectionate girl and l believe would do
| a very great deal simply to show her love
to me. Now, you must put before her
strongly my feelings and hopes; for, indeed.
dear, if Prendergast does not marry her >
shall die of vexation Now go over and over
this matter with Sophia. You know, Car
she is not like you-clear-hsade of souno
judgment, seeing what is right at a glance,
and firm to carry out her ideas She is soft,
yielding, tender hearted If | were you |
should coax her q little kiss her, be tender
with her, all that will tel with Sophia Now
l know, my love, have given you difficult
task to perform, and nothing but my knowl-
edge of your tact would have encouraged me
to ask you to undertake It But you will do
| it, and do it well Sophia will marry Prem
| dergast, and the praise Of the affair will be
yours"
The little mother had not said one syllable
about Cars cleverness which was unmerited
but however astute that young lady might
be, she was like an osier wand in the skilled
hands of her mother. With wonderful enth,i-
siasm Car took up the scheme, and not less
wonderful was the simple obedience with
which she resolved to follow ont the directions
that were given her. Independent and in
ventive as she was in herself, she yet learned
her mothers words by heart as faithfully as
if she had been getting up scene in play.
She did not insert a word of her own: and
the more she showed her readiness to follow
her mothers instructions implicitly, the more
did that unrivaled student Of human nature
land her quickness, her resource, her capacity
for maneuver and benevolent stratagem.
Presently Egerton looked in from the con-
servatory giggling and blushing.
Il have heard all you have been saying to
Carry" he said "Twasn't listening, hope.
Couldn't help it if it was, the other door
being locked. O, Mrs. Temple, do you know
really think you must be a clever woman
really think you must be- You seem to
know everything and to manage everybody
quite agree with you about instilling things
into Sophia's mind. Impress upon her.
here Egerton teapotted himself and with out
| stretched hand began to spout fluently Tim
press upon her the tremendous importance of
| marriage. Tell her that marriage is the sort
Of thing that must be done, you know.
You can assure her from me that it is tire
mendously important And you can tell her
that my experience is that it isn't so much mat
ter whom you marry as the thing itself. Do
that, and the rest will follow Of course l
| was not speaking of myself quite, you know,
not altogether; for Carry is such tremen-
dously nice girl that don't hardly know that
l could have found another wife who would
have made me so happy-at least, not with
out great deal of trouble, you know. But
l mean you are to impress on Sophia that, in
general way, it does not much matter whom
you marry. And then, if she won't see it
well, / scarcely know what to advise" The
stream now became intermittent, and Egerton
began to show symptoms of wandering in his
mind Al was reading some book lately
about a girl that would not marry somebody
and what her parents did was, they shut her
up in some tower somewhere. and kept her
oi pieau anu Water Dut you see you nave
! no tower at the Beeches. Still, you might
try the bread and water 1t is wonderful
what diet does"
Off flew our elderly little Venus once more,
| charioted hither and thither on the errands
and the mischief of love- She knitted her
brows, she made her little glove finger tips
meet, she set a reflective mouth, and thus
she conned over the state of her plans.
"Sibyl is to place before her the comforts
and the advantages Of wealth; Sibyl will do
1t well. Archibald Goldmore is to press duty
upon her and take her on the ground of the
| fifth commandment. / can see him now
slow, solemn, parsonic o, If had time to
laugh over it, should. And Caroline will
work on her feelings; that will come best
from Car, who has not much feeling of her
own, because Sophia will reason: Well, il
Car thinks So there must be something In it.
Interest, obedience, affection. Yet, it is not
bad And there is more to come. Sophia,
Sophia, l shall marry you, without tower,
or bread and water, either Simply by tact,
dearly tact"
CHAPTER W