The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-09-09


glasses, and all the usual dainty forms of
nourishment for wasting lives Sophia re-
marked, however, that her mother was more
than ever solicitous about expense.
81 declare it is a sin to be eating this SOUP"
she would say. How much is this a quartz
guinea, daressy. And as to sending TO
Gunter's, Sophy, it is waste, sinful waste.
You would get it quite as good at the confec-
toner's here. Fancy if went on with cham
pagne 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 mammal" she
asked one day, as the old woman was fgur-
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 b. nker" "
Let Archibald help you, thenp Sophia re-
joined.
archibald, indeedm the old woman ex-
claimed. "That great man STOPPING to my
little bit of business would be like a camel
trying to get through 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
yowly, thought the vivacity only assumed.
Even now she fanced she could discern a
look of deeper care on the old woman's 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.
1.-TWO hundred and fifty pounds. Sophy,"
she said. 81 shall put it in my drawer, and
if am not able to get out again this winter
there will be money enough to go ON with.
don't wish anyone to 60 to the bank about
my business again-mind that; and you need
not pay any bills just at present What
ready money is wanted we can take out of
this
All this was alarming to Sophia. She was
not the girl to give way to covetousness at o
time like this; but who, without uneasiness
could face the prospect of supplies perhaps
suddenly cut off at the most trying iuncturel
As to herself, Sophia did not feel much
anxiety. Had Percival continued true to
her, how gladly she would have put any for.
tune she might have inherited into his hands
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 there
was nothing to live for She had tried even
after Mrs. Hands visit to disbelieve the re-
ports which had 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. At
this Sophia became hopeless. 1t was curious
that the only person to whom she said any
thing about her trouble was Prendergast.
Whatever had passed at the time of his pro-
posal had set up something like an intimacy
between them; and one day when he called,
noticing that she looked pale, he made some
remark upon the trial her mothers illness
must be,
at is not mamma" she replied; that I
could bear; but oh, feel so weary and sickl
have heard such dreadful things about the
man l believed loved me. Have you heard
anythingl Oh, do you believe it allg"
81 am afraid Brent has forgotten himself"
Prendergast replied gravely, and said no
more.
Meanwhile her sisters, with the above ex-
ception, maintained on the subject an omin-
GUS and dreary silence; and her mother,
whom she carefully kept in ignorance Of the
reports, never mentioned PercivaIs name.
So poor Sophia, with her broken hopes went
her dull round from day to day, nursing her
mother and communing with her own sad
heart and there was not one ray of cheerful"
ness in her life. She grew pale and worn;
and though she tried to be cheerful, every
one could see that care was eating her spirit
and strength away. Certainly the constrast
of her appearance with that of Caroline or
even with that of Sibyl, was warning
against living for an idea in this worldly
world. The other sisters might not indeed
have grasped the whole substance--in this
life who does? But Sophia's very shadow
had vanished away, and she was quite alone
and destitute not only of pleasure but of illu-
sion, too
CHAPTER II.
MRS. TEMPLE DELIVERS A FAREWELL SER
MON ON LIFE.
Winter darkened on apace, and while
the old woman's health more visibly de
clined, Sophia was panied to find that she
would not allow the idea of death to near her.
From occasional remarks that she let fall, it
seemed that Mrs Temtle WAS willfullv main