The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-07-29
CHAPTER Ill


When Mrs. Barbara Temple was ushered
into Carolines 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
''NTy gracious!n dashed out into a 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 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
tie grand thing, after all, and more of it
an Car. Life is pretty equal"
Caroline my dear girl" she said after a
few casual words, 81 have come this morning
20 consult you on q 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 proposals. and after
expanding in the most glowing style in praises
of his person, character and estate, she turned
to the dismal topic of Sophia's infatuation for
that penniless Australian boy.
"For this whim, this caprice, this idea,
which is not worthy to be called am idea, she
will actually sacrifice a man who is not only
man of family and fortune, but whose char
acter is of the very pattern she most processes
to admire. protest, Caroline, it will drive
me Wild
at 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"
81 shall do all in my power, mamma, Car
oline replied; "but you must tell me what
you wish"
at was on my tongue, dear girl You
must have a conversation with Sophia-let it
seem accidental-and say you have heard
about Prendergast Praise him little but
that is not your particular point Set before
Sophy nly delight at the idea of the mar
riage; the happiness it will give me; how
miserable l shall be if it goes off. Sophia is
an affectionate girl, and 1 believe would do
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- headed, of sound
Judgment seeing what is right at glance
and firm to carry out her ideas. She is soft
yielding, tender-hearted. If l were you l
should coax her a little, kiss her, be tender
with her; all that will tell with Sophia. Now
l know, my love, / have given you a 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 1t 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 enthU-
siasm Car took up the scheme, and not less
wonderful was the simple obedience with
which she resolved to follow out 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 a scene in play.
She did not insert a word of her own; and
the more she showed her readiness to follow
he mothers instructions implicitly, the more
did that unrivaled student of human nature
laud her quickness her resource her capacity
for maneuver and benevolent stratagem.
Presently Egerton looked in from the con-
servatory giggling and blushing.
"I 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
I really think you must be 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 herr
here Egerton teapotted himself and with out
stretched hand began to spout huently-"im-
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 maj
ter whom you marry as the thing itself. DO
that, and the rest will follow OF course
was not speaking of myself quite you know
not altogether; for Carry is such trenen-
dously nice girl that don't hardly know that
could have found another wife who would
have made me so happy-at least, not with
out great deal of trouble, you know. But
mean you are to impress on Sophia that, in
a 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 ~ was reading some book lately
about girl that would not marry somebody:
and what her parents did was, they shut her
up in some tower somewhere, and kept her
on bread and water. But you sec you have
no tower at the Beeches. STILL you might
try the bread and water 1t is wonderful
what diet does"
OF 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 viii do
il 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 1t, l should. And Caroline will
work on her feelings; that viii come best
from Car who has not much feeling of her
own, because Sophia will reason Well, If
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, ] shall marry you, without tower
or bread and water, eitberl Simply by tact,
dearly tact" a3I
CHAPTER ".
THE RECTOR AGREES WITH MRS TEMPLE.
Her flying wheels next ceased their swift
revolutions at the door of the rectory, and
the little woman. alighted with the step of
Internationally. She shook her head as she