The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-08-05
BEAUTY'S SECRET
BY ALAN MUIR
Author of "Vs,ity HARDWARE" Golden
Girls" Elc.
CHAPTER v.

CHAPTER v
MRS. TEMPLE PLAYS THE PART OF MRS
SOBER
Prendergast remained to be nodded, an
our strategist took care to have an intervie "
with him before the great event of his pro
posal came off For this dialogue she as
sumed specially grave, not to say pious, air,
as she now fully understood Prendergast's
habit of mind.
at is a serious matter, she said, in the
voice and face of her new character of Mrs
Sob-r "Yes, mar r,iage is a serious matter u
To this sentiment, of which the force, like
that of many popular sermon, lay rather in
the delivery than in the matter, Prendergast
assented and business began.
"You are going to propose to Sophia'" she
said, in confidential tones; for, indeed, they
had chatted the affair over several times.
81 am, with your permission"
'Nery we'll Are you above taking hintW
she paused here, for the most engaging smile
made up Of self-confdence, self-depreciation,
and a coquettish consciousness that all the
charms Of her sex had not yet forsaken her
care you above taking hint from withered
old woman"
"You must be going to take me to consult
some elderly friend of yours" he answered,
with successful raillery.
"Capital capital" she cried, forgetting
Mrs. Sober and clapping her hands "Oh,
Prendergast, do wish you would be more
like that all the day round! 1t becomes you
vastly o, l should make something of you,
tom timer
Grave Prendergast could stand this no
longer He burst into a laugh, which our
little mother merrily echoed, until she again
remembered that seriousness was her part
to-day Turning as solemn as a Quakeress,
she asked:
"But, seriously, will you take hintl"
seriously, from you l will take as many
hint, as get"
"Well, then, remember this; Sophia is a
girl whose head is full of the idea of useful.
ness and activity, and being elevated, and
elevating others, and-you can finish the
sentence better than l. for you hear more of
that sort Of talk | am not saying anything
against all that In its way, and at proper
times, it is very well; but maintain, and al
ways have done, that it is not the thing a
woman should live for. Just fancy, my dear
Prendergast, what a whole world full of
serious people would bel Serious people, and
nobody else! Really, believe you serious
people would want few of us sinners back to
tickle you little! But this is not my business.
We must take Sophia as she is. She has not
grown up in the way expected, but she is
good girl, and amiable When shall l get
back to my points Sophia, then, being SC
full of these notions of service and aspiration
and duty, and all the rest, in proposing tc
her you must fiddle on that string-I mean,H
said Mrs. Sober, withdrawing this rather
fippant form Of speech, "you must let heI
know that such is your view of life also. Il
is, is it notp
at is Prendergast answered, divided
quite between sincerity and amusement at the
singular little idol that chattered away before
him.
"Then be careful you let Sophy know it
And, Prendergast, be careful too, that you
tell Sophy that you have a work in life-l
suppose you have-and that she is the woman
that can help you to perform it. Present
yourself before Sophia in that form, as a mar
who has a work to do-such a work as she
would approve of; such a work as she would
do herself if she could. Tell her she can give
you strength, guidance and all that sort OF
thing. This is the way such a girl must be
carried. We none of us like to be thought
mere dolls dressed for your drawing rooms,
and, least of all, do girls like Sophia like it
Tell her you will go through the world lean.
ing on her, as they do in pictures, half sup.
porting, half reclining. Tell her that you
will draw inspiration from her eyes and from
her character, and then Sophia is yours. o,
/ wish | had been a man, just to teach the
rest how to propose to us'
"Well, Mrs. Temple" Prendergast said, re.
pressing his smiles with no small difficulty,
"there is a great deal in what you say. And
can assure you that whatever woman pro
posed to, or thought | should wish to propose
to, ! should mediate something of the kind "
"If you really mean it," she said, "it will
come a great deal better, 1t always does"
"Surely you would not have me say what
did not mean"
Fudge, Prendergast, to put it in that way
In love making we are not understood to
mean what we say. No more than monarch
on the stage is understood to mean what he
says when he promises to bestow kingdoms on
people He has two rooms meanwhile, which |
he means to keep to himself But in this
particular case, if you do mean it, why, of
course, you will say it with more emphasis |
All, dear me-" she added, resolved to efface |
the impression of her hippancy, II daresay
you are right, Prendergast, after all, and we
wrong But the world is so pleasant, one
can't help loving it."
She sighed this out so naturally that Prem |
dergast reflected that there must be good in !!
this merry old pagan after all; and he pleased |
himself with the thought that before she de-
parted from human life she might rise to
higher mood and confess her follies So our
little mother showed admirable tact, for she
gave the finishing touch to her pupil, and
when bidding him good-by, she asked:
snow Prendergast, will you say exactly
what have told your
He answered:
81 will, exactly"