Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-07-08
BEAUTY'SSECRET
By ALAN MUIR
Author Of "Vanity HardTdrs, Golden
Girls," Etc.
CHAPTER III.
SOPHIA HAS THREE coUNsELoRs

sick house various persons found opportunity
to disturb her with counsel or warning The
indefatigable Mrs Hands, who had fully
made up her mind that the young woman
must and should marry young John Done,
managed to work her way into the house
several times. Sophia now feared and hated
the widow in equal parts, although she could
not deny that, in telling her the truth about
Percival, she had acted the part Of friend.
GMy dear Sophia" this energetic dame
said, u hear that Brent is coming home
bankrupt, they say; character and cash both
gonei / should like to see you comfortably
settled before that time, and in a position TO
treat him as he deserves Now, while your
mother Is still living, Ind able to be COM
forted, settle yourself, Sophia, settle your
self. Ny dear, / know one young man, at
least, who would be at your feet in an hour
after the time told him there was hope
that you would change your mind and say
yes know the young man."
"Thank you," Sophia replied, hastily.
Her cheeks were on fire at the bare idea OF
seeing Percival again. u shall stay with
mamma to the last; and am not going to
marry any one."
Certainly not man who has treated you
badly" the widow said, resolved to pledge
Sophia to this much at least.
II am notgoing to marry anybody" Sophi'
repeated, tartly. ......r
She had ar other counselor. Egerton, hai-
ing heard that Percival was returning, ven
tured to advise Sophia on the whole slb-
ject. ..s..-
ut is not his being O little wild, Sophia,
that would so much object to-" he said
3We are all that sometimes. / mean all
young fellows, not girls, though I said 'we.'
I had what we call an affair with Miss John
son at that glove shop myself many. years
ego, and it went SO far that once or twice we
We're on the point Of going out walking to-
gether, and all that sort Of thing-you know
what mean, Sophia; but it was the time for
the equinoctial gales, and the weather got
unsettled and that stopped 1t; and then got
engaged to Caroline, and she was such ire
nendously fine girl that she steadied me- !
don't want to find fault with Percival Brent
who is not half bad fellow, think. But
you are not the woman for him, Sophia, that
is where it is-you are not the woman for
him. In every case q woman ought to be
the woman for a man. A man of Percivars
Sort ought to be engaged to woman with
whip in her hand. Some of us-I mean the
fellows with 'go'-want to be influenced, and
things to be brought to bear on us, and we
want 1orclble FEMININE character about us,
and the rest of it, and in such cases there is
nothing like woman with a whip in her
hand"
More solemn and weighty words were ad-
dressed to the poor heart-sick girl. Goldmore
no sooner heard that Percival was coming
back than he became sincerely alarmed for
Sophia's future
Il trembe for that girl, he said to his wife
one morning, "kind, impressible, virtuous as
she is. wish she would accept Prender'
gast, who is as much in love with her as ever,
and to whom fortune will make no difference.
fear-l very greatly fear-that Sophia will
be very poor at her mothers death. Every
thing points that way. But she is the sweet
est OF girls, he added in tones OF solemn ap-
proval; "she is sister you may well be
proud OF, and she shall meyer want brother
while live, SibyL She shall live here If she
will make this house her home"
here" Sibyl answered curtly "She is fanci-
iui and quixotic. Perhaps she Will marry
Percival Brent after all"
mot alter his improper behavior" Gold
more remarked, with the solemn morality OF
~" ~@AANOAA'
Sibyl laughed a little "Women forgive
that sometimes, she said.
Accordingly Goldmore, in fear of some
thlng which he could not quite define to him.
self, resolved to give Sophia the benefit of his
experience of life. His kindness and his good
intentions we're undoubted, and his words
were those OF a man who knows"
"Dont lie deceived by that soft forgiving
heart or yours into marrying prof1lgate,
sophia" he said. "A young man may fall
into many errors and come out OF them, and
be as good as ever, hut protiigate nerer re-
turns to the state OF his youth. He may seem
respectable, but he is never truly restored.
We has lost that which he can never regain
There Will always be hardness and coarse
ness about him, and he may any hour relapse
into evil ways. Such men make pretense
OF reforming when they want to marry, and
perhaps even believe themselves reformed;
but, Sophia, profigate can no more reform
and be what once he was than man who
has lost an eye can see again as perfectly as
when he had two Be firm, Sophia! Be true
to yourself, Hear nothing the young man
says" .u,.. ....
Poor Sophia began to cry u.
Il am not saying this thoughtlessly, nay
dear girl" Goldlnore continued, taking her
hand Il admire young woman who loves
q man and will make sacrifice for him, and
! may take the liberty OF assuring you,
Sophia $50 great is my interest in you), that
had resolved, had the young man been hon
orable, that no Little difficulty of pecuniary
kind should have stood in your way. But
now, Sophia" Goldmore said, with all the
magnate upon him once more, u must inter
fere in quite another sort of way"
Late that night, when weary Sophia stole
back to her mothers room, she found itdark,
for the lamp had gone out tfI