The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-07-03
Like our dear Lady Beauty, she, too, shall
charming to her latest day.
CHAPTER VII.

] BOXING MATCH.
Prendergast, who resided not far from Ke
tlewell, had occasional opportunities of NEE
ing the Temples; and it had been the littl
mothers expectation that he might rene,
his suit, and, perhaps, after time, dra,
Sophia's affections to himself he made n
sign. however; and for long enough 1t SCENE
as if our heroine was to have no furthe
trouble from mankind. But at last-at th
end of the five years after Percivals depar,
ure for Australia new lover came upo
the scene
Of one Mr.. John Done, a retired merchant G
| great wealth, whose antecedents were genei
ally described in this way, that he had somt
thing to do with leather The Bones wer
plain people, but not vulgar; and having N
sided in. kettlewell for twenty years, an
being charitable and religious, they had grad
ually made their way into our town society
| In fact, they were now received in companie
where, at their first coming, they dared nc
have set foot. Still, it was never forgotte
that Mr.. Done was not altogether one Of US
When any stranger would make inquiry con
corning him, the reply would generally be il
this form: Done is a worthy old fellow, anc
gives capital dinners. If you want sub
scription for any good cause, go to Done
HE Is modest, unaffected, and not the Least
purse proud. In early life he had some hing
to do Nth leathern This last clause was Q
formula repeated as faithfully as if it was
line of God Save the Queen"
The virtue of the Bones being not of Mrs
Barbara Temples kind-piety and charity
could not make her regard anybody with
favor-and their origin and manner being
plain, she had never liked them. Indeed, al
home-she would not ridicule people in com.
pany-she would sometimes say to her daugh-
tiers that nothing could ever be made of those
glorified trades people. Then, with a charac-
would add: Except sometimes, dears-ex-
cept sometimes "You know, girls she
said one day, in her gay style, lit is pro
verb that there is nothing like leather; l don't
think there is" Which she delivered with one
of her Frenchifed faces of dislike, which al
ways set the girls laughing The plain Dones
dreaded the witty, dashing, fashionable Mrs
Barbara Temple; and Mrs. Barbara Temple
regarded the plain Dones with repressed, but
not invisible, scorn.
There were John Done the first, and John
Done the second. As is very often the case
with sons Of self-made men, John Done,
Junior, while lacking his fathers native sense
and business energy, had inherited double
portion of his homeliness, made quite intoler-
able by a brassy assurance and disregard Of
other peoples feelings, which indeed amount
ed to an anxiety to inflict pain wherever he
could. At school he had been hated for a
tyrant and bully, and it was also known
among the boys that he would tell a leland
that not a schoolroom lie--whenever it suited
his game. Percival Brent went to school
with him, being just three years his junior
Percival was bright, merry little boy, very
well put together, and everybodys favorite
only that Done, who always disliked boy in
proportion to his school popularity or his edu-
cational promise, never lost an opportunity
Of tyrannizng over him. One day, when
they were all in the playground, Done, in
making high jump fell very awkwardly,
and, amidst the roar of laughter which fol-
lowed, little Brent ran forward and made
a pretense of smoothing the ground after
the overthrow of the weighty Done. Exas-
perated by his fall, Done dashed forward and
gave little Brent such a box on the ear as
sent him spinning round, until he fell heavily
to the ground Brent sprang up, all knit into
compactness with rage, and tried 10 give
Done a blow on the face, which he scornfully
warded off, and told the little lad not to be so
impudent again. But Brent, bristling and
stamping with passion, declared he would
have fight for it; which Done at first re-
fused, for all the boys cried out at the idea.
But as the little fellow would not be appeased,
Done, having satisfied his honor by one re-
fusal, and always liking to inflict pain, &C
cepted the challenge, and the two stripped TO
their shirts and went at it. For several
rounds little Brent was knocked all over the
place; and they all felt for the game little
lad, but were sorry to see him so punished,
and especially in hopeless fight. For my
lady readers will observe that one of the
achievements in the noble art
is to imprint your fist on your opponents
face Now if your arms are only two
feet long, while those of your opponent are
three feet, it will follow that while he may be
merrily hammering your countenance into
ruin, your return blows may fall only on the
unoffending air This was just what hap
pened now; and poor little Brent was hav-
ing very dispiriting time Of it. Some Of
the boys, however, noticed that he went
down wonderfully easy; and others, who
knew that the rector's groom was one of the
best pair of fists in the county, began to
think that perhaps the little fellow had
picked up some of the tactics from Bobby
Miller" and was trying a waiting game.
Done thought So too; and being large mealy
boy, with rather uncertain wind, he re-
solved to bring the thing to an end, and gave
Brent one savage blow, which produced very
disagreeable results on the poor little mans
nose Brent was not knocked out of it, how
ever, as Done hoped but the very opposite.
He was strung together with fury; but even
in his rage he did not forget the instrue
tions of his master, Bobby Miller" He
rushed at Done; and, while the other in his
magnificence was guarding himself carelessly,
Done's face all the blows he had received,
principal and interest. How those little fists
few and hammered How Done retreated
over the ground, wildly trying to get his
adversary outside range again, while still
little Brent drubbed away with astounding
rapidity and vigorl The fact was the little
fox was quite fresh, while Done was thor
oughly blown Bobby miller" knew his
business and would have been proud of his
young master had he been there to see. At
last Done, nearly blind with blows and rage,
made one grand effort to destroy his enemy
with an appearance of ease. 1t was fatal to
him. Brent was really warm to his work,
and not likely to miss an opening. In rapid
succession he managed to plant three blows
just under Done's left eye, the last delivered
with such force that it sent the llImpy fellow
to grass, where he lay vanquished, Brent
standing over him with fists still clinched,
and burning, it seemed, for little more
That was sixteen years ago. John Done.
Junior, was now a rather bulky young man,
with white fiat face, very small sunken
eyes, smile which expressed a narrow mind
satisfied with itself, and unprepossessing
manners His habits, too, had not been the
best, and it was known In Kettlewell that he
was, in his sly way, man of dissolute habits
He had now been absent, off and on, foi
nearly four years; but when he returned
home he happened to hear of Sophia Temple
and her little affair with Percival Brent. By
curious chance he had met Brent in
Australia himself, and. although outwardly
civil TO him. he remembered with a grudge