The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-08-12


and some other emotion, sent over her face
the loveliest blush surely that ever woman
wore, and it seemed to spread until her neck
was touched with its conscious hue. Prem
dergast read it as an omen that at last she
had begun to feel kindly toward him, and he
could scarcely speak to her for the pleasure
he felt. And Mrs Barbara Temple who
/ never in her life made mistake, was ready
to clap her hands
: "She loves him! she loves himn the little
conqueror murmured to herself. "See what
management does! o. what q. woman l amn
Almost before another word was spoken,
Mrs Temples maid came into the room, and,
! advancing to her mistress, said;
"Please, maam, is the letter readyl"
"What letter, Jones"
"The letter, maam you said was so very
particular, which must go by to-night's post,
and which wo was to be sure not to forget to
' ask for"
This was delivered in recitation style, like
something got carefully off by heart.
"Dear me!p exclaimed Mrs Temple, with
: uplifted hards. "How could have forgotten
It'll Sophia my dear, you must entertain Mr..
Prendergast for twenty minutes or half an
hour 1t is an important letter. and will
: stupid l have been!"
And without single glance at Prender-
! gast the very stupid woman left the room,
but not until she saw Sophia's blush return
with deeper glow.
"Ah," she thought, 'now for a pretty
! scenel o the merry days when we were
youngp '. .+'
! When our little mother, returned to the
drawing room she saw Prendergast stan ding
alone in the center of the floor. His look
! told her nothing; but as she came toward
him, he said very earnestly:
"Mrs. Temple, your daughter is an angelp
Victory The little mother could have
: skipped on the carpet for triumph; but recol-
lecting that it would not be business-hke to
! seem too much delighted, she restrained her
! self, and said
~ see She has accepted you"
"No, she Las not"
"Yes, yes but that is only girls way;
virtually she has accepted you, and you know
! it."
( "Mrs Temple, she will never marry me-"
"What do you mean2" The shock was great
4 and Mrs Temple found it hard to speak.
simply that your daughter has explained
! to me her position and the state of her affec-
tions. She has been so kind so frank, so like
! all thought she must be, that am more in
! love with her than ever. But l know the
I truth, and will no longer struggle against it
! He dropped his head on his breast and said
! no more and for nearly minute the nimble
| little tongue and versatile little brain of his
' hostess were at fault But she collected her
/ spirits,
"Prendergast," she said in tone that was
: dry and even contemptuous, that is not the
I way to win woman like Sophia"
! "Perhaps not, he answered; "but it is the
I only way can follow" Even she was for
! the moment dumb and he became silent
again, but he reused himself and spoke afresh:
"The fact is have been rebuked tonight
Ten years ago | loved woman something
like your daughter and she died before our
marriage. Over her grave | vowed to live
: for her memory, and that vow l kept until
. this year; and tonight as Sophia was speak
ing to ME, it seemed as if my own buried dear
one came from her aboIe of happiness and
bade me-
"Prendergast," Mrs Barbara Temple said,
with pointed acrimony, "the bell is near you.
VIII you ring for teal'
1t will be admitted by everybody that, from
Mrs Temples point Of view, her situation
was decidedly irritating. She was angry with
Prendergast, and bitterly angry with Sophia.
To plotting, planning nature like rs moth
ing is so veXatious as a failure such as this.
She was working for Sophia's good; she had
arranged everything so as to insure success;
at the last moment Sophia stupidity spoils all!
Wicked was the look with which she regarded
her daughter, when, after Prendergasts de-
parture, Sophia shyly stole into the room and
took her seat at the tea table Mrs. Barbara
opened fire $50, Sophia, Prendergast has
proposed to you"
"Yes, mamma"
"And you have accepted his offer, of
coursep
The little woman put the question in this
way, with Al kind Of concentrated vicious
ness which made Sophia tremble.
"No, mamma" the poor girl said, doing
what undoubtedly was wisest at the juno
ture, and breaking into sobs. "I could not,
mamma, could not marry him."
"Sophia, the mother said, rising from her
seat and standing before her daughter, Hyou
are weak girl don't say you have done
wrong, but say you are a weak girl. Weak
ness, of all things, l hate. Sibyl would not
have acted in this way. Caroline would not
You have neither sense nor spirit, and it is
mortifying to me to think that the daughter
who is least like myself, and least dutiful, is
the one with whom l must, suppose, pass
the remainder Of my life"
This was a mo4 unkind speech; but we
must remember how bitterly the little woman
was disappointed; and we must remember,
too, that she did not often lose her temper
Sophia who might perhaps at another time
have defended herself, was really broken
down by the succession of the days excite.
ment, and only sobbed the more. Her
mothers last sarcasm had wounded her in
deed
II don't care for crying" the mother went
on, quite forgetting her better self and her
own maxims of self possession. "Really,
Sophia, if you are so determined to have
your own way, have the courage, too, and
don't stand whimpering there. You can dis
obey me- You can fly in the face of every
body who cares for you. Then do carry it
out had rather see you in passion than
as you are. Has anybody injured you'll
Have you not done as you wishl If you had
accepted Prendergast against your will
there would be an excuse for this pettishness
and nonsense; but here you have had your
own way, and now you must cry over it. II
is all weakness-weakness- weak
ness; and weakneSs-w wealness-weakness,"
she repeated the word in successive sallies Of
annoyance, al hate and despise"
Weak and strong they certainly looked
She with her compact figure braced and
erect, her stretched out hand, her declaiming
attitude, her clear, resolute voice; Sophia
bending like willow, her face hidden, and
one low sob following another in reply to her
mothers taunts as they fell on her ear. But
before the morning dawned Mrs Barbara
Temple got lesson which led her to recall
her bitter words, and to confess that the
strength was not so entirely her own, nor the
weakness so entirely her daughters, as she
imagined just now, while she was standing