The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-08-12
BEAUTY'S SECRET
BY ALAN MUIR
Author of "Vaulty Hardware" Golden
Girls" Etc.


though, by casting gloom over his conver-
sation, it greatly furthered Mrs, Barbara
Temples ends, "times have changed, changed
indeed. | had q letter from my son two days
ago
How that COOL little heart leaped to hear
IT. PercivalI he seemed near her once again,
and she would be strengthened now.
allow is Percival" she asked gently
SPretty well, >" the rector replied; "tolerably
well, may say. But he writes in bad spirits.
Little wonder; his prospects are very uncer-
tain. ! don't think he will ever return to
England"
J "He meant to come back when he left"
poor Sophia said, turning sick at heart after
her little gush of pleasure.
% "That know, the rector answered, in the
same downcast tone. "But his intention will
change, if it has not changed already. Per-
cival has to face life of struggle. was
very glad TO find that you and he had quite
broken off from each other"
{ ave wanted to act prudently,n the poor
girl said. o, how delighted she would have
been had the rector, in the remotest way, rec
ognized that an understanding existed be-
tween them!
at was prudent," he continued "To you
such thing could only have meant bondage
and disappointment and to him = well,
Sophia, greatly es | like you, l don't really
think Percival W Juld have been so likely to
prosper had he been still engaged to you"
Il could not bear the thought of injuring
ibim, the poor thing said. She was ON the
edge of fit of crying, but Mr. Brent, never
IA man Of observation, and now quite occu-
pied with his own cares, did not notice her
agitation.
"I am sure Of that" he replied. "Of course
that is why you so wholly detached yourself
from him. 1t is better for both of you Per-
cival, as you know, has returned to the man
with whom he resided when his health was
delicate. This man-Warren-is getting adj
vanced in life, and wants helper in his bust
mess, Percival, | have no doubt, will get
Ghat appointment, for they are very fond Of
him-that is, mean Warren and his daugh-
ter are very fond of him."
"Mr. Warren has daughter thenG" Sophia
asked.
"Yes, he is a widower, and she is his only
child. think-indeed lnow-that she was
rather soft on Percy when he lived there. In
fact, one or two rather unnecessary letters
followed him to England l laughed then;
aoto cannot but think that if Percival man
ages the business well, and gets into the old
mans good books, and-and marries little
Bessie as he used to call her"
Ale called her little Bessie, did hel" Sophia
inquired.
"Little Bessie-that was her name" the rec
Tor answered. "He always called her that
1t meant nothing, of course. You see, they
were great deal together, and Percival says
that in the colonies people are not so stiff as
we are in England. He used to say he liked
colonial manners. Well, to return-if he
marries Bessie it might be nice thing for
him. Indeed, it will be his solitary chance in
life"
1t was a sore, an aching heart that lay in
Sophia's gentle breast as she and her mother
drove home The poor girl had not the
smallest suspicion that her mother had ar
ranged all these nice little thunderclaps: but
even had she known it, the knowledge could
not have blunted the dreadful edge of the
rector's communication. However power
full her own friends had argued, they could
not have affected her as Mr. Brent had done
1t seemed as if the father spoke for his son.
1t sounded like message from the lover him
self, saying "Let us part. And in the mists
OF her fears and doubts the figure of Bessie
Warren rose before her, at Percy's side, see
ing him day by day, at the head of the house
hold OF which he was to be a member,
wealthy, and fond of Percy-known to him
by a pet familiar name. What chance had
she against this fatal Bessie Warren9
Little Mrs. Barbara Temple was no tyrant,
and would not have inflicted any useless pain
on her daughter She saw Sophia out of the
side of her eyes as they drove home, and
marked her misery, and felt really sorry for
her, but it was sorrow such as a humane sur
geon feels for the shrinking patient on whom
he is about to operate; it was all for Sophias
good These tears would flow and then be
gone, and after the dread and the operation,
and the shrinking and the crying, there would
be the world-the bright, prosperous world,
wealth, fashion, ease, respect-all that station
can secure and money can buy. o, no doubt
Of It'll she was acting the part of wise moth
or; and SO, quenching her last misgiving, Mrs
Barbara Temple made ready for the final,
the winning stroke in her grand matrimonial
game.
CHA PTER VIII