The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-19
BEAUTY'SSECRET
By ALAN MUIR.
(CoNTINUED.)
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII
THE STAGE MANAGER FINISHES HER DAYS
WORK
BY what complicated mechanism Mrs Bar
bara Temple arranged all that happened on
this day l must not tell The description Of
her successive articles would fill volume
Enough to say that she had settled the
speeches, the times, the persons, the places in
every particular; the day was, indeed occu-
pied with the production of the drama of the
spider and the fly, and the powerful effects,
the incidents, the plots. the traps in the
stage, the rising and falling Of the curtain,
all were done 1T the instance of that re
nowned dramatic authoress and stage man
ager, Mrs Barbara Temple. Having said
this, shall without another syllable of ex-
PLANTATION tell you what happened All that
need he said, and this only fer explanation,
is that she contrived without any suspicious
condolences to bring each of her subordin-
ates into contact with Sophia between
morning and evening of one day, and that
the day when-still by her arrangement
Prendergast was to make his proposal If
were to follow all the windings of this day,
the shiftings of scene from place to place, it
would be very tedious; and after all, what is
my object? First, to declare the foresight
and continuance of our little mother; and
secondly, to show how poor Sophia was Ell
sironed with motives all impeling her to
break faith with Percival Brent These ends
can be fully attained by the simple record of
certain fragments of dialogue which bore
ipon the great event of that memorable day
l. sIBYL AND soPHh-MoNEY VS.. LOVE.
Believe me, Sophy, marriage is a lottery;
[ don't think after month is over love makes
much difference
Sibyl said this after the mention of young
Brents name. She was reclining ON sofa,
looking very beautiful, but cold, proud and
with plain tokens OF disappointment amidst
all her disdain
Il can't believe that, Sophia replied "You
did not always think so yourself
81 was not married then, Sibyl answered
Il am now
1t was on the tip of Sophias tongue to saw:
"If girl of twenty-five marries man of
fiftv-three, is her view of marriage to be
taken as the true one.'
Sophia did not mean you may be sure, to
ask this home-thrusting question in any taunt-
ing way, but quietly and reasonably. She
felt, however, that such question must DO
hurtful to her sisters feelings, and said moth
ing at all Th> led Sibyl to believe that her
argument was taking effect
Sophia she said in stern way alto
gether her own, marry Prendergast He is
wealthy, good looking, AMI his tastes are like
yours, Now ask yourself, are you not more
likely to I've happy with such y man. more
likely to have your own way and please your
self than with young Percival. PerciyaI
may forget You. II he remembers Won, he
may be unable to marry you. Ii he marries
you, he may dlsappoint You as husband.
just consider the number of chances which
have all to come right before you have any
certainty with him! Aud here is a man OF
whom every one of your friends approves,
and whom You admit You respect yourself,
making you IN offer which call sp endid
one. Oh. Sophy, you can't refuse HIM If
you did Sibyl said, growing more and more
convinced even by her own argument, "you
would be silly beyond expression You won't
disappoint us all. Sophy; you can't know
you can'tp
IL ARCHIBALD GoLDMoRE AND SOPHIA.
PRUDENCE VS.. LOVE.
my dear Sophia" Goldmore said, taking
her hand and speaking to her in grave,
unmistakably kind Il wish to say few
words - you about my friend Prendergast "
Poor Sophia turned red and pale almost in
the same instant. A lecture from Sibyl was
a trihe compared to this.