The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-06-09
BEAUTY'SSECR
By ALAN MUIR.
Author Of Vanity Hard,rars, Golden
Girls" Etc.
BOOK FoUR-CONrINuED.,
CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VII
THE STAGE MANAGER FINISHES HER DAYS
WORK
By what complicated mechanism Mrs Bar
barn Tennle arranged all that happened ON
tn day 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 at the instance of that re
uowned 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 be said and this only for 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 dav 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 obiecti First, to declare the foresight
and contrivance of our little mother; and
secondly, 10 show how poor Sophia was
vironed with motives all impelling her TO
break faith with Percival Brent. These ends
can be fully attained by the simple record of
certain fragments of dialogue which bore
upon the great event of that memorable day.
l. sIBYL AND soPHIA-MoNEY VS.. LOVE
Believe me, Sophy, marriage is 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 a 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 alwaTs think so yourself
4 was not .aarried then,n Sibyl answered:
Il am now"
It was on the tip of Sophia's tongue to say:
If a girl of twenty-five marries a man of
fifty-three is her view of marriage to be
taken as the true onef'
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 a question must be
hurtful TO her sisters feelings, and said moth
ing at all This led Sibyl to believe that her
argument was taking effect.
Sophia she said, in a stern way alto
gether her own, marry Prendergast He is
wealthy, good looking, and his tastes are like
yours. Now ask yourself, are you not more
likely to be happy with such man, more
likely to have your own way and please your
self, than with young Percivals Percival
may forget you. If he remembers you, he
may be unable to marry YOU If he marries
you, he may disappoint you husband.
just consider the number of chances which
have all TO come right before you have any
certainty with him, And here is a man of
whom every one OF your friends approves,
and whom YOU admit you respect yourself,
making you an offer which i call a splendid
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't"
IL ARCHIBALD GoLDNoRE AND SOPHIA,
PRUDENCE VS.. LOVE
My dear sophia Goldmore said, taking
her hand and speaking to her i'll grave,
fatherly way, and with intentions that were
Enthusiastically kind. Il wish to say few
words to you about my friend Prendergast"
Poor Sophia turned red and pale almost in
the same instant A lecture from Sibyl was
a trife compared to this.