The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-26

faSt-"lt Is not for us to ask questions, bu,
still your mothers conduct is unaccountable
If you could find ont whether she has beer
specializing, OF if her affairs are involved,
| might interfere with advantage--to youl
mother
Goldmore, as he said this, cleared his throat
and shifted bis chin between his shirt collar
in an imposing way. The chin was very
well shaved, and the shirt collar very white
and stiff, as is invariably the case with
millionaires in the morning
81 might advise with your mother" the
great man added, seeing that his wife did
not speak, "and tender her my add
Sibyl was really alarmed at this suggestion
from her husband, who, as she well knew,
was neither meddler nor one who formed
his opinions hastily She hurried off to
Sophia and declared her misgivings: and all
Sophia could say was that there seemed good
reason for fearing that something was wrong.
But, Sophia added, she had already tried
every possible means to find out her mothers
actual position and motives and had entirely
failed
In that case" Archibald Goldmore said,
when his wife reported this result to him, 81
shall call upon your mother myself and in
troduce the subject. 1t is my duty to offer
her my counsel What can she know about
businessT
And he called upon little Mrs Barbara,
who received him with her usual cheerful
ness. Goldmore was favorite with her in
his way,
You know me well enough to be quite
sure chat | am no Paul Pry, the millionaire
said. He seemed to think that there was
magnanimity in his very mention of that
character in connection with himself al
hope | don't intrude' is not often on my lips,
for this simple reason-I know | don't in
trude.n
Little Mrs. Temple gave him brisk nod
and smile, and he proceeded approaching
his subject with slow dignity, as if he were
driving the lord mayors coach round a
ticklish corner
We have been a little surprised-Sibv
and myself-at the great change You have
made In Your household; and knowing, as we
do, your sound common sense. we are sIur
there Is a good reason for it. 1t is a grea.
change, he added, looking round the small
drawing room, although you have displayed
YOUR usual good taste here -from-foor
TO ceiling
v,
| 1T is nice little house"
This has been bad time for Investments "
Goldmore remarked, resolved to keep near
his real business, "and expenses are very
heavy. have sometimes thought how little
/ imagined when l first married. how costly
my establishment would be- The old rogue
lived to the full third within his income.
Il am sometimes frightened at expenditure,
Mrs, Temple"
Are YOU" she remarked Now, / never
sm,n
Il am glad to hear it, he answered ETC
tell You the truth, | was afraid that YOU
| might have found your own expenses a little
IN excess of your calculations: and to be quite
plain with you, | came this morning to know
| if there is any business You would like 10
talk over with me- I know" Goldmore said,
with the modesty of a monarch. something
about affairs. Now can | be of any use to
you, Can my knowledge of-the money
market7-this being joke he laughed lit
tle-"be of any use to youl'
Not any, Archibald, she said II always
manage my own business"
There s no difficulty can clear upl-
"All my business is straightforward and
Ineligible
| Then, said the bafiled inquirer, cit only
! remains for me to say that | hope YOU do
not consider my visit and my offer at all
| impairment"
Quite the contrary, Archibald, she cried
| vivaclously. Kind, most kind No one in
the world would sooner have consulted if /
| had wanted advice. But don't want advice.
| Archibald"
| SO Archibald Goldmore went home az wise
as he came; ami when his wife met him in the
avenue and asked him if he knew everything,
1t was with Some slight vexation be replied
that he knew nothing
But have my fears he said, "and very
grave fears. However" be added. seeing his
wif.s face fall don't be alarmed If any
thing happens we shall see what can bs
done He spoke like a financial pillar; there
could he no dreadful crash in the family SC
long as he stood mistaken
EGerton and Caroline talked the matter
over, too, and Egerton said at once that his
notber-in law was going out of her mind
and deeming it his duty to prepare Sophia
ior the worst.
Il have noticed this coming on for months. :"
he said to her, while she could scarcely look
him in the face for laughter There have
been many symptoms which | have been
watching would not be frightened, Sophia
being frightened never does any good-but
still, If | were you, ! should sleep with a
| Ttrait waistcoat under my pillow, and then,
II anything sudden happened, You could clap
it on. Forewarned is forearrned, Sophia"
Thus both within the family circle and
outside it the affairs of Mrs. Temple were dis
eussed, with great assiduity; but relatives,
friends and acquaintance were alike left in
| the dark
The ordinary set of people talked the mat
ter over, wondered slIrmised, and then for
got all about it. But the family could not 50
lightly dismiss u doubt which concerned their
own interests; and in the family the whis-
pered belief was that the little mother, for
all her shrewdness. had run into extrava-
gance, and that poverty was now forcing her
TO retrench. Then came questions: What is
her position now? From what source comes
her income? What will Sophia have when
she dies And these misgivings were the
| more anxious, because it was already known
that portion of her property, at least, would
at her death 60 to her first husbands heir
CHAPTER ".
REV. ANTHONY BRENT CEASES TO BE RECTOR
With all her seriousness Sophia had never
been what we call an ecclesiastical girl The
modern fashion of church decoration and
other customs Of reverence and taste in re.
ligion, had not at that time fairly arisen; but
ladies were even then very active in church
work From this Sophia had always kept
aloof, greatly to the surprise of successive
ttergymen, who had marked her as likely to
be useful i'll their parishes. To repeated in
vitations that she would become a district
visitor or Sunday school teacher Sophia had
always answered no; ai,S she had never giver
any reason for this refusal
Whether she liked dancing, and feared that
her pleasure might be restricted, or what may
have been her reason, I cannot guess Ever
when our rector tried to persuade her to hell
him, her answer was still simple no
nor could the merry little clergyman
| by any semi iocose questioning extrac
from her a syllable more He turned
about and tried gravity and seriou.
rerronstrance; but with no better result Ac
cordingy Mr. Brent was somewhat sur
priced when about six months after his SOM
| -. I