The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-08-05
CHAPTER VII.
THE STAGE MANAGER FINISHES HER DAYS
WORK

THE STAGE MANAGER FINISHES HER DAYS
WORK.
By what complicated mechanism Mrs Bar
bara Temple arranged all that happened on
this day must not tell. The description OF
her successive artifices 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-
nowned dramatic authoress and stage man.
ager, Mrs. Barbara Temple. Having said
this, l shall without another syllable of ex-
planation 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 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
secondly, to show how poor Sophia was en-
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.
I. SIBYL AND soPHIA-MoNEY VS.. LOVE.
believe me, Sophy, marriage is lottery;
l don't think after month is over love makes
much difference"
Sibyl said this after the mention of young
Brent's name She was reclining on a sofa,
looking very beautiful, but cold, proud and
with plain tokens Of disappointment amidst
all her disdain
u can't believe that" Sophia replied. "You
did not always think so yourself"
II was not married then," Sibyl answered; /;
~ am now"
1t was on the tip of Sophias ,ue to say:
'If girl of twenty-five marries a man of
fifty-three, is her view of mar iage to be
taken as the true one"
Sophia did not mean, you may be sure, to
ask this home -thrusting question il, any taunt-
ing way, but quietly and reasonably. She
felt, however, that such question must be
hurtful to her sisters feelings, and gaid moth
ing at all. This 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, 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 Percival! Percival
may forget you. If he remembers you, he
may be unable to marry you. If he marries
you he may disappoint you as a husband
Just consider the number of chances which
have all to come right before you have any
certainty with himl And here is a man Of
whom every one of your friends approves,
and whom you admit you respect yourself,
making you a. offer which call splendid
one. Oh, SophY, you can't refuse himl 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-I know
you can't"