The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-09-23
SECRET
BY ALAN MUIR
Author of VANITY Hardware" Golden
Girls" Etc.
CHAPTER VII

the next CLEAN of sunshine comes, Sophia
awoke next morning with dancing heart.
She did not see Percival again that night;
but sent him a little note asking him to come
early to her the following morning And no
sooner was he in the room than she flew to
him and kissed him, with pride and delight
on every feature
"What are you going to doF" she asked.
"Going back to Australia, as l told you,'
he answered But, Sophia, you are too
good-far too good-to offer to wait for me.
Tam no. gong 10 be success in hie, am
afraid"
70, I am going to earn my bread myself"
Sophia CRIED clarping her hands. You keep
yourself; I'll keep myself"
"Earn your breadl" exclaimed PercivaL
allow do you mean to do it"
"Give dancing lessons, dear" she answered.
"Looz heren
And with a atra, la, la" on her lips, she
began to turn and whirl about the room,
down and up the picture of honest delight.
And Percival To- sked on in wonder, which
at every motion of her figure kept turning
into love-
"Dancing lessons" he exclaimed "Where
will you get puE:lsp
"Here is my FIST" she retorts, taking him
up as she goes by. "Now, sir"
"Really, Sophia, what is all this forP
"For twelve thousand pounds you clumsy
boy! There, you are on my toeP
"Twelve thousand pounds SophiaP
"Twelve thousand pounds, Mr.. Percival
Brent am worth twelve thousand poundsp
Now she stops and looks him full in the face
hBy the way, can you tell me how Mrs
Lanigan Isl"
Percival turned very red at this amazing
question; but there was no outlines in his
face as he replied:
"How 10 you know Mrs Lanigsnp'
"How do you know her2n Sophia asked
martly. ~ know her through the newspa-
per. She was out driving with a friend of
mine and got split. Somebody said it was the
horses having had too much champagne
newspaper said that"
PercivaI muttered something under his
breath which sounded very like some brief
and emphatic remark about the newspaper
and caused Sophia to lift her finger.
"Please, not before me-" she said "No
colonial language before me. am not Bes-
sic Warren"
"I thought there was something up by what
heard in The hotel last night" Percival said
with gravity and reflection. "Tel me, Sophia,
have there been any stories going about
here not my edit"
"Rather," she answered, now serious her
SELF Don't mind them"
"Iet me tell you the whole truth about
that affair." he said. 81 was driving with
Mrs. Lanigan The fact was l was one of a
large party in the country that day, and the
carriage which vas to take Mrs. Lanigan
back to the theatre had an accident, and the
friend at whose house she was asked me to
drive her in his gig, and did, and we came
to grief l believe, Sophia, | had too much
champagne, and that is the truth of it. We
had rather too merry an afternoon meal L
drank too much wipe, / confess"
"Naughty boy! But tell me-did you sit
next to Mrs. Lanigan at lunch"
'No; at the far end Of the table"
"There" Sophia said twice over, putting a
kiss between the two words--"there, forgive
you the champagnep
She forgave him. but the hot fellow would
not so easily forgive the slanderous folk who
had made free with his name. And if [ were
to tell how he searched the slander out, and
faced Mrs Hands, and faced John Done to
whom she referred him, and how John Done
turned very pale, and declared that Mrs
Hands had taken up in earnest what he had
said in Jest, and how to eXculpate himself
John Done made all his family quarrel for
ever with Mrs Hands, and how Mrs. Hands
by the transaction lost fifty dinners and about
one hundred lunches annually for the re-
mainder of her life-all this, if l were to tell
would fill more pages than l can compute in
a moment, and time and space press, and L
must and shall soon make an end. So we go
back to Sophia and her PercivaL
He will not consent to marry her as poor
man. He will go back to Australia and
make his fortune. Note, reader, how she
manages him.
"Oh. very well, cries she, tossing her head
angrily. "Of course l can't say Wan you
MARRY mep three times running. You must
do as you please"
She walks from him to the window, and
looks out, quite in pet
you know what l mean," explains he. He
has followed her "You know quite well
what l mean"
"Well, if I do, then you need say no more
about it,"
And she turns her back on him.
81 only say can't marry you as a poor
man"
every well; don't marry me, then"
"But l don't want you to speak in that
way"
"And l don't want you to speak at all.
"Sophia, you need not. be so ill-natured.
She turns ON him, making ready to tell fb
the second, which this time was a sizable one,
without any mistake.
"O know what it is; you have some other
woman out in Australia whom you want to
marry and this is all pretenseP
"Want TO marry some other woman out in
Australia" Percival cried, aghast at the
thought "An6ther woman! Why, Sophia,
look here"
He sinks at her feet and then he presses her |
handkerchief to his Ips-not her hand-hum- !
bly, signifying that anything about her is |
dear to him. And she though not ill-pleased |
to see how artistically she has brought him |
to her feet bites her lip, tosses her head,
looks angry still Then releasing her hand |
kerchief from his grasp, and putting it to her |
II know this" she says "If you really To- |
followed me, you would not let this miserable |
mo-mo-money stand in our wayp
And quite overcome with grief, she plunges |
into her pocket handkerchief, and is lost to
his view.
He will have her OUT she will not come |
He will dry her eyes; she does not want to |
have them dried He will make her stop |
crying; she cries all the more. AT last he
sinks at her feet
aListen, Sophy; 1 will do anything you
please. will make no trouble about any
thing. l will marry or not just as you like,
If you only will stop crying | can't bear to
see you cry; can't, indeed"
10, you dear old stupid" she cries, unveil-
ing herself at the moment; and. there she is,
rosy, blushing, laughing triumphant. She
has carried her point and made a fool Of him,
and she tosses her handkerchief in his face,
and flies from the room, killing him with
retreating eye as he tries to catch her in vain
My wish is that every reader of This tale