The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-07-17
BEAUTY'SSECRET
By ALAN MUIR.
Author Of "Hanitp Hardware." Golden
Girls" Etc.
(ooNcLUDEp.)
CHAPTER VII.

Yes, but tears like those-albeit their grief
is deep and pure-are ready to sparkle when
the next CLEAN of sunshine comes Sophia
awoke next morning with dancing heart
She did not see Percival again that night;
but sent him 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 do" she asked.
"Going back to Australia, as | told You"
he answered But, Sophia, you are too
good-far too good-to offer to wait for me.
am not going to be success in life, | am
afraid"
30, l am going to earn my bread myself,
Sophia cried, clapping her hands. You keep
yourself; TIL keep myself"
Earn your bread" exclaimed Percival
allow do you mean to do itn
"Give dancing lessons, dear" she answered
"Look herei"
And with "tra, In, la" on her lips, she
began to turn and whirl about the room,
down and up, the picture of honest delight
And Percival locked on in wonder, which
Mt every motion Of her figure kept turning
into love
"Dancing lessons" he exclaimed. "Where
will you get pupils''
Here is my first, she retorts, taking him
up as she goes by. "Now, sir
Really, Sophia, what is all this for.'
"For twelve thousand pounds, you clumsy
boy! There you are on my toe'
Twelve thousand pounds, Sophia"
Twelve thousand pounds, Mr.. Percival
Brent am worth twelve thousand pounds"
Now she stop, and looks him full in the face
by the way, can you tell me how Mrs.
langan is,'
Percival turned very rcd at this amazing
question; but there was no outlines in his
face as he replied:
"How do you know Mrs Laniganr'
GLOW do lou know herl' Sophia asked
smarty IL know her through the newspa-
per. She was out driving with friend Of
miue and got split Somebody said il was the
horses having had too much champagne
newspaper said that
Percival muttered something under his
breath which sounded very like some brief
and emphatic remark about the newspaper,
and caused Sophia 10 lift her finger.
please, not before me-" she said "No
colonial language before me | am not Bes-
sic Warren
81 thought there was something up by what
! heard in the hotel last night Percival said
with gravity and reflection. "Tell me, Sophia,
have there been any stories going about
here not to my credit
Rather" she answered, now serious her.
self Don't mind them"
Let me tell you the whole truth about
that affair" he said. II was driving with
Mrs. Lanigan. The fact was was one of a
large party in the country that day, and tho
carriage which was 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 believe, Sophia, had too much
champagne, and that is the truth of it. We
had rather too merry an afternoon meal |
drank too much wine, 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 champagnem
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 Islander 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-
mander OF her life-an this, if / were to tell,
would fill more pages than ] can compute in
a moment, and time and space press, and
must and shall soon make an end. So we go
back to Sophia and her PercivaL
He will not consent to marry her as a 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 ] can't say 'UiH you
marry me" three times running. You must
do as you please"
She walks from him to the window, and
looks out, quite i'll a pet
You know what ! mean. explains he. He
has followed her. You know quite well
what mean
Will II tutn Nbu HtNu sttN ilt lllUit
about it"
And she turns her back on him.
Il only say can't marry you as poor
man"
Every well: don't marry Inc, then
"But ] don't want you to speak in that
way"
"And don't want you to speak at all.
sophia, you need not be so ill-natured,
She turns on him, making ready to tell fib
the second which this time was u stable one,
without any mistake.
20, know what it is; you have some other
woman out in Australia whom you want TO
marry, and this is all pretensep
Want 10 marry some other woman out in
Australia" Percival cried, aghast ut the
thought "Another woman! Why, Sophia,
look herew
He sinks at her feet and then he presses her
handkerchief to his lips-not her hand-hum-
bly, sgnifying that anything about her is
dear to him. And she, though not ill-pleased
to see how artistically she has brought him
10 her feet, bites her lip, losses her head,
looks angry still. Then releasing her hand
kerchief from his grasp, and putting it to her
eyes
Il know this" she says. "If you really 10
followed me, you would not let this miserable
mo-mo-money stand in our way"
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 VIII dry her eyes; she does not want to
have them dried He will make her stop
f.ryiuy. she cries an tho morn Az lnst bp