The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-17
BEAUTYS SECRET.
By ALAN MUIR.
author of "Vanity Harda0are," ." Golden
Girls" Etc.

All that night the nephew persisted In bis
ridicule "Uncle, what kind of a coat would
YOU be married ina" "Where would you
have gone for your honeymoon "How
many bridesmaids would you have hadF'
"Would it not have been suitable to have sage
spinsters of fifty?" and so on in an insane,
but offensive, succession. The rude young
fellow thought only of his sallies and bis
amusement; perhaps little tincture OF an
noyance lay at the bottom, and made his
tests taunts indeed In any case, he jested to
his hearts content; and the uncle, boiling
with anger, disclosed nothing of his fury.
The nephew thought of a final witticism.
After they had gone to bed he marched to his
uncle's door and tapped, and the uncle, hear
ing his voice, which for wittier effect he
pitched low and serious, fancied he was going
to apologize. The great man opened his door.
"Uncle," said the nephew, in a grave tone,
which carried on the illusion.
"Well, Henry?"
Something has just struck me-"
DWELL, Henryp
81 could not go to bed without asking you. "
"What is it!'
"Make me godfather to number one"
He dropped his voice lower than ever. And
screaming again with rapture, he retreated
down the corridor, and left his uncle to go to
bed with what appetite for sleep he might.
The next day he rode over to Blancourt,
and at night returned to dinner. He was
tired, and spoke little beyond grumble at
tie fish But when dessert began, feeling his
energies recruited he thought it time to show
something more of his playful ways.
Thought again about your marriage,
Uncleg'
eyes, Henry"
"You could not do wiser thing than to
propose to young beauty" said this young
man of fatal rudeness. "The younger and
the more beautiful, the wiser you will be-"
Here came the facetious scream. 1t was
always the same-short, shrill, spasmodic,
irrational.
$50 think, Henry"
"Only don't propose to Miss Sibyl Temple;
she's mine, you know"
"Have you asked herW
"No; but shall tomorrow"
"Henry, / asked her to-day"
NV nat, nIef'
"No, for myself"
"You dido"
~ did"
'Now don't begin with any tricks uncle,
the young man said, rising from his chair
with alarm in his face; II hate practica
jokes"
"This is no joke" the uncle answered with
calmness 81 asked Miss Sibyl Temple to
day to marry me, and she said Yes She i.
my affianced wife, and with her mothers full
consent"
Poor Harry Goldmores face fell as visb.y
during this announcement as if it had been
fu1pn limo cto NV A fb<
end-the speech was slowly delivered by h..
uncle-he called out in exactly the note il
which an angry boy says, II won't play airy
more"
"Well, it's the shabbiest thing ever heart
Of"
Henry, listen to me, the uncle said severely
"You are thoughtless young man, and 20,
know we'll your affections were not engaged
doubt, indeed, if you have any affections to
engage. You have been rude and even brutal
in your language to me; forgive you; you
have had a lesson. would have provided
for your marriage with Miss Temple, and
still l will provide for it with any young lady
approve of. l am going to my library now,
and you had better think this matter over,
and ask yourself whether you would not be
wise If you learned good manners. am not
harsh with you, and as long as you are not
immoral l never will be harsh, for your
fathers sake. But shall marry Miss Sibyl
Temple, and you shall not"
He rose and left the room, majestic, like
the Tower of Babel walking off with itself
and the young man, petrifed, followed him
with his eyes as he departed, and then sank
speeches. into chair
And thus, reader, was the second, the beau
tiful, Miss Temple engaged to be married