The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-26
BEAUTY'S SECRET.
By ALAN MUIR.
Author of "Vanity Hard,care," Golden
Girls" Etc.
CHAPTER w.
FIFTY AND FORTY-FIvE.

Our little town of Kettlewell had inhab-
itants to the number of ten thousand, and
three churches: but of these latter, two were
what at that date were called district
churches, and the great ancient parish church
was the ecclesiastical center of the town
Like many another such noble structure, it
was but poorly endowed, and the rewards
which it offered to its minister were chiefly
the contemplation of venerable architecture,
and a social position of considerable import
ance. The saying always was that none but
a man of fortune could be rector of Kettle
well. Consequently, at each vacancy the
bishop was in a difficulty. Rich men he could
find, able men he could find; but to find one
rich and able, too was not so easy, and at the
last appointment, being unable to meet with
a clergyman thus doubly qualified he had
chosen wealthy parson OF rather meager
abilities, who was now our spiritual
chief The Rev. Anthony Brent was
cheerful man, understood, with merry nose
of ruby and countenance denoting neither
deep learning nor that isolation of character
which is natural in men who live above the
world Indeed, Mr.. Brent did not live, nor
affect to live, one inch above the level OF
commonplace cheerful life. He told us from
his pulpit that human things are frail and
nothing worth, and that man is full OF misery;
but having folded up his sermon, he seemed
TO have folded up his theology too, for when
you met him on week days he was full OF
comfort and good cheer. Perhaps we are
fastidious people; perhaps we are ignorant;
certain it is that we never could quite satisfy
ourselves that Mr.. Brent was altogether
gentleman. His manners were no better than
blithe lissom creature such as he might I've
picked up in ten years between twenty-five
and thirty-five. He had a way of abiding to
my gardener" and my banker" which
seemed to show, SO Sparkling said-Mr. Brent
employed the rival practitiOner-that some
time in his life he had neither bank nor
garden. 1t is very possible that had he
not been so good natured, his vul-
paritv might have been obvious. which it
e. :-!--1 - I'D not % Gui-33
sure that he was vulgar at all. Another thing
puzzled us; where had his fortune come from?
He was very wealthy and widower and our
idea was that Mrs. Brent had brought the
money. This, too, was guess, and nothing
but guess. Such, then, was our rector; a
man liked, but not greatly respected, and yet
man whom none could condemn or fairly
despise; a shallow man, equal to reading his
newspaper, and no more; on good terms with
w
science to preach sanity sermons, copied out
from standard divines, and at the same time
live an easy average life; a comfortable man,
with good intentions, sound digestion, full
purse and cellar and one who never let his
kitchen chimney freeze
1t was the reverend widower Brent whom
we upon consideration had assigned to our
lively Mrs. Barbara Temple as third husband;
and events went rapidly to show that our
forecast was not inexact. Mr.. Brent was
about fifty; Mrs Barbara Temple was well
known to be about forty-fve; SO that on the
score of age there was nothing against the
match; and as to inclination, the rector soon
made it evident that there was no obstacle on
his side Everybody remarked that he took
the Temples up with remarkable warmth.
He gave dainty little lunches and snug little
dinners for them: and he was forever calling
in his carriage to take one or other of the
girls drive, the little mother attending as
chaperon At first we were in doubt as to
which he was pursung-mother or daughters;
and we even thought that grave Sophia, with
her heavenly face had attracted him; but
we forgot that be was a man of some
common sense. Mrs. Temple was his choice;
her vivacity, her polish, her knowledge of the
world, her untiring energy, were all after his
own heart. He soon began to drop hints, as
men do who have matrimony in their heads.
Mrs. Temple was a remarkably fine woman
"Forty-five was the exact age that the wife of
a man of fifty should be-the exact age"
"AIrs. Temple did not look forty-five" Che adj
mitted that, "but'-and he would drop his
voice-"he knew she was every day of it"
The intimation was that he had either seen
the register of her baptism or she had told
him the fact direct, and he declared over and
over again, with amusing earnestness and pub
licity, that forty-five was the age he approved
of; that for a man of his standing one year
younger would be one year too young, and
one year older one year too old. OF course
so far he had not said that he hoped or wished
to marry Mrs. Temple, but the drift of his
conversation and conduct was unmstakable
In the meantime it was evident that the
lively widow did not dislike attentions which
had now become SO marked that even those
saw them who could see nothing. She ex-
changed compliments freely with the rector,
invited him to her house, praised his SER
MONS and she was actually found one even
ing at a missionary meeting over which he
presided She listened to his speech with the
utmost attention, sitting erect, and keeping
her eyes fixed upon him, although it would
have been hard to say whether she knew or
cared less about the subject. She could not
have told in which continent the district
spoken of lay, nor whether the people
were white brown or black; but
she listened as attentively as if she
had been hearing of dear relations in a
far-of land. In short, with garden parties
and lunches and dinners and drives, things
went so far that we all considered the matter
settled and when we heard that no proposals
had yet been made, we all agreed that there
must be tacit engagement, which, for some
private reasons, was not just yet to be avowed.
To all intents and purposes, we regarded Mrs.
Temple and Mr.. Brent as affianced; and, on
the whole, we approved of our rector's choice
Certainly we should have liked lady more
interested in religious affairs; but then, we
argued. it was much better than if be had
married young woman. So, balancing
matters, we accepted the event with satisfac-
ton.
The rector was in ecStaSies. He was in his
element, dancing attendance on these -four
brilliant women; and really careless OBJ
server might have been puzzled to tell which
of the four he was pursuing. In the most
polished of hats, the newest of suits, the most
faultless lavender gloves, and looking al
over a comfortable ecclesiastic, he would fiji
around them, glowing and beaming will
satisfaction. The girls, for their part, &C
cepted his civilities with charming freedom
and their mother-shrewd woman-nevel
manifested the smallest jealousy In this
beside proving her own good sense, she pait
her admirer a compliment which he fully de
served; for he looked upon the three girls a.
daughters already, and was fond of them il
the most parental fashion.
"Ah, Mrs Temple he said one day, whe1
he was getting hot, as the children say il
their hide-and-seek game, 81 have but on,
child-a son, a dear good fellow, away il
Australia. always longed for daughters
Whereupon Mrs. Barbara Temple turnet