The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-03

mine-a very old friend, may say. We are
quite on intimate terms The name Of this
young lady is Miss Sophia Templel"
CHAPTER II.
FACE TO FACE.
And so it was Young Brent had fallen in
love with the daughter of the woman who
had just rejected his father so angrily. Mr..
Brent thought at first that this alone would
make an end of the thing; Mrs. Barbara
Temple would not give her consent, SO rea-
soned this parson, who knew the world so
we'll He kept silence on the point, however,
and soon his sons ardor, carrying everything
before it. made his small doubts and scruples
of no effect at all
"This picture is good-very good" the
father said, gazing at it, "but must tell you
that it does not do the girl justice. Where it
fails l cannot say; indeed l can scarcely say
what it is that makes Sophia Temple so hand
some"
| Of course the son listened to all this with
greedy ears; and the conversation turned into
discussion of the prospects of the affair
which for the present the father would not
admit to be hopeful still remembering his
own late repulse. When, however, young
Brent ascertained that his father was on
visiting terms with the family he would hear
no more of doubt or difficulty With such
an opening the fault must be his if he did not
make the girl his own
"You are sure she is not engaged9" he
asked.
"Oh, yes, quite sure" the rector answered
"None of the girls are engaged; indeed, the
only one of the family who has been talked
about in that respect is the"
Mr.. Brent stopped, and turned as red as a
turkey cock. He never did guard his lips
well, and this disclosure came out before he
remembered how awkward the subject might
be- So he repeated the sentence stammer-
ingly.
1.-The only one of the family that was talked
about in that respect was"
"You don't mean her mother" cried the
young fellow. He was quite interested in his
beauty's mother, and was ready to be inter-
ested in her grandmother if necessary.
"Yes, the mother was talked about" the
rector said, still red with self-consciousness
but there was nothing in it, Percy-nothing. -
as the mother handsome!" asked our lover,
vivaciously.
Decidedly handsome" the father replied
about what ages"
"Her age Percy" the rector replied, gloom
lily, "has not been ascertained."
| Young Brent was man of scientific tastes.
and it was to his credit that, born as he was
to great expectations, he steadfastly pursued
his studies, in which he was now no cen
temptible authority. Geology was his
favorite, and he resolved to devote his
energies to that science, for he was
old-fashioned enough to believe that birth
to good fortune imposes obligations on
| the inheritor Young Brent resolved to
make his mark in the world. Like all young
enthusiasts he must be for ever talking over
| his subjects, and he would try to interest his
father in geology; but Brent senior had no
patience with the Unsuitable demands of that
science for time. 'In the name of goodness u
| he would say. "is not six thousand wears
| enough Tor yous JuSJ think what could be
done in six thousand years! Up to that time
you can do as you please, but do object to
your upsetting everything on the plea of
wanting time to account for dead fish be-
| ing found in one of your strata Is it anv
great matter how it came there or when? To
be upsetting Bishop Usher simply because
somebody has found a few bones in rock
where he did not expect it, seems to me the
most monstrous thing l ever heard Of"
For all that, when the easy humored rec
tor heard his son praised in company for hi,
scientific attachments he was not i'll pleased
and contrasting his earnest and energetic
youth with the idleness and frivolity of othe.
| young fellows in the town, he was willing to
excuse the mild skepticism which contented
itself with requiring a little chronological
elasticity from Bishop Usher. Indeed, the
rector might fairly be proud of his son; in
tellectual ardOr is seldom exclusive, and the
young mans love of science gave him SYM
pathy with much beside which was not di-
rectly scientific. He took an interest in
politics, but with Radical symptoms, which
his father pounced upon with vigilance and
great heat, ending the dispute generally with a
laugh, and the hope that things would last his
time. Besides this young Brent was a good
musician, and not without literary tastes fol.
he dabbled in poetry. But partly through
studious shyness, and more from a certain
physical awkwardness, he was not altogethe
drawing room man. He had too grea
respect for women to be altogether a favorik
with them; for these exalted beings, knowing
their celestial qualities, cannot see why they
should be approached with downcast eve
or addressed with faltering lips. Sc youn:
Brent was not ladys man, nor a COMPANY
mana although there were stories of at le;.s
TWO pretty girls having been in love with
grew serious, Brent, as by natural right,
began to speak freely, and spoke often with
great success.
1t was impossible to withstand the lovers
entreaties, and so little Mr. Brent. divided
between uneasiness and satisfaction, fearing
repulse, and yet not without hope of now
wholly regaining his footing in the widows
lively house, introduced his son to the
A in, +1o
when the gentlemen were announced, and
young Brent was sufficiently master of
himself not to betray any preference for
one daughter before another. Indeed. he
rather avoided Sophia talked more and more
freely with Caroline and Sibyl; and so few
and shy were the chances he cast at her he
worshiped, that four pair of female ewes did
not, In quarter of an hour, detect him as
lover. Caroline rather liked his converse
ton, which was tri1e bookish; but Sibyl
pronounced him awkward and bashful
Sophia said nothing, from which one might
have fancied that she thought the more; but
1t Is certain that as yet, she had not recog-
nized lover
Young Brent left the house enchanted. He
was ready to say, like the dazzled queen of
the East, that the half had not been told him.
sophia Temple did, indeed, look very lovely
lnat morning, and as her face was in most
particular sense face of expression, no por-
trait could do her justice. The young lover
new OH In an ecstasy of praise. Was ever a
True picture OF womanhood seen before? Was
not oophla the living presentation of that
image OF sense and sensibility which hovers
around every mans fancy, as the likeness of
the true woman, but which seldom takes form
ana Ieature-Once or twice in a generation
perhapss | pardon the lads raptures. And
In her face that afternoon there was delight
ful harmony of expression, sweetness and