Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-05-21
perience of him Penrose answered

| perence OF MIN IenrOSe answered
evasively.
els there nothing to make me anx-
ious," he said, "when l hear you tall,
as you are talking now? The poot
French boy died of fever. Must
remind you again that he owed the hap
piest days of his life to you AID yout
good wife,"
Romayne still looked at him without
attending to what he said.
"Surelv you dent think am decoiv.
ing you| Penrose demonstrated.
"No; 1 was thinking of sometime
else. was wondering whether really
know you as well as | thought 1 did.
Am l mistaken in supposing you are
not an ambitious man ?"
"My only ambition is to lead II
worthy life, and to be useful to my fel
low. creatures as I can. Does that sat.
isfy you?"
Romayne hesitated.
at seems strange =" he began,
"What seems strange"
81 don't say it seems strange that
you should be a priest" Romayno ex-
planned. 81 am only surprised that a
man of your simple way of thinking
should have attached himself to the
Order of the Jesuits."
"I can quite understand that" said
Penrose. "But you should remember
that circumstances often influence o
man in his choice of vocation 1t has
been so with me. | am member Of Il
legc was near our place OF abode, and a
near relative of mine since dead was
one OF the residcnt priests" He paused,
and added, in 10 xer tone: "When |
was little more than lad / suffered a
disappointment which altered my char
Qcter for life. | took refuge in the col
lege, and / have found patience and
peace of mind since that time. Oh,
my friend, you might have beon a more
contented man" He stopped again.
His interest in the husband had all but
deceived him into forgetting his prom
Use to the wife.
Romayne held out his hand.
81 hope 1 have not thoughtlesslv
hurt you," he said
Penrosc took the offered hand, and
pressed it fervently. He tried to
speak, and suddenly shuddered, like a
man in pain.
81 am not very well this morning"
he stammered; ga turn in the garden
will do me good"
Romayne's doubts were confirmed by
the manner in which Penrose left him
Something had unquestionably hap
pened, which his friend shrank from
communicating to hi u. He sat down
again to his desk and tried to read
The time passed, and he was still left
aone. When the door at last opened,
it was only Stella who entered the
room.
"Have you seen Penrose ?" he asked,
The estrangement between them had
been steadily widening OF late. Ro-
mayne had expressed his resentment at
his wife's interference between Penrose
AM himself, by that air of contemptu
oas endurance which is the hardest
penalty that man can inaict on the
woman who loves him. Stella had sub
mitted with proud and silent resigna-
tion-the most unfortunate form of pro-
test that she could have adopted toward
a man of Romayne's temper. Whom she
now appeared, however, in her hus-
bands study, there was q change in her
expression which he instantly noticed.
She looked at him with eyes softened by
sorrow. Before she could answer his
first question he hurriedly added an
other. els Penrose really ill ?"
"No, Lewis. He is distressed"
"About what ?"
"About you and about himself"
els he going to leave us?"
eyes"
"But he will come back again ?"
Stella took a chair by her husbands
side. 81 am truly sorry for you,
Lewis" she said. "It is even a sad
parting for me, If you will let me say
it, | have sincere regard for dear Mr..
1 Penrose."
Under other circumstances this con
fossion of feeling for man who had
sacrificed his dearest aspiration to the
one consideration of her happiness
might have provoked sharp reply.
But by this time Romayne had really
become alarmed. You speak as ii
Arthur was going to leave England" he
/ said.
. He loves England this afternoon"
4 she answered, "for Rome"
"Why does he tell this to you and
not to me?" Romayne asked.
8" He cannot trust himself to speak OF
it to you. He begged me to prepare
you"
Her courage failed her. She paused.
Romayne beat his hand impatiently on
the desk before him. "Speak out" hu
cried. eff Rome is not the end of his
journey, what is?"