The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-08-15

ton came to Victor.
~ Pere Lefort,' he said, will you
not talk to my sister sometimes? /
am sure she will listen to you, and as
a priest you will know better what TO
say to her than | do
what she looked like, monsieur, |
cannot ellyou; but even Pere Petit
picture Of the Holy Virgin, Victor said,
was not half so beautiful as this
Mademoiselle Rose.
''As a priest he was welcomed by her
friends at all times; Mademoiselle
herself seemed always glad to see him.
For hours they would be left alone to-
gether, but thinking over afterwards
what they had said he found that
when he had spoken OF religion she had
changed the subject, and in some way
he always forgot to return to 1t. This
should have warned him, monsieur,
but he was a priest. Itnever occurred
10 him until too late that priest is
but a man after all, with weaknesses
ike the rest OF us.
"Fancying his hurrying through his
duties to 90 to her. Dreaming OF her
all night and thinking of her all day,
with her face constantly floating be-
fore him, and then not seeing the dan
ger he was in, not knowing that he was
falling in love with her.
II do not blame the girl, monsieur;
she never knew anything about it. He
was simply a kind friend to her-noth-
ing more.
cat last the awakening came and
very little thing brought it about. 1t
is always q little thing that brings on
a crisis. She had walked to the gar
den gate with him, and pausing with
her hand on the latch
'''Pere Lefort,' she said, 4 feel so
sorry for priests, their lives seem so
lonely and loveless. Do you always
find religion satisfactory?
"That was the question that awOke
him. In a moment herealized that to
him religion was as nothing compared
to the love OF this one woman. With
out answering he pushed past her and
hurried away.
'All night lOngmy poor Victor wan
dered up and down, fighting for the
mastery OF his lOve-a love that for
him was sinful and wicked, but which
another man might welcome as a bless
ing. That was the thought which mad
dened him-his never being able to
speak one word OF love to her. To
think that ii he were but like other
men he might win this angel Oflght for
his own. But a priest to whom
thought Of woman never comes, what
could he do?
1.-The air still seemed filled with her
voice: Was religion satisfactory
mo, a thousand times no Religion
without lOve-What was 1t, after all ?
a shell, a dry husk. The body with
out the soul. Better the soul for a
moment than the body for a lifetime.
Thus he reasoned, If one SO mad as
my Victor that night could reason.
"When morning came he found that
he had walked far out into the coun-
try. All the world was waking up
around him, and he sat down to wait
for the sunrise. | do not know how
that is in your country, monsieur,
but with US it is Ie bon Dieu's portion
OF the day.
"When the sun rose the next morn
ING it shOne on man who, still young
in years, had parted from his youth
fOreyer-WhOse face was stern and set
with Il terribleresolve. Thatvery day
he sent his resignation to the pope.
think, monsieur, what my poor
Victor must have suffered to DO
thing ike that, for the pope will never
accept a resignation from a priest and
allow him to remain in the church.
He knew that; knew that he was dis
graced for life, and that he had brought
It upon himself, willingly with his own
hand.
"Was there ever awoman worth the
sacrifice he made2
"He determined not to speak to her
until he was free, so he kept away,
fearing to trust himself in her pres
enCe.
1T was not long he had to wait,
but it seemed Ike eternity. After his
excitement and sending theresignation
a reaction took place. He saw things
more clearly and III their true light;
saw that, perhaps after all he had
thrown away the substance for the
shadow.
Yet so mad was he about this girl
he did not regret what he had done
His own love for her was so absorbing,
so great that he never thought about
her not caring Tor him.
when he poured forth the story OF
his love he thought it must awake the
same passion in her, as the wind
aWakes the sea from its calm.
After awhile his sentence came, and
my poor mad Victor actually received
it with Joy. Excommunication and
/ disgrace forever hecounted as nothing,
now that he was free.
1T was at evening he went to her.
Twice he told me, he mad to stop on
the way to rest. A great fear seemed
to take hold Of him.
"She met him with a little cry OF de.
light.
~ am so glad you have come, Pere
Lefort.
He sighed as she called his name.
4 You see, he had no right TO it now.
Still holding her hand, the words OF
+ love he feared to speak trembled on
his lips.
Mademoiselle, he began.
+ "'Pere LafOrt, she interrupted, 4
am IN trouble VIII you help me?
i You remember Monsieur Louis? He
! loves me, but my mother fOrbids it,.
! VIII you make her understand how
good, how noble he is?'
He did not answer her, perhaps he
+ had not heard the question
Child, he said, and there was a
/ wonderful longing and sadness in his
+. voice, do you love him, this Monsieur
4 Louis
She looked at him with eyes full OF
! aStOuishmenr.