Saint Mary's beacon., 1886-01-28

1856.
fer her hand from the diplomats coat
sleeve to his.
do you know him? But he is not
English p pursuedthe Frenchman.
No He is American. l knew a
cousin Of his once. They are from
Boston. believe"
"Ahl / have heard nothing of his
private history. except that they tell
me his family is among the best over
here" he added with naivete. I'm
any case. he is very fortunate. Fam
lily. that is a thing not many Ameri.
cans bring here. 1t is enough that
they have millions. like Mr.. Dextsrre.
Besides being 20 beau garcon."
= ~ So - ms
Very near the Gesu, in Rome, there
is a smaller church, iuconspicuous
without, and within poor in comrari-
son to all those other countless ones
that hold enshrined some unpurcha.
sable work of art, some priceless treas
ures. Yet like many such another
church all over Italy, it's mystic half
darkness, its incense, psrfumed still
ness, had doubtless been haven Of
rest to many a weary, suffering, OF
eontemplative spirit shat has wan
dered within its walls from out of
the garishbustle ofthe everyday world.
Linda Lyle, though a Protestant,
had taken habit OF stepping inside
this little church on certain days in
the week, when, with her old Italian
maid, she returned from her Italian
lessons at the house of an elderly and
impoverished countess in the same
street. On the afternoon following
the ball at the French embassy Dex.
ter was making his way thither. 1t
was one of the days of Linda lessons,
and some instinct told him she would be
more sure than ever to enter the lit
tie church that day.
He knew all the most trivial incl
dents of her life. He could have
laughed at the boyish eagerness with
which he had learned them all, if
laughter had evermore seemed thing
which could pass his lips. As he
lifted the heavy curtain on entering
a youngish priest was passing out. He
had passionate, yet ascetic face. For
a second he raised his eyes to Dex-
tsrs. Something in the latter for a
moment arrested him. A fellow-feel-
ing in his soul said: This man, too,
has suffered"
Suffered During the long night
watches when he had paced his room
it had seemed to Dexter that he had
gone through purgatory. What was
left now of the passion, the remorse,
the wild battling with temptation to
do desperate deed at whatever haz.
ard was a dull iron apathy. Yes, she
was there at the entrance Of one Of the
side chapels, the old woman near her.
Presently they moved to 60 out, and
he stepped out of the gloom near the
column where he had been leaning
with folded arms. She started at
sight of him, her sweet face suffused
with divine blush.
The old woman fell back. She had
never known her young lady to have
any such adventure before. But what
will you9 Youth will be youth. She
had not forgotten her own romantic
days.
Linda, stop a moment; 7 want to
to speak to you"
They were alone in the partial se-
clusion of the side-chapel. A light
burned dimly on the ower-decked
altar. In another part of the church
o mufled voice had commenced in
toning vespers to handful of wor-
shippers.
Linda. I asked you last night ii
you loved me. I had no right" The
sentences. hard. abrupt, unmOdulated,
fell from his lips without change or
tremor of q muscle. II am married
already"
He stopped. Linda was standing
with loossly-clssped hands little
away from him. She made no move
ment, no outcry. These two might
have been talking Of the commones.
things. But the change that came
over her face converted it from warm
pink-tinsed whitsness to dull gray
hue-from the countenance Of hap.
py girl to that Of blightsd woman