Wichita eagle., 1889-08-13
AN EL0PEMENT.
Theodore Rouville, Las Casas, Chi

ably 80, tall, red bearded and athletic.
When he took off his hat to lady neat
little half moon in the top of one of his
ears was made visible. He passed into
the bar room, swallowed no stingy dose
! Of dust settler with Col. Cummings, and
then drifted to the billiard room. Set
fling himself into a chair he lighted a
cigar, and was soon watching with much
interest the progress of the game.
"Who is he?" asked a bystander of
Col. Cummings.
"Who is be?" echoed the colonel.
Don't you know Padre Teodoro? I'll
introduce you to him presently. I first
met him in Tombstone six years ago.
Padre, come over here"
The red bearded man looked up,
smiled, and walked across in answer to
the call
Padre" said the colonel, "here is a
newspaper man, friend of mine, who
wants to hear your history"
Mr. Rouville smiled and answered:
THAT story is pretty old now, isn't it?''
'It's new in this part of the country,
at all events
"Well, there is not much to tell,
really" said Mr.. Rouville. Besides,
Cummings knows it all, and can tell it
better than can. Go on, colonel"
up to 1892" said the colonel, with
out further preface, 'our friend here
was the priest of the Church Of Santa
Genevieve in Las Cgsas. The Academy
of the Visitation is also at Las Casas. 1t
is under the control of the sisters of
Loretto. The young French priest, with
his handsome face and fine education,
combined with his stern devotion to his
duties and the principles of his order,
was the idol of every maid and matron
in the devout but very feminine and
human little Mexican town. But the
young padre never looked up at faces
that the coquettish mantillas failed to
veil. The great liquid black eyes never
surprised an answering CLEAN in the
keen orbS of the young priest. Even the
holy sisters walking in the garden of the
Academy of the Visitation wondered
at his stern sanctity. The only woman
at all close to him was the morose old
sister superior, with whom he would
hold long conversations bristling with
Latin.
1.-The feast of the blessed St. Genevieve
came. Father Theodore walked behind
the image of the Virgin In the celebrat-
ing procession, his head sheltered by the
silk canopy carried by the four wealth.
est men in Las Casas Behind him fol-
lowed the sub-priests, and then the maids
of Las Casas, all in white, each with her
lighted taper and her bunch of flowers
for the sacred image. When the process
sion reached the church Father Theodore
turned to pronounce benediction. The
leader of the white robed girls was just
before him-Carmelita Villafores, IS
years of age, and markedly beautiful,
even in the land of glorious eyes and
perfect features. And this beautiful
girl, with the creamy complexion and
cherry lips, was about to leave the world
that she had only begun to see, and to
become, if God gave her strength to per-
severe, one Of the holy sisters of Loretto.
Beautiful Carmelita Villafores, just en-
tering on her 18th year, was TO begin
her novitiate on this same dav of St.
Genevieve. Her devoted little heart did
not feel a single pang for the world that
she was leaving. Withered old Madre
Josefa was pleased beyond expression at
her daughters resolution, and even Man
uel, her big, swarthy brother, grunted
his approval from the table of the VIVA
tn. So every one who had any right to
a say was satisfied that la Nina Carmeli-
Ia should take the veil To be sure there
was little gr,lmbhng. Los Lagartiios,
the lizards-those idle young men who
had no need for work, and whose habit
of basking in the sun at tho street cor
ner6 had gainedfor them their cant de-
nomination-swore por Dios that 1t was
a shame that they should no more feast
their eyes on her graceful little form
while she passed between her home and
the store.
That night the sister superior was
startled by the priests asking about the
novice. To be sure he only inquired of
the good sister if she thought that the
girl knew her own mind well enough TO
decide rightly on her future life, but
then the sister could not remember his
ever asking such question before. Dur
ing her novitiate Carnlelita S conduct was
exemplary. She We'd with Padre Teo-
doro in religious fervor. The evening
before the day that she was to make her
final severance of all that bound her to
the world at length arrived. Her friends
had visited her and the sisters had CUES
toned her, and TO all she made answer
that on the morrow she was content to
take the veil At length she was left
alone in her room in the second story of
the convent. 1t was late at night and
the whole convent seemed 10 siunber.
Suddenly the vigilant sister superior
started from her sleep. She listened and
again heard the sound that had aroused
her-a football in the garden.
" Some pcowler, l suppose. thought
the sister; but | wonder why Chatto
doesn't drive INN out
'Chatto was the great dog that guard
ed the Academy of the Visitation at
night Presently the sister heard win
dow open. IN a moment she was dressed.
convent gaze. By the bright moonlight
she saw the young priest in Sne garden
catch III his arms the novice as she
sprang from her window. She saw him,
with his burien in ms arms. hurry 10
the gate and place the girl On saddled
horse. jump up behind her, and then she
saw the horse gallop swiftly up the road.