Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-10-31
- GSA
CHAPTER ".

Tessa was standing by the window
In her favorite primrose gown, with II
ribbon of the same hue in her dark
hair, cutting the dead flowers off her
plants. She greeted Austen with such
sweet welcome, such eager thanks,
that he felt amply repaid for his
trouble.
"What have you been doing with
yourself to-day, Tessa?" he asked, as
he watched the white fingers placing
the flowers in the vases. did you
persuade my mother to go out?"
"No, l could no;;" and Tessa looked
little troubled. 'What is the mat
ter with her, Mr.. Bevan? Is she
always so quiet and sad? / fancied
that she looked little brighter and
happier a week or two ago; but lately
she has ceased to take any interest in
anything, and | can't rouse her at all.
Are people always like that, Mr.. Be-
van"-and Tessa dropped her flowers
and looked up wi questioning solemn
eyes-'old people, l mean? When
one gets so near the end OF life, does
everything seem trivial and worth
less?n
mot always" and Tessa's troubled
look was re iected in Austen's eyes.
Then why should it be so with
her?" Tessa persisted. ''She told me
only yesterday that she was very
tired '-and the girls voice dropped,
and there was n mist of tears in her
eyes-"that she was only waiting
now"
Waiting? For what?"
"For DEATH" Tessa answered softly;
and then there was long pause.
"You do not think she looks worse
than usual, Tessa?" Austen said at
last.
Tessa hesitated a moment.
81 think" she said very gently, and
gravely, that she looks as If her
heart was broken"
Austen looked at her in surprise,
and gave short uneasy laugh.
"Nonsense!' he said impatiently
''What can child like you know of
broken hearts, or of how those look
who bear themp"
"Ah, but l do know''--and 1essa
gave quaint little nod. II remem-
her Sister Ursula. She was one of
the nuns in theconvcnt near Charente.
Madame Frejus, my old governess,
had n sister there, and l used often,
on holidays and saint-days, TO go up
to the convent and talk to the sisters
and play with the pupils, and l knew
sister Ursula very well; she was so
good-the best woman that ever lived,
/ think. Every one loved her. The
girls always went TO her If they were
in disgrace or trouble, ana the people
in the village used TO beg for her
prayers. But for all that--for all she
was so sweet and sanity, and so near
heaven Tessa's voice sank and
her eyes grew misty-'her heart was
broken--I knew that well enough"
Austen looked at the girls grave
face curiously.
"WhyP Had sho some great trou-
ble?" he questioned.
''She had been engaged to young
officer, "Tessa answered quietly, land
Just about the time fixed for their
marriage, the Franco-Prussian war
broke out. He of course went with
his regiment to the front, and, on the
very day which was TO have been her
wedding day, she heard he had been
killed at Worth. She was i'll for some
time. and then she took the veil, and
this is the saddest part of the story,
/ think-just after she had completed
her novitiate and taken the final vows,
she found she had been deceived
that her lover had not been killed,
only severely wounded at Worth, and
that her parents had kept back the
news until it was too late. They said
even then she was very good and pa
tient, and never uttered word OF re-
proach, and she prayed always; but
somehow i know"--and Tessa'O voice
grew very low and awed--''that she
had been as near despair in those days
as any one can be and live on. And
IL was then that that look came into
her face"