The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-04-22

| JOY his papers. Several hours passed and
| ne was still obliViouS to his surround
! ings, when a soft full voice behind him
| murmured question to the conductor
! He could not explain what magnetism
! that voice possessed for him, but the Ii
quid tones seemed to touch some chord
| in his breast that had never thrilled
with life before. Obeying resistless inn
pulse, he turned and glanced behind
him. There with an elderly companion
sat the same young nun whose image
he had tried so uusuccessfully to Danish
from his mind. Her soft glances swept
his face, and lie caught a dawning look of
recognition in her hastily aVerted eyes.
His papers were forgotten now,
as he sat aud pOndered ON the irony of
fate. 1t s"9med so strange, that that
sinless V ing creature was giving her
life to sternest of all duties, and he
wOnde d what had caused her to take
those mmutable VOWS. 1t could not
have been an earthly disappointment
that had driven her to that refuge, for
those eyes were unshaded by sorrow,
and that brow and cheek unlined by
care.
Suddenly as they dashed round a
curve, there sounded the shrill, piercing
shrek of an approaching train, and
their own locomotive walled despair
ing signal, while the rumble and roar
of both trains sounded loud and deadly
to their terror stricken occupants. Eu-
gene realized the situation at once, and
the side of the young nun.
"Are YOU afraid to die? he said, while
great shuddering pity for her filled his
soul She stood up tall and straight and
raised her eyes to his, and again that
telegraphic communication flashed
from soul to soul. In that one instant
they seemed to have known each other
for wears. Eugene with a strange sense
of eXultation, for though she might be
the bride of The church in life she was
his in death, threw his arms about her
to shield her If possible, just as the on
rushing trains met with terrific
crash, like two mighty monsters rem
dering and deStOying each other.
But who would wish to describe
wreck The cries and groans of the
wounded and helpless, the pants and
shrieks of the struggling engines, and
all the sickening chaos of such scene.
When it was all over, and the
wounded and dead were laid out on the
blood s'ained grass, among them was
a handsome young man with palllG
face upLurmed to the golden stars. BY
his side knelt a weeping nun, her head
uncovered and her bright hair falling
in clouds about her.
Scene three months later. A hand
some sitting room with Eugene Aubrey
seated on a luxurious rocker; standing
by him, her hand resting on the back of
his chair is "the nun" attired in pretty
evening dress.
"Just think, darling" Eugene was
put an end to my life, had not hap
pened, would have always thought
that you was really nun, for L knew
nothing whatever of their custom of
keeping one year on trial before they
are allow ed to take the vows. l think
that is very sensible course they pur-
sue. 1t would have been terrible to
have met you after you had taken the
vows"
"Yes, Eugene, I am perfect humbug
and hypOcrite. l was left alone in the
world and was educated i'll e convent;
consequently knew nothing of the out
side world, and thought it best to remain
in the alma mater, which had been my
childhOOds's home. l would have sealed
those solemn vows in short time, had
not Providence ipterferred. | was only
a novice and l am not near good enough
to be nun"
"You are good enough to be an angel,
darling, and you have made one man
the happicst person in all the world"
Mrs. MARY FLETCHER,