Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-10-07

convent, and was replaced by i sour
visaged nun whose piety was Of the
gloomy order, and who wanted to rule
the community with a rod Of iron.
EVERYTHING was changed under her do
minion, every rule made more severe,
every lite innocent pleasure curtailed
or forbidden. A dark pail came down
upon the convent, and discomfort
brooded like an evil presence by the
hearth.
Kathleen IN high health, active. full
Of life ANA spirits. was one Of the
first to break the new rules. Her gaiety
was misconduct, her fresh ringing
laugh an offence. She was continually
getting into disgrace; and Rose, who
saw her punished by all sorts of small
privations aud by the burden Of extra
tasks, rebelled in her heart against the
tyrant, although she urged her young
sister to submission and obedience.
There came Il day-a bright summer
day-when the punishment lesson was
heavier than usual, although Kath-
leen's offence had been of the slightest
kind.
Kathleen O'Hara has an obstinate
temper, ana it must be conquered"
said the Reverend Mother, when she
was told of a blotted exercire or a
little outbroaE Of temper.
Today Kathleen had a headache.
Slte was flushed and feyerish, overcome
by the midsummer heat. Just a year
had gone since Bridget's death, and
it seemed to both girls as II that year
had been the longest in their lives
the longest and most unhappy. The
child made a feeble effort to write the
German exercise which had been given
to her rs q punishment task; but soon
gave up altogether, and sat crying,
with the book open before her, and
the sun pouring it's fierce light upon
he" flushed, tear-stained face,
This was taken for rank contumacy,
and when the Reverend Mother came
upon her round Of inspection from a
superior class, she ordered Kathleen
off to n room at the ton of the house,
a bare garnet under the thin hot roof,
which was used Only for solitary con
6rement in very bad cases. 1t was
the blackhOle of the convent.
Kathleen was marched up to this
place Of durance vile, and kept there
till evening prayers. with the refresh
ment Of a slice Of black bread-such
bread as the coachmen give their
horse i'm that c~ountry-and a cup Of
water. In the cool eyentide she was
let out of her prison, which had been
like an oven all day, and she and
Rose lay down together side by side
in their narrow beds at the end Of the
long dormitory, nearest the door.
When all the Others were asleep
Rose kne.t by her sisters bed, and
kissed and comforted her; but the child
was broken hearted. She said She
would die i'm that miserable house,
Lessons were given to her which she
could not learn, and then She was pun
ished for not learning them. She had
been frightened in that dreadful room.
She had heard things-awfuI things
running about behind the walls,
squeakiug and screaming She thought
the were demons.
'"They were rats, darling" said Rose,
caressing and soothing her. You shall
never, never be put in that room again,
if you viii be brave. and trust me-
Rose |shuddercd at the thought of
that sitting garnet, under the burning
roof, and tn. rats running about be
hind the Walnscot. She had heard Of
children being eaten alive by rats.
shall we steal out Of the house
tomorrow morning as soon as il Is
light, and go away and live by our
selves somewhereG' she asked, in a
whisper.
1t was an hour after bedtime; the
4 other children were a. snoring on their
hard little holsters. There was no one
to overauar ta, sisters as they wills
pered 9ul plotted. Ii was no new
thought with Rose O'Hara. She had
been mojitating upon it for a long
time, ever since the new rule had be
gun and had made Kathleen unhappy.
She had never forgotten those words
Of Miss Fitzpatrick's: when you are
grown up you viii have to get your
own living, and then you may have
to be parted The very thought Of
severance from Kath cen, this only be-
loved OF her heart, was despair. Rose
made up Ter mind that there should
be no such parting. Why should they
not work and live together? Rose felt
herself strong and brave, and able to
work for both. She had wasted no
opportunity that the convent afforded
her. She had learnt all that her teach
ers had given her to learn, and now
fe,t herself able to teach as she had
been taught. If Miss Fitzpatrick were
left free TO plan their lives, she and
her sister would be parted; but if She
took their fate into her own hands,
they could spend their lives together
prosper or fail together; and. in her
young ho~pefulness, It seemed to her
that failure was hardly possible.
She whispered the plan to Kathleen.
They were to get up at daybreak-at
the hrst glimmer Of hght-dress them
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