The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-07-21

encr is his brothers disappearance.
Och now, see that exclaimed the
younger of the two women, 'and it's
months since his brother that he loved
so started from this"
This" being remote village in the
west of Ireland, and the two old wom-
en- had met by chance at the church,
yard gate one Friday evening, just
about the time Father O'Brien would
be going to the confessional in the
church, ready to hear and minister to
ahc spiritual needs of the little flock
For this purpose the good priest was
always 10 be found in the right place
after vespers on Fridays, and now even
.ns luc two danes stood Father Patrick
came 77p from his cottage hard by. He
wae II -all. powerful man. about five and
fort =. @ood looking, with face at once
I,r,. Shrowd and sesolute--not the
mn.. 20 be easily fooled or gainsaid-
who could be the Church militant as
well - .hc Church spiritual when
the caa@c of right required it.
lie looked very grave and sorrow
ful. 'or his heart was heavy enough,
and when old Kathleen Mccartney
asked anxiously "if his reverence had
hcarG any news from Misther Ter
encc:" he shook his head sadly.
40. hattie, l can't make it out at
all. anh miserably anxious and trou-
ilc,' am. He must be i'll or some
thing have happened to him. He
promised to write from Dublin to give
ne lis address, and even If he did not
ge, employment at once, sure and it's
no; waiting for that he would be I'm
thinkiug-but for two long months!
Now ! must go"
Still that was a possible solution.
though not one to draw much comfort
from.
But minute after those words he
had PASSED into the church. and en-
tered his side of the confessional with
its partitions and grating between
priest and penitent. Once within that
santum the man was put aside--it was
the priest only who sat there ''in
patience possessing his soul" Some
times there would be a good many
p.ni,cnts. at other times very few in
the whole two hours allotted. and this
evening there were not many-only
four NJ first. who followed each Other
by turn. as usual. Then there was I;
gap of time before one more, the last
as il proved. entered the confessiona
ii mans step and mans deep voice
that spoke on the other side OF the
grating.
Then there came a half hour which
tn the confessor was surely as a thou
sand years of purgatorial fires.
Patrick O'Brien got back to his cot
1age, 10 his own little room. and funl
himself to his knees in passion o
horror and agony that tore body ant
sonl from head to foot Was that las
half hour hideous dream or still
more hideous reality of revenge an.
crime crowned by the blasphemy of I,
Confession that was none of penitence
bu, ia mockery, q deliberate refnemen
of revenge against himself, for an ae
three years ago that had been hi
.duty4 the giving OF evidence that hat
ssrntsto prison Q rnffian,. whose at
5temptcG deed Of bastard violence de
served in truth q pistol bullet evel
moro than four walls.
That was all reality enough TO tn
Gelnory of the tortured man win
lsncit with arms flung out over tn
pallet bed. and head bowed ON them
lie Ind at once recognised the rougl
voice Of Donovan Rorke, as wit
simulated s1kuish and penitence h
confessed himself as . murderer: III
victim was man who he had waylai'
one evening tt . certain place. am
shot him in THE back, then thrown tn
deal man and weapon into deep. dr.
,,::i sell oysrgrown by thick bnshe,
'ef which the assassin knew. III
motive was revenge. which heivla'
n,;rSed for three years, and killed thi
man hseHnse that he found out wonl'
best have IL ont of the spalpeen h
la;sd. since this one loved the dea'
mat there Rorke had paused. an
40 priest, with blood growing ics