The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-09-22

on his pillow, tormented with alter
nate visions OF her adorable presence
at the hotel, and her bowed renunciat-
| ing figure as she re-entered the con-
vent gate. He waited expectantly the
next day for the message she had
promised, and which he believed she
would find some way to send. But no
| message was forthcoming. The day
| passed and he became alarmed. The
fear that her escapade had been dis
! covered again seized him. If she were
in close restraint she could neither
send to him, nor could he convey to
her the solicitude and sympathy that
filled his heart. In her childish frank
ness she might have confessed the
whole truth, and this would only shut
the doors of the convent against him,
under his former preteXt, but compro-
mise her still more if he boldly called.
He waylaid the afternoon procession;
she was not among them. Utterly
despairing, the widest plans for see
Ing her passed through his brain
plans that recalled his hot-headed
youth, and a few moments later made
him smile at his extravaganza, even
while it half frightened him at the
reality of his passion. He reached the
hotel heartsick and desperate. The
porter met him on the steps. 1t was
with thrill that sent the blood leap
ing to his cheeks that he heard the
man say:
Sister Seraphina is waiting for you
IN the sitting ROOM
There was no thought of discovery
or scandal in Preble Keys mind now;
no doubt or hesitation as to what he
would do, as he sprang up the stair
case. He only knew that he had found
ner again, and was happy. He burst
into the room, but this time he remem-
bered to shut the door behind him. He
looked eagerly toward the window
Where she had stood the day before,
but she now rose quickly from the
sofa in the corner, where she had been
seated, ana the missal she had been
reading rolled from her lap to the
floor. He ran toward her to pick it
up. Her name-the name she had told
him to call her-was passionately
trembling on his lips, when she slowly
put her veil aside, and displayed
pale, kindly, nniddle-aged face. slightlv
marked by old scars of smallpox. 1t
was not Alice; it was the real Sister
Seraphina who stood before him.
His first revulSion of bitter disap-
polntment was SO quickly followed by
a realization that all had been dis
covered, and his sacrifice of yesterday
nad gone for naught, that he stood be-
fore her, stammering, but without the
power to say word. Luckily for him,
his utter embarrassment seemed to re-
assure her, and to calm that timidity
which his brusque, man-lile irruption
might well produce in the inexperf-
enced, contemplative mind of the re-
cluse Her voice was very sweet, al
belt sad, as she said gently:
II am afraid ] have taken you bv
surprise; but there was no time to ar
range for a meeting, and the Lady ST.
perior thought that I, who knew all
the facts, had better see you confiden-
italy Father Cipriano gave US your
address,
Amazed and wondering, Key bowed
her to a seat. -.
You viii remember" she went on
softly, that the lady superior failed
to get any information from you re-
garding the brother of one of our dear
children whom he committed to our
charge through "a companion or ac-
quaintance-a Mrs. Barker AS she was
armed with his authority by letter. we
accepted the dear child through her
permitted her as his representative to
nave free access to his sister, and even
allowed her. as an unattended woman.
to pass the night at the convent. We
were therefore surprised this morning
to receive letter from him absolutely
1orblddlng any further intercourse, cor
fespondence or association of his sister
with TINS companion, Mrs. Barker. Tt
was necessary to inform the dear child
Of this at once, as she was on the point
OF writing to this woman, but we We're
panied and shocked at her reception
OF her brothers wishes. I ought to
say, in justice to the dear child. that
while she is usually docile, intelligent
and tractable to discipline and a de-
vote IN her religious feelings, she is
slngularly impulsive. But we were not
prepared for the rash and sudden step
she had taken. At noon today she
escaped from the conventw
Key, who had been following her
with relief, sprang to his feet at this
unexpected elimination.
"Escaped!' he said. Impossible,
mean he added. hurriedly recalling
your rules, your discipline,
your attendants are so perfect"
Ihe poor impulsiVe creature has adj
ded sacrilege to her madness-a sacri-
lege we are willing to believe she did
not understand, for she escaped in a
religious habit-my own
But this would sufficiently identifv
her." he said, controlling himself with
an effort
"Alas, not so! There are many of us
who go abroad on our missions i'm
these garments, and they are made all
ahke, SO as to divert rather than at
tract attention to any individuality.
we nave sent private messengers in
all directions, and sought her every-
where, but without success. You will
understand that we wish to avoid scan
daI which a more public inquiry would
create "'0'0
And you come to me-" said Kew
with return of his first suspicion. in
spite of his eagerness to cut short the
interview and be free to act-''to me.
almost stranger?"
Not a stranger, Mr.. Key" returned
the religieuse, gently, but to a we'll |
known mana man of affairs in the
country where this unhappy child's
brother lives-a friend who seems to |
be sent by heaven to find out this |
brother for us and speed this news IN |
him. We come to the old pupil of |
rather Cipriano, friend of the bolv |
to the kindly gentleman who |
knows what it is to have dear relations
of his own, and who only Yesterday |
was seeking the convent to-
Enough interrupted Kew. hurried |
", with a slight color. 81 will eo a.
once. 1 do not know this man. but T |
VIII do my best to find him. And this
his young girl? you say you have no |
trace of her? May she not still he herao |
should have some clue by which To !
seek her-I mean that L could give 70 |
ner BROTHER ~
"Alasi We fear cLa - ,1,