The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-11-30
CONTINUED FROM Ff1isT PAGE.
A THANKSGIVING BREAKFAST.

house she exclaimed. IN our mOlH
err drawing room ! The pollution of it =
What. what, Miss Sidney
IAN actress - and Miss Veronica
tones were unmistakable.
.Oh ~ And both the girls fell back
But in moment Celeste had thrown hel
arms round Jimmy, who had begun to cry
':Didn' you know she was an actress !
she exclaimed to the two Mortified ladies'
II thought every one knew Ii. AND
what of it? Most of the people here
would think it an honor to have her IN
their houses. An actress. indeed Viz
ginia Cantrel is just as good as am, and
a great deal better. for she is a genius, too,
and she is the soul of honor and upright
ness. She is just as good as you are
She is better!! cried the Infatuated Celeste.
For she doesn't keep out of the way OF
the world for fear Of being contaminated.
but she is in the world, doing her duty
with the talent God gave her, and not con-
taminated by it And you had better ask
Father White about her and he Il tell you
she's as true Catholic as you are. You
run right up stairs and pack your trunk,
jimmy, and I'll pack mine. wouldn t
stay another night in this house for money.
[ thought it was too good to be true-our
having such a pleasant home, and here
Celeste began to cry, with two angels
narrow minded angels-but angels all the
same. Live creatures sweeping by on the
current-couldn live with barnacles-
Was jimmy acting? 1t crossed Miss
Veronica mind that here was more desc
Grafton of the drawing room with its por-
traits and spider-legged tables and jars Of
pot-pourri packed by dear fingers a half
hundred years ago and more. And then
she felt as if her heart were milestone
that would sink her into bottomleSs pit.
She instinctively put her hand into her
reticule for the companionship Of her little
rosary.
For jimmy had left Celeste. and was
approaching her with outstretched arms.
Miss Sidney, she said. you re not 70
ing to send me away for that? You io" I
think there is any harm i'll me? You
can tell what it has been to me to think
| had this resting place. | should have
played 50 much better if had always had
such support behind me. And, indeed,
[ can think what you NEAL. | never
did anything you need be ASHAMED of it
you were my own mother.
The candles only made darkness visible
in the long room round the little spot near
Celeste But the moonlight streamed
through the window and bathed the girl
in white glow-so tender. so appealing,
so innocent No. no. only IL play-actress
Miss Veronica lifted her open hand as if
warding off great terror or bitter
draught, and turned her head aside. 1t
is very late she said hoarsely. We
will not talk any more Please 90 to bed.
And as she stood up there was an air Of
gentle authority about her that was not to
be disobeyed.
s'Oh = cried Celeste, as she swept by
her, following jimmy. I've no doubt
you will 90 to heaven; you are so good.
But how surprised you will be when you
get there to find jimmy nearer to God than
you are
Miss Veronica put out the candles and
looked round for her sister. But Miss
Sedley had gone too. She sank into the
armchair by the hearth that Celeste had
filled with ferns from Kalorama, forgetting
to close the windows through which the
summer night breeze still rolled heavy
with perfumes into the moonlighted place.
She was entirely bewildered. weak and
faint with her mental confusion. She
did not know whether she had suffered Il
degradation. her mother parlor a desc
Grafton. or whether she must reverse the
opinions, the prejudices of a lifetime.
Why had all this overseeing come to
her? Why had she been suffered to grow
fond of this young actress-the word
made her SILVER; why had it not been
that pretty Matte Tillinghurst Celeste 5
other friend. who ran in every day and
made the house gay with laughter? She
had warm feeling for that child the mo
ment she saw her-old General Tilling-
hurst daughter they called her There
had been time when Tom Filling hurst-
However, all that was in the golden age.
And these were dark days. She was
cold in all the warm night. filed with Il
sort of vague horror Of she knew not
what Perhaps she fell asleep; she did not
know; but certainly the broad moonbeam
had come round and fallen full upon her
mother portrait, lighting the wistful eyes
and the sweet mouth there had slowly
shifted and lain across the picture i'll the
panel and silvered it with glory-an
old print of the Shepherd with the stray
lamb in his arms, and with the gaze of
unspeakable tenderness in His eyes, the
gaze bent full on her and seeming to
search her soul If she were in the body
or out of it. Miss Veronica could not have
told, only for an instant her soul was
barred to her own gaze. And then the
moonlight passed, and she was shivering
like one alone in wide black desert, and
felt suddenly with a sence Of infinite re-
lief, the warmth of two young arms about
her neck, and heard jimmy saying: oh,
you muslin be afraid Of me. I truly am
not bad. Dear. | can have you sitting
mp down here alone Don you fret
am going away of my own accord. Poor
Miss Veronica, you must 90 to bed 81
you Il be ILL., = And she had reached uI
her arms and drawn the girl down into
her lap and hidden her old face in hen
breast.
And directly afterward there was Il
swish of drapery and patter of feet on
the mating. ''Oh, sister! sister, sobbed
Miss Sedley. You know the WORLD
moves, and we must move with it. AND
our mother used to say we weren here
to Judge, but to help. And if we love
our Lord. we must do the work of oul
Lord. And Celeste feels so badly tha
she spoke 50! And if they re not good
we must make them good And they
are-oh, they IRE every whit as good as We
arer' Just then the hooking birds hang
ing in their cages outside the Windows
of the next street suddenly burst int
their wild night-song, and with their arm'
round one another the four happy peOpl,