The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-12-11


attempts to accompany him in his de.
votlonal exercises vague stirring or
that predestIned force within her? Was
not even that wantOness and friYolty
Contrnsted withher chlldlshness which
he had at first mIsunderstood-th STIR
rings OF the flesh and the spirit, and
was he to abandon her In that struggle
of good and evil?
He lifted his bowed head that had
been resting on his own arm before the
little flower on the tnble-as II It were n
shrlne-wlth n flash OF resolve In his
blue eyes. The wrinklod Conception
coming TO her duties In the morning
scarcely recognized her gloomily abb
stracted master In this TRANSPORTED
man. He looked ten years younger.
She met his greeting, and the few di-
rect Inquiries that his new resolve en-
abled him to make more freely, with
some informatIon-wh Il later talk
with the shopkeeper, who had fuller
English vocabulary, confirmed In de-
tail.
Yves! truly this was niece OF the
mission gardener, who lived with her
uncle In the ruined wing OF the old
Preside. She had taken her first com
munlon four years ago. An. yes, she
was a great musician and could play on
the organ. And the guitar, ah. yes
OF certainty. She was gay and ilirted
with the Caballeros, young and old, but
she cared not for any.
Whatever satisfaction this lnttcr
statement gave Mustcrton, he believed
Il was because the absence OF any dis
turblng worldly affection would make
her an easier convert.
MT hnus continue fhig chance nN-
uualntancc and effect her conversion?
For the first time Mastcrton realized
the value OF expedlency; while his
whole nature impelled him to frankly
and publicly seek her society and open
~ eXhort her, he knew that this was
impossible: still more he remembered
her unmistaIable fright Ht his first eX-
preston OF faith. He must 'be wise as
the serpent and harmless as the dove
lie must wor. upon her soul alone,
md secretly. He, who would have
shrunk from my clandestine assocll-
tion with girl from mere human affcc-
tIon, saw no wrong In covert intimacy
for the purpose OF religious salvation.
Ignorant ms he was OF the ways OF tho
world. and inexperienced in the usngcs
OF society he began to plan methods Of
secretly meeting her with nll the In
trlgue OF gallant The pcrsplcaclty ns
well ns the intuition OF true lover had
descended upon him In this c1ort of
mere spiritual conquest.
Armed with his Information and n
few Spanish words, he took tho yellow
Conception aside and grnvely suborned
her TO carry note to be delivered Sc
crotly TO Miss Ramirez. To his great
relief and some surprise the old woman
Leo
withcrcd hand closed with n certain ia
mllInr dextcrlty over the Cplstlc and
the accompanying grutulty. To II man,
less naiYply Onc-ldcud, II might have
awakened some suspicion, but to tho
more Hnngulne hopcfulness OF Master
ton II only suggested the fancy that
Conception herself might prove to be
open 10 conversion, md that he should
In due season attempt her salvation al
so. But that would be later. For
Conception was always with him and
accessible: the girl wnS not
Tho rotc, which cost him some labor
Of composition, simple and almost bus
lnea1-llkc M was the result ran as fol-
lows:
wish to eco you upon Eomc matter Of
grave concern To yourself. VIII you
obllgc mo by coming again TO tho wall
Of tho mission tonight, nj carly candle
lIght7 II would avert worldly auFpl'
clon II you brought your Gultnr.
The afternoon dragged slowly on;
Conception returned; sho Ind, with
grcnt difficulty, managed to SEQ the
Bcnorltn, but not alone; rho had, how
ever. slipped the note into her hand, not
daring 10 walt for mn answer
In hla first hopefulncsa Mnstcrton did
not doubt what the answer would be,
but NJ evening approached he grew
concerned m to the glrl'a opportunlLlos