The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-16
The Little Nun.
Fron Temple Bar. In four parts.)
PART III

But no, monsieur, they do not permi
visitors at the convent where I 60. Tn
! holy mother is good; she is not SO stric
, as many-but it is forbidden
I'm the street, then? What, sister? Yo
say no" But it's monstrous, We hoy
have been six weeks together every day
, You, who have done more for me thai
any other living creature. I-who-no-n
it can't be. You don't mean it%'
The little nun made some reply in Low
| tone.
You mean to say" broke out the stron;
voice impetuously, that it's TO be all over
and We say goodbye at the station for
ever, and-and never meet again-that yol
forget all about me. Then I'm nothing NOR
to you than a common friend,' he criet
bitterly-"just the same as one of tn
sailors on board the steamer-as those poo
hospital people who wept when you lef
! them"
Aldricks opened his eyes. Sleep would
not come to them. 1t had indeed beer
positive plan 10 keep them closed so long
yet, the moment after, with a sharp catcl
of the breath, he had shut them again vol
unfairly, tightly, as child does, in the ef
fort not to look. He had suffered himself
He hated that others should suffer, and
that short glance had shown him the face
of the little nun, no longer bright with a
gentle gaiety, but white to ghastliness In
the dim light Of the carriage, the hands
| crushed together over the little black book
the beautiful mouth drawn with pain, and
the eyes looking, not at the young English
| man, but turned from him-past hm-out
into the flying night, and dark with sort
of anguish. Her companion was bending
| forward, his whole being shaken, profound
| ly moved with some strong emotion, his
| burning eyes fixed upon her face.
| In the other corner Of the carriage Sister
| Anna gently snored.
! "Oh, my God.' cried the young fellow
violently, you can't mean it! It's not
| possible, Oh, 1 know they say" he went
! on incoherently, that we Protestants have
/ no saints; but tell you il isn't true. You
are my saint-my Saint Ursula-my Ma
| donna-I worship you. -"
mo, no, monsieur" she cried wildly, 81
am grievous sinnerI am no saint.
beseech you, say no more"
Aldricks opened the window, thrust his
head out into the night air, felt the churn-
ing rush of the winds upon his forehead,
and saw the shining of the southern stars,
so many, so bright, so near as TO bear
the appearance of some great city in the
sky. He tried 70 count them. but their
numbers dazzled his eyes. He drew up the
window again with a rafting sound. His
companions needed him no more than if
lie had been lay figure. 1t gave him some
small comfort through his embarrassment
to know he had at least not added TO theirs.
IF you be a sinner, may all the world
be such," said the passionate voice. But
no, sweetest, you are my saint, and love
you, 1 tell you love you with my whole
soulr'
He laid his hands upon hers, would have
drawn her to him; but she tore them
away, and shrank from him with a shud-
dering moan.
Monsieur, monsieur, you forget I am a
num-
He laughed excitedly.
"A nun If you like, dearest, but what
does that signify? You are a woman first
of all and the sweetest woman God ever
made. All, Ursula, Ursula" he whispered,
have you forgotten those days you sat be-
side me and nursed me when 1 was i'll,
those nights when I grew better, and we
watched the moon rise at sea? You and
1, alone, dearest. Always you"
She cried out and covered her face with
her hands. The little ook slipped UNDECIDED
to the ground.
''Oh. monsieur, I beseech you. have
done"' she gasped. at is a sin most
frightful. 1 am a NUM- cannot listen"
why did you teach me to love you,
them he cried roughly.
Her hands fell down. She looked at him
wildly for a moment, and a sob caught
at her throat.
'Oh, did you not know" she said In
strangely still tones, that for US nuns
s-
heaven? Monsieur, we are vowed apart
No one loves us otherwise. We've
never
Her voice broke.
you cannot say IT," he cried out tr.-
umphantly. Your heart IS too true Cor
such cruel words. Dearest" he went on
beseechingly. why will you fight against /
fate? Who brought us together on the |
steamer? Who put It into our hearts TO |
love one another If It was not God? Our !
love is no sin. 1t has made a better man |
of me already. Love is the strongest.
purest thing in all the world"
Holy Mother of God, help me-" moaned |
the little nun.
The train gave a sudden shock
Il have well slept" said Sister Anna,
waking up and rubbing her eyes. Nous |
sommes arrives a Rome, n'estce- pas?"
And she arose it'll cheerful alacr.ty and be-
gan 10 gather her packages together.
''Merci. monsieur. merci, Ursula, ma
soeur, etes-vous prete?"
They were in Rome now, but Rome hid
den out of sight in all the hideous prose Of
a railway station. Immediately there fol-
lowed the usual hustle of arrival, the cries
for porters. the struggle 10 secure one
Aldricks. finding himself the only member
Of the party able to understand italian, was
glad 10 make himself OF some use The
young Englshman said nothing, and
scarcely appeared conscious of where he
was. He bit his moutstache and his blue |
eyes, filed with a dumb passion, rested /,
continually on the little nun. She stood
apart, close beside the other sister, silent,
pale. bewildered, with bent head
When the artist eventually, some min
ltes later. wished these travelling COM
palions goodbye. he had the thought that,
n all probability, he should never see one
II them again. Fate, however. who Is
stronger than most men. willed otherwise
L was indeed only half an hour later, and
while waiting for his own luggage at the
'Douane." wedged in near the wall by a
mass of excited persons. that he again saw
ne young Englishman approaching He
anne working his way through the crowd, |
paper held tightly in his hand. and scan
ling the faces eagerly in search of some
We. He passed Aidricks with a blank |
tare. too intent in his search 10 be aware
4 anything else, but Immediately after
Yards exclaimed, Thank heaven, / have
ound you" and some one replied. The
elegram has come. MONSIEUR
''Yes-waiting me here. But not the best
{ news. My father is still alive. and they
wire me TO come on al once"
"Ah, How glad I an he lives. Monsieur