Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-21
A CLERICAL ERROR
How Father Penburton" Assisted In Race
for Wife.
BY FRANCIS LYNDE.

Copyright, 1897 the s. s. Mcclure Coz
Written for The Evening Star.
BY way of prologue, let me say that 1
have never been quite able to understand
why my colleagues in this far western
diocese call me 1.-The padre" coupling the
innuendo with an intimation that should
have been a priest of the older faith rather
than a poor clergyman of our own. In my
own looking glass-and which of us is ever
vouchsafed a peep into that of another
find nothing to justify the inference. The
quicksilver images the figure of a middle
aged person, whose sedentary habit has
shlicklied face never rudy; whose vigils
with the students lamp have begun to ac-
centuate the stoop in a rather ungainly
pair of shoulders: whose attire is not, and
has never BEEN 1 trust. more than decently
ecclesiastical in cut and ensemble.
None the less sincerity compels the ad-
mission that in travelling 1 am not infre-
uuently taken for a RomiSh priest, and
that even here in my own little parish OF
Carbonoro the coal miners call me Father
Penburton 1t was this absurd misconcep-
ton, heightened, possibly. by the fact that
/ was reading a small BACKGROUND book
which may have been mistaken for a
breviary. that led to my ENHANCEMENT in a
romantic affair on the railway-an en-
tangiement which has since cost me many
diSquieting moments Not that hold my
self in any way accountable or blame
worthy, be 1T understood. but merely De
cause it has given my clerical associates
a fresh occasion for other of their ILL
chosen and meaningless gibes
The beginning of it was in this wise l
had been on a visit to THE bishop. and had
boarded the train to return to my parish.
Having taken a seat in the Pullman, was
reading the small. BACKGROUND book. when
two young persons entered the ca
and established themselves in the section
next TO my own. At their incoming L
fancied they We're the inevitable newly
married couple whose presence seems now
adays to be a necessary complement to
the passenger list of any public convey
hnce. The young man was a clerk OF some
sort one would say. and MS race was
vaguely familiar 1t was clean-cut, smcoth-
shaven and of the alert type which marks
th, Younger men of business in this pro-
gress-ridden region. The young woman
was petite and distinctively handsome. Her
face was a most agreeable study IN YOUTH
alight with repressed excitement. had
look in them which carried me swi1tly pack
TO my-but pardon me. this is not the Story
of my own youthful foll1es
I perceived at once that the two were
1ahorinp under some stress OF emotlon
which / took to be very natural emoar
rassment, and as they sat racing me
thought to relieve them In some measure
by taking the opposite seat, with my PACK
toward them. / desire to emphasize TINS
point because one of my colieaSueS Is IN
charitable enough to insinuate .nat o,e
change was made in order that their con-
yersarion might be the better overheard
charge which / wish to repel with proper
scorn That their talk was overheard Is d
matter of no moment Every llsn rr,nti,,.c
ed person will agree with me that motives
and not incidents are the cosmic principles
underlying any code of ethics
Great Jehoash. You say he dld cohe
home to dinner. after all.
The speaker was the young man, ana
there was very emphatic note OF I'M
easiness in his voice
Yes he did answered the young No-
nan And that isn't all. m almost sure
he suspected something
YOU are? Why? What makes you think
so?''
left the table he asked If you had called,
said he had seen you in the carriage driv-
Ing down Alameda street.
The Young man groaned quite audlbly-
cot course he did. That idiotic driver
turned out for furniture van just as we
were meeting him and drove up 10 the very
curb. | made myself as small az could
but he couldn't help seeing me- w nat oiu
you tell him.?
Il said. Why, poppa-Mr. Roderick! At
ter you've forbidden him the house?
The young man chuckled as if the sinful
eGuivocation were applausive rather than a
thing TO be sorrowfuliy deprecated.
Good! What did he say to that?
He was angry-as he always Is When
name Is mentioned, ne Sdlu SUu "cic
INSCRIPTIONS enough to do anything Then
h. asked mt if / could be ready to start for
Aunt Josephine's tomorrow
And you told him you could?
Il did, Just that; but l didn't tell him
would o. why doesn't the train start?
| heard the click of the young mans
watch
Chiefly because it isn't time. We have
five minutes yet"
"Or'-the exclamation was almost a sob.
''If he catches the l o'clock car down town
he can overtake US here. can't he?"
The watch case licked again.
He might, but it's unlikely. The car is
due at the corner just at our leaving time,
and he would have block to walk-or run.
But l was thinking of something else. If
H. has his wits with him we shan't be
safe till We pass the yard limits
The yard limits? / don't understand
We have 10 stop to register at the limits.
carriage. run the legs off the horses. and in
teIcept at the yard station. 1t he
done. I've done it myself more than once
with a belated passenger"
20. horrors, Alan. If you let me be taken
back now III never speak to you again as
long as / live!"
You needn't threaten ne 1t won't be
my fault il were captured. I'm not any
mere anxious to meet your father just now
than you are" asserted the young man,
earnestly.
Then silence supervened and I had leis-
Cre TO construct the accusation. 1t was d