The times., 1897-03-21
PART IL.

HI IL
When next he opened his ewes SisterMan-
aella, having stanched the flow of blood
was binding a fresh cloth TO his head.
Others, attracted by his cries, We're by
the bedside.
He viii be calm now" said the nurse
to the other attendants. You niay go"
Then she took from the table a bowl
containing a cooling lotion. and reseating
herself beside the bed gently applied the
liquid to the feyered brow of the padre
and moiStened the cloth on his head
The caresSing touch of her soft, white
fingers thrilled him; the Aeulian chords of
memory had been swept as if by a tenn
pest and their cadences rang in his brain;
the grave no longer hid Enrique; she
whom he had loved was by his side; the
barrier that had separated them vas no
more, and in the realization of il all the
old love rushed back as flood into bis
heart; he louged to take her in his arms.
But new barriers had arSen-thc cas-
sock of the priest. the garb of the nun
You have never deSpised me?" he asked,
weakly.
'TNo"
Il scarcely dare trust myself to speak
OF the past he said
1T is better to forget" she replied.
Il can never forget; I thought had for
gotten, but now Alcaria--"
She put up hand deprecatingly.
"SiSter Manuella,' she said instead. Had
hut come to you that night as my heart
prompted-'"
She sighed.
But that is past" he continued. "In
all these years | have been faithful to my
ecclesiastical vows, but my affection for
the one [ loved, whose life believed had
been wrecked by me. has knownno change.
1 have lived with hope of nothing but the
reward Of those who serve with zeal their
God and church. If could die now"
oh Manuell'' His words had startled
her, and the tenderness and pathos Of her
exclamation had given him exquisite sat
iSfaciaI,; he knew her love for him was
not dead.
A smile was on the face Of the priest;
prayer to the Virgin was on the lips OF the
nun-a prayer that Manuel's life might be
spared, and that she, Alcaria, might have
strength TO keep the vows she had made to
the Holy Mother and the church. Before
the prayer was finished Padre Ramon was
ravfng in delirium. Through the blackncss
of night he was uging on his horse, calling
aloud that Enrique was dead. whispering
joyfully and then tearfully the name Al
caria.'' fleeing when no man pursued.
When the fever left him, a week later,
Sister Manuella was by his bedside.
Neither patient nor nurse again spoke OF
the past, but there was new light in
their eyes. Each knew that the otner had
been faithful. If either felt d pang Of
regret that earthly bans were forbidden,
they did not make it known. They spoke
only Of Il spiritual union Of hearts in the
service OF the orders to which they had
consecrated their lives.
Padre Ramon went back to his little
parish Of FL Rito, happier than he had been
since the night he and Alcaria had first
confessed their loves. He was not quite
SO cuntented as he had been, but he was
eXhiliarated. The shadow Of homicide no
longer hOvered over him. Alcaras life |
had not been wrecked by his act, but had |
been conSecrated to a higher purpose.
After 4 time, however, his buoyanCy Of |
spirit abated, and then came periods Of /
restlcsSneS5. When he gaZed at the por-
trait of the Madonna on the wall it seemed |
as if the face OF Alcaria looked out at I
him from the frame. When he went out |
upon the mesa her voice WIS mingled with /
the sounds OF nature Inanimatc objects I
took on her form. She WAS ever present in
his thoughts. The good padre paid less
attention to his people. Sometimes he
passed them by without nod of recugni-
ton, so abstracted was he, and he forgot
little services he should have performed
for them. They noticed all these things,
but they did not complain and when the
padre grew thinner from much fasting
they said the good man was imposing
penace upon himself, probably as an eX-
ample TO them, and they were sure it
could end ia nothing less than sanctifica-
lion.
The supreme trial for Padre Ramon !
had come on that spring night, when the
solitary light in El Rito cleaned from
he win low in his house. Tt was battle |
Jetween the flesh and the spirit; it was
earthly. carnal love struggling for su- |
lremaCy over that sacred sentiment en- ;
rendered by devotion To holy affairs. For
hours the fierce conflict ragged in. Padre
2amou's mind and heart 1t seemed rs .
{ AIcaria. her face radiant with love, and /
her arms uutStretched 10 embrace hfn,,
dead with him to renounce his priestly b.
-ows, strip off the garo OF the church, ,
lesert his holy office, and with her 80 ,
o live in some earthly Eden or their love. I
The vision stirred the passionate nature of /
'ader Ramon TO the depths; the lusterIess
tare faded from his eyes, and they gilt
cred with anticipation; his blood rioted
n his veins. and his muscular frame was a
athed III sweat. 5
Suddenly the smile on his lips vanished; t
n awe-stricken look came into his eyes, v
is flushed cheeks paled swiftly, until &
hey were a dead white. The priest was d
azmg upon portralt-the sanity fca- S
1res OF Ignatius Loyoia, the founder o the V
esuit order. One glance recalled to h
adre Ramon his sacred duties, ard the Z
aHs he had taken TO perform them; one V