The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-07-04

of horror he had expected The girl re-
manned impressive as before; Tonkin
could not feel sure she so much as
blushed.
After a short pause, during which the
old woman appeared to be meditating
she said in her deep, hoarse voice." My
companion, sir, is Sister Evangeine, of
the Stricken Heart, She is, as you see
young; she has only just completed her
noyitlate; she is an innocent and beau
tiful child of Holy Church''-the speaker
bowed her head, making the sign of the
cross on her breast-"and l am con-
WINGED your better self will regret hay
ing done or said anything even thought
lessly which might wound her tender
soul. But she must learn that matters
of personal dignity are of no moment
compared with the work of the Church.
The subscription you offer will be Of
great assistance to that work, while the
condition your whim attaches to 1t will
harm no one but yourself. Sister Evan
| geline"-she turned and laid her hand
on the girls shoulder-"you will per-
NIT this gentleman to kiss you twice,
since he finds it consistent with his dig
nifty to require you to do So" So saying,
she quietly took the sovereigns from
the table and dropped them into cloth
bag at her side.
| Henry Tonkin, @. c., for the first time
in his life, felt he was making an ass
of himself. He had been playing the
part Of silly schoolboy, He had not
imagined the situation could have so
developed as to make fool of him, of
all people in the world. But he was not
going to admit, by waving the condi-
ton of his gift that he was stung by
the woman's dignified reproof. There
| should be no FAILURE Of consideration"
Some days afterward, when the new
Queens Counsel arrived at the cham
bers, he found on his table a letter from
one Of the metropolitan police magis-
trates, asking him to be good enough to
come to the police court that morning
at noon. IAN exceedingly clever i'm
postor," wrote the magistrate, lis to
|come before me. In the subscription list
found on the prisoner your name ap-
pears, and ] shall be obliged if you will
come and explain under what circum-
stances you parted with your money,
which seems to be by far the largest
sum procured from any one person.
Tonkin dropped the letter on the table
before him He also dropped curse on
the old nun and his own Internal folly.
He was to be "called within the bar in,
all the courts" the very next morning
What If the facts of the incident got
into to-morrows papers? Henry Ton
kin believed he had never in his life be-
fore done anything foolish He had an
idea of his own dignity corresponding to-
his figure, and he was In the highest de-
gree sensitive to ridlcule. The leaders
of the bar were no doubt Jealous of
him already, and some of them were
acknowledged wits. The judges were,
Of course, all wits-ex officio. How the
deuce was 1t possible for him to face
their wlnks and innuendoes and condo
lences? Moreover, he had just been Sc
lected as a candidate for constituency.
What was to hinder those two wretched
women from giving a complexion to his
frolic that would altogether damn him
before the tribunal Of the Nonconform-
list conscience? He felt his dignity and
his future evaporating together as he
drove to the police court.
When the case was called Tonkin
looked apprehensively for the appear
ance Of the pretty nun and her, chape-
ron. Picture his amazement when boy
of about fifteen stepped into the dock
followed by a man of sixty whose ap-
pearance was not improved by two-days
growth on chin and lip,
Tonkln vaguely heard some evidence
about the elder prisoner having "seen
better days" imam of education who
had been intended for the Church" but |
a most accomplished impostor," and |
much else Presently he was called to
give evidence. When he stepped into
the box and his name was announced |
"Mr. Henry Tonkin, @. C.-both pris-
oners looked at him and grinned from |
ear to ear. Assuming composure, he |
said his evidence was short and simple.
He had believed the appeal Of the pris
oners to be genuine, and had responded
to it. That was all.
All? Not quite. Tt was when the
prisoner began to cross-examine the
that the fun began.
The magistrate smiled, even the po-
liceman relaxed, and reporters woke up
and began scrlbbling for all they were
WDTlH dttuuHtS I'll lHC StcltiillS CYL
dence," the "divertlng scene" punctu-
ated with plenty Of Sensation" and
''roars of laughter"
At last having brought out all the
facts in way Mr.. Tonkin, @. c., him
self might have envied, the soi-distant
Sister of the Stricken Heart dismissed
the aspirant to the Woolsack with a
parting shot
"If I had only taken my girl instead
IF the boy. blest IL we wouldn't have
sued you for breach Of promise"
Mr.. Tonsin did not return to the Tenn
pie In most ways he could face the
music as well as another: but he
couldn't face ridicule. He would have
oeen a criminal sooner than laughing
stock
Next morning Thomas Fdy-who had
1ot seen the evening papers and their
posters with the enormous headline,
The Counsel and the Nun; a G. G. at
he Police Court"-proudly laid out his
masters full-bottomed wig and silk
gown. But Henry Tonkin was not
allied within the bar that term and the
lext time his name appeared in the pa
,ers was when it was announced a few
lays afterward that he had broken
Town from overwork, and had gone | ,
lbroad to recruit.-St. James's Gazette |
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