The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-11-30
9fe
Retire atant'S
Story
tcopyrish. 1901. By Authors Syndicate,

1T was the last afternoon of the
three-days' retreat annually given
to Associates and other ladies" by
the Sisters of St. Martha. The period
of unwonted silence had done its work
well for the retreatants. Worldly faces
were quiet and less anxious, tired ones
had lost something of their WEAKNESS,
sweet young girl-devotees had ac-
quired look of sanity calm. Only the
conductor of the retreat, Father John
Burton, S. j., seemed weary. 1t is not
easy to pour out spiritual inspiration
and encouragement four times daily,
to say nothing of three services and
innumerable private interviews. Fa-
ther John Burton, resting his head on
his hand in an unexpectedly idle mo-
ment, tried not to feel jaded. But he
aroused himself with an effort when
the brief interval of quiet was broken
by tap at the door.
He swung it open cordially and Sis
ter Alice Ambrose, the sister in charge
of the retreat, entered, leading
young girl whom the priest remem-
bered to, have seen before him con-
tinually during the past three days.
He had noticed her particularly be-
cause-for reasons most human but
quite unbecoming "vowed religious"
she had awakened poignant memo
ries of the earlier days passed lin the
world" and of some one for love OF
whom he had been led to follow the
priesthood. This girl-but he shook
the wrong thoughts from him roughly.
81 shall be very glad to hear you,'
he said, in response to the soft MUIR
muir wherewith Sister Alice Ambrose
conveyed to him that the girl was sore
troubled over some bygone expert
ence. evil you not sit down and let
me see If can help you?"
A moment later, when the door
had closed softly behind Sister Alice
Ambrose, his quiet eyes and sympa-
thetic manner drew out the begin
ming of the story. The small hands
of the speaker clasped and unclasped
nervously as she told 1t.
"a long time ago-when I was
child ruined my sisters life and
happiness. didn't quite know what
I was doing, but-but l was jealous
and I knew / was doing wrong. My
sister, who is nine years older than
myself, had always been devoted to
me. After she was engaged to be mar.
ried I was less with her. So ! hated
her lover Bitterly, although he was
very kind to me, and think no one
never suspected my feeling, and
longed, in childish fashion, to part
them. One day, when they were to
have been married shortly. L"
-"Yes?" said the priest, encouraging
ly, seeing that she found 1t difficult to
continue. zone day you"
"My sister had promised to take me
out that afternoon" came the recital
told to the accompaniment of those
restless, haunting, nervous movements
of the fingers, "but when John-hel
lover-sent q message asking her tc
accompany him somewhere, she put
me off with promises of some future
pleasure. was mad with anger ant
jealousy, and when she sent me dowT
to the parlor, that afternoon, to en-
terrain him while she finished dress
ing, II told him that she had gone
out with a cousin known to admire
her, and destroyed the hastily writ
ten note he asked me to hand her as
soon as she came in. The note told
her that he must leave the city, thai
evening, for an absence of severa
months; it asked her, since they hat
missed each other at that time, t.
meet him at the depot. I told julie
that he had left the house in impa