The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-16
Our Daily Short Stories
THE RETREATANT'S STORY.
BY ETHEL M. CoLsON.
Copyright 1901. by Authors syndicate.)

that the engagement had been broken,
some weeks later, because of Johns
inexplicable conduct and persistent ST.
lence, l rejoiced
My sister was ill for months, and
feared to tell her. Then | was sent
TO boarding school while our mother
accompanied Julie to the mountains,
and | only returned home in time for
her wedding to Charlie, the cousin who
had loved her so long. 1 felt then, be-
ing little older, that / must hold my
peace forever, and, gradually, l for
got all about my wrongdoing, save for
occasional recollections now and then.
But now-I am to be married myself,
shortly, and last week my Sister, in
urging me to be sure that l really low
ed my lover, let me know something
of what she herself has missed and
suffered through my deception"
Her marriage, then, has not been
happy one?" asked the priest, his
face pale, his manner strangely quiet
Yes and no." was the troubled an
swer. Her husband is a good man
and he loves her, but she can only re-
spect and admire him. She married
him out of pique, and for loneliness
and heartache. She told me last week
that the only man she should ever love
in this world was the man from
whom-from whom 1 parted her.
should have told her all then, but she
added that only the knowledge of his
unworthiness helped her to live with
out him. Had she been separated from
him for any other reason, she felt she
should have gone mad.
''Since then / have been tortured by
an agony OF remorse and uncertainty.
Last night l resolved to confide in you,
and abide by your decision. Shall 1
tell my sister the whole story, or shall
l hold my peace?"
There was long silence The priest
was considering-struggl with his
! human nature-the girl sobbing softly.
! From the adjacent chapel came the
soft, toneless music of the Sisters.
"Out of the deep have l called unto
Thee, o Lord. If Thou, Lord,
wilt be extreme to mark what is done
amiss- But there is mercy
with Thee"
NO" said the priest, suddenly, "you
must never tell your sister Bear the
burden of remorse and repentance
bravely, as just punishment for your
sinning-but be comforted concerning
it, because, after all, 1t was sin of
| ignorance and childhood, and you
knew not what you were doing And
never, so long as you live, mention the
matter to any other human being. Bet
ter, by far, that your sister should con-
tinue to believe her lover unworthy,
than that, learning of the injustice
rendered both him and herself, she
should have one whit added to the load
which weighs so heavily upon her."
The girl slipped from the room,
quietly, smiling through her tears,
happy, relieved of her heaviest sor-
row, and Father John Burton, S. j.,
quiet man of God and the spirit, sank
! upon his knees suddenly, hiding his
face in his hands. The strong throes
of mighty struggle were upon MIN.
3 Speeches. with sorrow, he strove
valiantly to vanquish the natural re-
sentiment of the long forgotten self
which cried aloud for expression. But
the hard years of patience and self
denial bore him brave testimony in
that hour of disturbance, and when he
presently went forth to address the
assembled women his face and voice
were like those of a prophet inspired.
Father, forgive them-for they know
not what they do" was the subject he
announced for the meditation of tina;
evening, and the eyes of the man dis
cussing it rested, with a peculiar and
meaningless tenderness, on the face OF
a girl before him-the face of the girl
the burden of whose terrible RESPONSE
bility had so recently been shifted from
her shoulders to his own.