The Princeton union., 1901-03-28

rIIIlRSD GI IS,
Fat her Sr tees ma Explain some.
/ thin thing to yoas thai. you ough to know
! atsoI1ce. think j twill be better for
i your husband dsto- get this off his mind
As as IS soon as possible He seems utterly
hopeless, and hope would be big help
lin his case. ..'4s5=3
IA and nc may go in now ?'' asked
1zBian f'lia1he che, in pleading tone. ss=z=
am afraid even your presence
would rouse him; ii, is often so when
the there is close affinity. Perhaps you
I had better remain here till the priest,
! comes. You know him, I belieye?''
Yes answered Blanche; sshe is our
best friend z.
ss. A Is little after ten Father sSurtees ar
rived. The doctor met him in the
hall, hall, and as the major had just walked
the priest was allowed to go in to him.
z am awfully sorry, my dear
friend, he said to Goddard. s5 szss
Jeanne did it. concealed in the
! wood below the garden" answered
/ the major. "She was shooting at
=. anche, and covered her.I
think thin: I saved her life, and I thank
God for it, It would be better for me
to die, and it looks like a benign dis
pensation-to be able to die for her.
Il only I did not have to leave her
with the other stain on her name,
I was starting to tell her all when the
first shot was fred ~ :.
Try to be calm." cautioned = the
priest, softly.
Il want you to break it to her" con-
tinued the major ''She's in the next
room. You tell her the whole story.
am not strong enough. She will
want to leave when she Knows Fl.
The major began to cough, and the
! doctor hastily came into the room. -
You'd better stop now" he said.
| Goddard motioned towards the
where Blanche sat.
go to her. he repeated, in a low
tone: = III
! AS Father Surtees went into the
next room Blanche did not rise She
seemed completely stupefed
Rowland is anxious for me to make
q certain disclosure to you," the priest
said, taking her hand. II must first
beg you to be lenient, if you can,
with man who loves you with all his
soul. OF that there is no doubt"
HE has lost my fortune?" cried
Blanche, sharply. What do you sup
| pose l care for money when-when he
is dying?" T.. :..--@
1T is. not that. my dear Mrs. God
dard," said the priest, averting his
solemn gray eyes. Il am afraid it is
even more serious than that -
What is it2 What is wrong, then ?''
questioned the young wife, laying a
trembling hand-on the arm of the priest.
"Can you bear a blow from a most
unexpected source?" asked Father
Surtees, "a revelation which will
shake your faith even in the man you
love 2" ,s~ -
"Hush!" Blanche cried, firing imme.
diately. s'Do you dare to speal<-against
him when he is dying? Oh, my God!"
Father Surtees shrank from her an
instant, and a look of pain spread over
his fine face. He allowed her indig-
nant eyes to rest on him for a mo.
ment, then he said: r. @s-...*.
fession to. you of the greatest i'm
portance. Ny poor child. you will
have to have great fortitude to listen
calmly to what 1 am going to tell
you"
what do you mean?" Blanche ques-
toned, the fire still kindling in her eyes,
! Would you not be shocked if I were
to tell you.' Father Surtees began to
look about the room as if searching
for the gentlest means of conveying
his meaning, s'if were to tell you
that there was IA mistake about
Mrs. Goddard's death?'' ~ T. -
Blanche's eyes grew large.
''sYou mean that-that she is alive -
she asked. slowly. .---. =.
Yes, she is alive s,--,..-- =.
Blanche fixed his eyes with steady
stare of incredibly. = - =:
| mot otEdead-not dead2"z ~, -
The priest nodded. -.
@"And there is something else," he
went on, 'sand to do Maj. Goddard full
Justice you must make up your mind
to believe that he did not love you as
he does now till-till after he mar
ried you. He has told me his full
story, and my heart bleeds for him.
He says he was trying to confess to
you when the accident cut him Short
He was trying to. tell me what ?''
asked Blanche, her brows wrinkled in
perplexity.
He was trying to confess that he
knew that his wife was alive when he
married you" III -.
"O-oh!' That exclamation was as
sudden and sharp as, if it had been
| caused by a crushing blow. -. :. :
| The priest took her hands and held
them tenderly. - ~ .-zz..--
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