The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1901-12-05
9fe
Retire atant'S
Story


TT was the last afternoon OF the
three days retreat annually given
90 associates and other ladies" 10y
thc Sisters Of ST. Martha The period
Of unwonted silence had done its work
well fer the retreatauis Worldly faces
we're quiet and less anxious, tired ones
had Lost something Of their weariDcss,
sweet young girl-drvotccs had ac-
quirrd q look Of sanity calm. euiy the
conductor Of the retreat. Father John
burton, =. j.. seemed weary. II is not
easy to pour out spiritual inspiration
and encouragement four times daily,
to say nothing OF three services aud
innumcrable private interviews. Fa'
lher John iIurton. resting his head on
his hand 10 an unexpectedly idle mo
mrnt. tried not to feel jadrd, hut hr
aroused himself With an effort when
the brief interval Of quiet waS broken
by tap at the door.
lie swung Il open cordially and Sis
ter Alice Ambrose, the sister IN charg"
of the retreat, entered, leading q
young girl whom the priest remem.
hered to- have seen before him con
tlnually during the past three days.
lie had noticed her Particularly bee
cause for reasons most human but
quite unhccoming "vowed religious
she had awakened poignant memo
rles OF the earlier days passed I'm the
world" and Of some ono for love OF
- o.. IA. 4 4.
priesthood This gjrl-but he shook
he wrong thoughts from him roughly.
81 shall he very glad to hear you"
he SAID, In response 20 the soft muir
muir whcrcv.ith Sister Alice Ambrose
conveyed TO him that the girl WIS sore
troubled over some bygonc expert
cnce win you not sii down aud let
rnc see ~ can help your"
4 moment later, when the door
had ciosrd softly behind Sister Alice
Ambrose. his quiet eyes and sympa.
thetic manner drew out the begin
ming ~ the story The small hands
~ the speaker rlasprd aud uncla sped
ncrvously ~ she told II.
lbNE lINlf ago WIN N"n -
child I ruined my sisters lie and
happiness didn't quite know What
WAS doing. but but | was iralou4,
and knew I was doing wrong Ny
l lister, who Is nine years older than
myself, had always hc~n devoted 10
me. After she was engaged to be mar.
riCd | was less with her. So ] hated
her lover bitterly. although he was
very Kind to me. aud think NO one
( never suspected my feeling, and
/ longrd. In childish fashion, to part
them. One day, when they were "a
have been married shortly. /"
/ "yeS?" saih the priest. encouraging
I Is. seeing that she found II difficult 10
continue. "Onr day YOU"
MY sister had promised to take me
out that afternoon" came the recital
I told To the accompaniment NJ those
/ restless, haunting. nervous movements
I Of the fingers. but WHEN John her
/ lover sent n message asking her e.
accompany him somewhere, she put
me on with promises Of some future
] pleasure ! was mad with anger and
! JEALOUSY. and when she sent mr. down
{ ia the pnrlor. that afternoon. to en-
/ terrain him while she finished dress,
I ing, II told him that she had gone
out with n cousin known IN admire
her. and destroyed the hastily writ.
/ ten note he asked me to hand her as
soon rs she came in, The note told
her that he must leave the city. that
evening. for an absence 81 several
months; II nsLcd her since they had
missed each other At that time. IA
meet him at the depot. told Julie
/ that he had left the house In impa