The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-04-03
With the exception of the slight in

/ of a feeling too intense for utterance.
! The first intonation of the woman's
voice had thrilled and dazed him. At
first he discredited his senses; but
slowly and painfully the fact forced
| itself upon him that he was listening
| to the drama of his own life-that the
woman kneeling before him was she
| for whom, nearly ten years ago, he
| had renowned the life of pleasure and
ambition and sought the seclusion of
the priesthood and whose face he
never expected to look upon again.
| And now an inscrutable fate had
| brought her to him, and he had heard
| from her own lips that she had loved
| him, and loved him yet.
| Like one in trance he went through
| the formula of absolution; and not un-
til she rose to leave the chapel did he
come to himself Then the full sig
nifcance of the situation flashed upon
| him, and with it the alternatives;
! should he let her go unspoken and
| live on as he had, or should he speak
| to her and reawaken in his heart the
old struggle which he had sought so
long to quell?
But, nO-there was no choice The
mischief had already been done, and
| he must speak to her, come what may.
| He followed her from the confessional
| and spoke her name, Emile" She
turned quickly, and, lifting her veil,
! looked him full in the face.
Good Cod" he gasped. at is you
! -Fabrice!" Her face went white, and
she reeled slightly, ore hand extended,
as if to ward off threa ching horror.
"Ies, it is I-Fabrice." He grew
more self-contained as he saw her agi-
tation.
"But-but ] thought you dead-ten
years ago" She passed her hand over
her eyes, as if to clear away the mys-
terry that impended.
mo, there is no mistake. 1t is |, the
! man whose life you tried to ruin, whom
you = but pardon Il have no re-
! proaches-now. | have, through the
grace of God, both forgiven and for
| gotten.
But tell me, Emelie." He went close
| to her and looked deep into her eyes,
wide with awe. Tell me. is it true,
what you said-you loved me, and not
this other man?"
Her eyes dropped before his and she
! turned half away-then, with an impa-
! tient gesture, she faced him and spoke
impassionately
"True, yes, every word of it is true.
! God knows loved You then nd-love
| you-yet,"
\ rev light had Illuminated her
eyes, the light Of yearning love, and
the hope of happiness.
And you, Fabrice," she said, softly,
"have you forgotten"
"Forgotten?" He replied confusedly
"Why-I hardly know-it is 50 long
zen long years"
Yes, it is long" she answered, eager
! ~, but true love knows no time. All,
| Fahrice," her voice was vibrant with
! pleading, lis il too late? May we not
! yet be happy?"
"But your husband-he is living,
| and"
Yes but he is a brolen-down old
man now, and we have never loved each
other. Such a union as ours is not true
| marriage besides, a separation may
! be easily arranged am rich"
But it is impossible. No, no! How
can you tempt me! Think am a
priest-my vows"
what does il matter? You took
| them because you thought YOU had lost
me. Now see give myself to- you"
As she spoke she threw back her
| long mantle and slowly held out her
! arms to him. She was doing all in her
woman's power to win him to her. Her
half-pursed lips, her lustrous eyes, her
outstretched arms, every line of her
! figure was wooing him back to the love
Of his youth.
The man fairly writhed under the
agony of the conflict that was rife
| within him. On the one hand lay the
world pleasures, love, life, all that he
| bad schooled himself to despise. On
the other hand, the church, duty, and
that peace which passeth understand
! ing" In the midst of the struggle
| there came from a distant alcove the
information of mighty organ and a
boy choir singing "Te Deum." As he
| heard, the crisis seemed to resolve it
sef-the way was clear before his feet.
! The hollow world and its life of tinsel
and vanity lost its glamour. And the
| woman-who was she with her shallow
beauty and slender passion to tempt
him from his duty? She seemed to
shrink and shrivel away from him. 1t
was as if great light had been let into
| his soul.
With the decision look OF holy calm
came into his face. The woman saw it,
and knew that she had lost With a
choking sob she stopped and kissed his
hand, then drew her cloak about her
and swiftly left the cathedral, There
was the click of closing door, word
of command, and then the rattle of the
vehicle, and the hoofbeats, which were
soon swallowed up in the eddy of street
noises.
Within, the priest stood before the