The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-13
Jhe FM's Detection
How SPRING the Flower


I as her sill, and stopped there; her i'm,
mediate surroundings seemed duller and
| her headache, and made her cross, but
health gave her ravenous appetite. The
| first letting down Of the bars to vain.
| worldly thoughts had allowed troon ~
others to flock. in. She watched the -Four.
| so intent on their prayers, and wondered
how they would look in low-necked BALI
gowns, with their hair done high. She
| pictured the broad shoulders and long
slender hands under the flowing surplice''
bent to a mans work-driving fiery
horses, or welding a heavv spar, or in
| military uniform, leader of men, He
! seemed made to command live forces.
| she thought, instead of singing masses
and listening to the confessions of these
White-souled sisters, whose only sin was
their want of charity for tneir sins.
| Then her thoughts took high flight
| to how beautiful the chancel might look
decorated for the. taking of a white veil
for bridesmaids. And what fun it would
be to hear the march from "Lohengrin"
pealing through the chapel, instead of the
everlasting "Misereres," and a hum of
| ing hats on every side. The stern, cold
| face of the young confessor got mixed
up in the picture, too, not, however, as
the officiating priest. Again she smiled
at the thought, and again the UBIQUITOUS
| gray eyes caught her in the act. This
time she did not care. She had given
| up even Trying TO keep her from
straying and lived in a CAV little world
| for her own, apart from the life of pen
| ance and prayer all about her. The little
birds, We're now half-grown,, and ate the
| crumbs she slipped from the refectory
| table out Of her hand.
| The amusement she. got out of these
wicked distractions made her eyes dance
| and her cheeks flush, and even though
she knew the cold gray eyes of the priest
were upon her, she could not keep her
countenance.
1t was not so easy. however. to picture
him in any but his sternest guise, when
] the thought of her confession had to be
| faced. Those penetrating eyes seemed to
| look straight through her, and read her
| seemed always upon her. Was her de-
! lection so apparent, she wondered. To
! the -Four the substitution of the new con-
| fessor made no difference. Their souls
were so heavy with the weight of their
| imaginary sins they had no thought for
anything else. But when the Fifth's
| turn came she hesitated.
She entered the confessional dutifully
and said her confiteor, then stopped. The
shriven -Four had retreated to the altar
at the other end of the chapel
! cold. far-away tones questioned. against
| the grace of holy charity by not loving
| God above all things?"
There was a pause. The priest repeat
Then, iI have" the little Fifth answer
Have you sinned by allowing willful
distractions to disturb your prayers! the
voice continued.
II have" she answered, steadily.
"Have you sinned by not preferring the
love Of God to the love of MANI"
"Have you sinned by allowing the love
of idleness and base to divert you from
your duty?"
by emitting to hear mass without due
reason?"
81 have"
by disobeying your superiors or muir
muring against their authority"
II have"
"By feelings falsehoods?"
1T have"
"By taking what does not belong to
your"
She thought of the crumbs she had
taken for her birds, so, as she had claim
have"
"Have you due repentance for your
sins" he questioned, when the list was
finished. is tones rang as cold and i'm
passive as if he were made of marble
finished. His tones rang as cold and i'm
pulse to strike at him to see if he were
brittle.
II have not" she answered, calmly
DO you not heartily repent of the sins
you have committed, and purpose never
again to fall into thern?" he repeated.
life pushing out through all the universe
| in growth, gay blossoms, bubbling melody,
burst out in fierce rebellion in her hot
young heart II hate it all!'' she cried.
Il hate this dark old chapel 1 hate these
cold. bleak walls. I hate my coarse. ugly
clothes, and these long, empty fasts All
this dead-level of monotony is killing
about it!'' A bright spot burned on her
cheeks, and her eyes looked straight be
fore her, blazing with rebellion. Il hate
you, too" she finished.
The slipping of the beads of the penitent
-Four was the only sound throughout the
chapel for several moments. When the
voice on the other side of the wicket ans
wered it was very low He did not call
her my daughter" nor offer any counsel,
nor infiict heavy penance. He merely
said What are you going to dog r
am going off to some place where can
shout at the top of my voice, and whistle,
and sing, and never hear bell or see
continued: 'Then I'm going to dance till
1 drop dead from exhaustion" The sap
was running high and bubbling up in her
eyes and dimpled down her cheeks at
the mere prospect of her freedom. Still
was reckless now. land I'm going, to be
fs bandea9 Can earn am gong
to make every man I meet fall in love
with me, and tell me so, and l shall not
care if they kiss me!'
the Cross, and were not far from the con-
fessional, so the voice on the other side
OF the wicket was perforce very low.
do you know where such course
will lead your" it asked.
"But that is only for a little while" she
explained, when have danced and iilrt-
ed till I've got this holy hush out OF my my,
heart, and have beautiful home where
L can wear red gowns and h1gh-heele9
slippers and all day long just sing, and
The bird family had flown now out into
the wide world. to try their wings and
use their new,fedged powers, and had
left her more desolate than ever.
"Have you home to go to-" he asked
again.
81 have my godmother," she told him.
gathering up her hated serge folds as II
pected his righteous Indignation to wreak
itself upon her head. But she did not
care: she was ready for him. She would
would die of the shock. The moment for
action was not yet come, however, for
all he, said was, his face whittier than
when does your decision go into effect?'
She drew herself up to meet the cata-
clysm of his scorn, for although he, with
seemed the coolest, bleakest, hardest
thing about the convent, she felt there
must be a danger line somewhere. and
'ha peGssyen s eam an n0ded firmly AL
though she had not thought of it serious
ly moment before. "By this time to-
morrow 1 shall have ceased to be gal
VanlZed mummy; 1 shall be live wo-
man."
Are r. you sure you viii not regret this
Still no cataclysm. His head was
turned from her so she could not see his
face, but she was beginning to feel sorry
she had said she lated him, and hopeS
she had not offended him, but answered
resoiuteiy: Never! I'm going out into
the. world, to be part of it, I'm going
to feel every experience life has to offer.
great sorrows and deep joys, and when
I! die my cross shall at least be different
from the Eleven Thousand" She arose
to her feet as If even the attitude OF
penance We're no longer possible to her