Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-02-27
Tie
Retire altar t'S
Story
Copyright, l'Oi, BY Authors syndioate,J


/ three-days' retreat annually given
10 associates and other ladies'" by
the Sisters of st. Martha. The period
of unwonted silence had done its work
well for the retreatants. Worldly faces
were quiet and less anxious, tired ones
had lost something of their WEAKNESS,
sweet young girl-deyotees had ac-
quired look Of sanity calm. Only the
conductor of the retreat, Father John
Burton, S. j., seemed weary. 1t is not
easy to pour out spiritual inspira tion
and encouragement four times daily,
to say nothing Of three services and
innumerable private interviews. Fa-
Their John Burton, resting his head on
! his hand in an Unexpectedly idle mo-
ment, tried not to feel jaded. But he
aroused himself with an effort when
the brief interval of quiet was broken
by tap at the door.
He swung il open cordially and Sis
ter Alice Ambrose, the sister in charge
of the retreat, entered, leading
young girl whom the priest remem-
bered to- have seen before him con-
tinually during the past three days.
He had noticed her particularly be-
eause-for reasons most human but
quite unbeeoming a vowed religious"
she had awakened poignant memo
ries Of the earlier days passed in the
world" and Of some one for love of
whom he had been led to follow the
prizes thood This girl-but he shook
the wrong thoughts from him roughly.
81 shall be very glad TO hear you,
he said in response TO the soft muir
muir wherewith Sister Alice Ambrose
conveyed 10 him that the girl was sore.
troubled over some bygone expert
ence "WilI you not sit down and let
me see il can help your
moment later when the door
had closed softly behind Sister Alice
Ambrose, his quiet eyes and sympa
thetic manner drew out the begin
ming 81 the story. The small hands
Of the speaker elasped and unclasped
nervously as she told it.
"a long time ago when I was q
tHAu-~l + AAA1u my H3attA ltf1 anu
happiness. ! didn't quite know what
/ was doing, but but / was jealous
and | knew ! was doing wrong. My
sister. who is nine years older than
myself. had always been devoted to
me. After she was engaged 10 be mar
ried I was less with her. So / hated
her lover bitterly, although he was
very kind to me, and / think no one
never suspected my feeling, and
longed, in childish fashion, to part
them. One day. when they were to
have been married shortly. I"
"Yes?" said the priest, encouraging.
~, seeing that she found it difficult to
continue. "one day you
"My sister had promised to take me
ont that afternoon" came the recital
told 10 the accompaniment Of those
restless, haunting, nervous movements
OF the fingers, "but when John-her
lover sent a message asking her to
accompany him somewhere, she put
me Off with promises Of some future
pleasure. | was mad with anger and
jealousy. and when she sent me down
10 the parlor, that afternoon, to en-
terrain him while she finished dress
ing. II told him that she had gone
out with a cousin known TO admire
her. and ! destroyed the hastily writ
ten note -he asked me TO hand her as
soon as She came in. The note told
her that he must leave the city. that
evening. for an absence Of several
months: II asked her. since they had
missed each other at that time, 70
meet him at the depot ! told Julie
thet he had left the house in impa-
tiest anger. refusing to wait longer
for her. and when I heard that the
had been broken, some
weeks later. because Of Johns mex,
plicable conduct and persistent silence
] reioiced.
"My sister was i'll for months, and
7 feared 10 ten her Then | was sent
"a boarding school while our mother
Julie to the mountains
and I only returned home in time for
her wedding 10 Charlie, the cousin who
had loved her so long. felt then be
ing a little older, that must hold my
peace for ever, and, gradually. ] for
rot an about my wrongdoing, save
for occasional recollections now and
then. But now-I am to be married
myself. shortly, and last week my SIS
ter. in urging me to be sure that |
really loved my lover, let me know
something OF what she herself has
missed and suffered through my decep-
ton"
.Her marriage then. has not been
a happy one?' asked the priest, his
face pale. his manner strangely quiet.
eyes and no." was the troubled an
sver. Her husband is a good man
and he loves her, but she can only re-
sheet and admire him. She married
\ m out of pique, and for loneliness
and heartache She told me last week
,bat the only man she should ever
love in this world was the man from
r,nftaH her i