The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-09-07

1t had been many years since n letter
from home had come TO Father Beret.
The last before the one now in hand
had made him i'll of nostalgia, fairly
shaking his iron determination never
TO quit for a moment his life work as n
missionary. Ever since that day he
had found 1t harder to meet the many
and stern demands of a most difficult
and eXacting duty. Now the mere
touch of the paper in his hand gave
him sense of returning weakness.
dissatisfaction and longing, The home
Of his boyhood, the rushing of the
Rhone, seat in a shady nook of the
garden. Madeline. his sister, prattlinC
beside him and his mother singing
somewhere about the hnusc--it all
came back and went over him and
through him, making his heart sink
strangely. while another voice. the
sweetest ever heard-but she was in
effable and her memory forbidden
fragrance.
Father Berct tottered across the for.
lorn little room and knelt before the
crucitix. holding his claspcd hands
high. the letter pressed between them.
His lips moved in prayer but made
no sound: his whole frame shook vio-
lently
1t would be objectionable desccra-
ton to enter the chamber of Father
Beret's soul and look upon his sacred
and secret trouble, nor must we even
| 10 10 nj
good old man writhed and wrcstled
before the cross for long time, until
at last he seemed to receive the calm.
ness and strength he prayed for SO
fervently. Then he rose, tore the let
ter into pieces so small that not a
word remained whole and squeezed
them so firmly together that they were
which he let fall through a crack be
| tween the floor puncheons. After wait
ing twenty years for that letter, hun
cry as his heart was, he did not ever
open 1t when at last II arrived. He
would never know what message Il
bore. The link between him and the
old sweet days was broken forever
Now. with Gods help. he could do hi
work to the end.
He went and stood in the doorway
leaning against the side. He looked
toward the river house." as the in
habitants had named large shant.
which stood on the bluff of the Wabasl
not far from where the road bridg
at present crosses, and saw men gath
ering there.
Meantime Rene de Ronyille had de
livered Nine. Roussillon's letter wit
due promptness. OF course such
service demanded pie and claret. Wha
still better pleased him. Alice chose t
be more amiable than was usually he
custom when he called. They sat tC
gether in the main room of the house
where NJ. Roussillon kept his books, hi
curiosties of Indian manufacture co
lected here and there, and his surplu
firearms, swords, pistols and knives
ranged not unpleaslngly around tn
walls.
OF course, along with the letter, Rem
bore the news, 80 interesting to hin
self, of the boats tempting cargo jus
discharged at the river house. Alic
understood her friends danger-felt
in the intense enthusiasm of his voic
and manner. She had once seen tn
men carousing on similar occasio
when she was but n child, and the in
preston then made still remained l
her memory. Instinctively she resolve
to hold Rene by one means or anothe
away from the river house if possible
|, So she managed to keep him occupie
eating pie, slipping watered claret an
chatting until night came on and Mm'
Roussillon brought in lamp. The
he hurriedly snatched his cap from til
floor beside him and got up to go.
Come and look at my handiwork
Alice quickly said; my shelf Of pie
/ mean" She led him to the pantr.
where IA dozen or more of the cherr
pates were ranged In order. II mad
every one of them this morning an
baked them; had them all out OF II
oven before the rain came up. Don
, you think me a wonder of clevernei
and industry? Father Beret was poll
enough TO flatter me; but you-you Ju
eat what you want and say nothing
5 You are not polite, NJ. Rene de Ro
Vile"
'I've been showing you what
J thought OF your goodies" said Rem
"Eatlng's better than talking, "
know, SO I'll just take one more" al
he helped himself. Isn't that comp
ment cnough?"
"A few such would make me anoth
hot days work." she replied, laughin
''Pretty talk would be cheaper al
more satisfactory in the long ri
Even the flour in these pates | grour
with my own hand in an Indian me
tar. That was hard work too"