The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1905-12-23

. Inc DlSnop was grieved to the ,leart
u yet duly consecrated that rival church
~ II was q gorgeous little church, 4 with
much gold and expensive marble 70 It
and Its incumbent was an able man:
! a good man also in his way, though
without private means, and with a
family which constrained him to see
eye to eye with his patron.
1t was not as If he had revolted
against Ewes inability to love him.
He had spoken no word to her since
Not one word. Both she and her father
had seen to that; and he had tried to
put her out Of his life. as wise men do
thrust away distracting visions Of the
unattainable.
Was there ever such rancor in man
as this OF Melton Hassell toward him?
Douotiess 1t was true, as the great man
OF the great house had declared to him
after his error. Eve was q bride for a
prince or duke; certainly not for
poor parson. who clung with such de-
grading weakness to the mere ragged
hem OF the thousands of lordly acres
which had for generations belonged to
the Delmains.
Ewes father had offered him a10.O0O
for the advowson Of that tiny church.
It's fancy price"
TO get rid Of me. l presume?"
And Ewes father had said:
We'll. l don't deny 1t, Mr.. Delmain:
and any man in my position would do
the same"
The 10000 was increased to G2O.-
600, and that had reused the old Del
main spirit in even the vicar of Drel-
ling.
Il should as soon think Of selling
my coat Of arms, Mr.. Hassell."
Mr.. Hassell had no coat of arms at
that time; but he had temper, and
he was vlndictive.
well. III make you sorry before
I've done." he said.
Aud now he had done about all he
could do. and It was enough.
The Rev. Philip Delmain, last of the
Delmains of Drelling, thus sitting in
his disestablished vestry among the
Of the choir who would never
again praise the Lord with him, was
beaten.
now could he bear it, with Eve and
no soul else for his congregation?
Ihis was the second Sunday since the
conservation Of that other church of
new marble and gliding, and the sec
ond time he and Eve had been thus ;
alone together.
1t was chivalrously noble of her. {
He read her high motives as he read !
Ter serene and beautiful face But, Of
'ourse. 1t could not 60 on. She must
ecognize that as we'll as he. If she
we're not Eve, Philip might have seen ,
n ner coming thus to his despised
title church the master stroke of her
ather's schemes to drive him out of t
he parish. But she was the Eve he '
new and loved, and a
And he COULD stand firm no longer a
The sweet chimes of that other 4
hurch ceased. Instead of them he Q
card the cheerful twittering of birds. p
therwise he was surrounded by great +
|
Well, 1t ought to have been soothing. e
ut 1t was not. His pale face flushed Il
he remembered what he had just
one. or rather not done. Il
The shame Of it! IL
He had allowed his own petty per- Il
NAL cares and humiliations-the agi- a.
lions OF a mere ephemera-to tempt ii
I'M to insult the Omnipotent and I'm hi
ortal. He. a servant of the Most o1
Ugh. had refused to pay the service d.
at was due from him to the AL hi
ighty. Expressly due from him! d.
de had cried like a child or a pol ii
con, and ran away. It mattered m
'thIng that he had shamed himself
aore her. She was fleeting mortal,
en- as he was. In little while she,
ke him, would pass away, and ere NJ
en- she would, God willing, forget tb
weakness. But he had banned
mself before the Most High, and be- SC
re the dDst Of his own ancestors, who
ID been hon0sable and ave. men Sc
cir many 1misfortunes in these latter af
Iyhsthe result Atheir sanse oohonops hs
h Afose md .c6nfronted his signo- 1 fr
iny with steady eyes II flushed hi
leeks. and IN little while he return
! calm again ana II lsnger flushed
Tie 1fee from WI hasaad laed. lEu
NJ. -