The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-07-07

The priest paused in his restless walking and
sat at his desk, under the lamp. and faced the
young girl standing before him. flushed with the
excitement of her thoughts. ''Have you asked him.
my child? Have you put it to him fairly?-or Is
this another folly of night?" he concluded. .
tribe sharply.
ASKED him!" Eugene pursued. not needing
the obvious reference to her mother and Michael's
father. Asked him. have impored and threat
ened and gone my knees to him. father. But
he only repeated his orders that I was
not TO see Michael. Late at night used to
meet by the help of my maid. He would slip up
the columns of the veranda to little balcony out
side my window. All. God. the torture of the
nights he was not there." The priest moved un-
easily in his chair and then spoke. less firmly and
with apparent reluctance.
Remember, my child. that you owe your father
much-everything. And IL. too. owe him much.
all of this" And he cast glance about the cosey
little study and into the har1 and rooms beyond.
Michael rose and. throwing his arm about the
ouiverng girls shoulders, addressed her In q calm
reasoning tone.
Father McGrath is right It would not do foS
him to offend your father. We cannot ask It Of
him. Come. dearest. we must go further"
"oh!-oh. that's what you mean" she said. real
Izing that to her father the old priest owed the
very house he lived in. and that what they were
asking him to do the thing that would most
bitterly antagonize Gaillard Of all things in the
world. "oh," she repeated, chats what you
mean"
Father McGrath bowed his white head under
the lamp-light. He was ashamed of himself be-
fore these two children.
For a moment the girl seemed to be in deep
thought Then she turned to Michael. buttoning
up her great flowing overcoat-a mans garment.
one of Michaers which he had brought her.
TITS true Michael. We cannot ask 1t Of Father
McGrath hadn't thought Of that. Come. let us
go further. There is train tonight. But We
can't go back Father McGrath. you will give us
your blessing anyway? And you won't direct them
so they can follow us?" She held out her hand
nppealingly toward the lamp-light on the desk.
The old priest drew his hands down from his
face and looked up at the young people before
him.
where are you going7- he asked. what are
you going to dor"
1--WE cannot part don't know where shall
go. But we shall be together" And the rapture
O. the girls voice matched that in her burning
golden eyes.
Suddenly the old priest sprang to his fest and
came to them with both hands out-stretched-
You shall not leave soi cannot let you g
in this manner! The sin would be mine for
thinking only Of myself. can't let you 30 20.
will do it, You shall be Joined by Our Lady stax
of the Sea-
Half an hour later the three stood in the little
white gravel path which led from the church
to the priests cottage. The path was very white
and the lawn very black In the mystery OF The
moonlight, which blue powdered haze over
the sea and the land. The surf was pounding on
the beach at irregular intervals. The priest held
out his hand in parting. But Michael added hastlys
Father. don't you think you should Introduce
us properly to Croxon, across the way2"
And so the three trudged to the little inn.
Euecnie looked over Michaels shoulder In q Curl
ous merit little manner while he wrote in the pom
derors dog-eared old register: Michael Halloran
and wife, And then she sighed with q deep
breath of contentment, and dropped her head on
her husbands shoulder.
A little before eleven that night. after much
hurying hither and thither. messenger crossed
he lawns from Gaillard's to Mrs. Hallorans for
the first time in years-for the first time since.
And ten minutes later, GaiIlard himself stood be-
ore Mrs. Halloran's roaring fire and bent over her
land with all the exquisite ceremony Of his race.
Their families had come together In a new way
Ind their unreasoning enmity was as much
hing of the past and buried as the generations
4 hsherfolk who rested under the straight little
ombetones in the graveyard OF Our Lady Star of