The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1907-03-21
The Temptation
Of Father Gray.
BY CLARENCE l. GILBERT.

special services and the resulting
numberless private conferences he
had been called upon to grant in order
that the full benefit of the services
might be reaped. 1t is no small thing
To hold three regular services day
besides the duties an honest priest
mast ever perform to his parish-the
calls on the sick and afflicted the
marriages and the funeral rites. And
when added to all this one is COM
PEELED to hold himself ready at all
times to receive the half-converted,
and pour into troubled and doubtful
souls the spiritual inspiration they
lack-well, 1t takes considerable out
of him.
So Father Gray was particularly
tired, and even while he bravely told
himself that it was all nonsense and
weakness Of the flesh, and that he
was as well and strong and fresh as
ever to go about his Masters bust
ness. yet his tired head persisted in
laying on his arm on the table, and to
his overweight senses there stole
that delicious calm which is the balm
to tired nerves and brain and muscle
But 1t was not to be that he should
enjoy this relaxation long. A knock
sponse to his drowsy invitation to
enter there appeared the sweet, calm
face of Sister Margaret, and with her
mere was shrinking young girl, with
frightened eyes and pale face crowned
WITH a wonderful mass of glorious
Drown hair She was a beautiful girl.
ana rather Gray remembered to have
seen her at several Of the special
! meetings
TIC remembered particularly well,
because the face had strangely re-
minded him OF some part of his past
!!fe-before he was Father Gray and
simply Henry Gray, before the great
| trial which had come to him had
moved him to renounce the world and
devote himself to the service of the
Master and His church-and humani-
~. AS he looked into the eyes of the
girl the reminder came more strongly
t'lah ever ana the blood ran through
MS VEINS az 1t had not done for years.
me past-the happy past. with it's
human JOYS an hopes and promises
rose before him.
lie shook the mood from him rough.
", and in reply to the greeting of the
sister and the statement that the
girl had been awakened by the meet
in2s and sought advise from him. re-
piled:
Very good, sister, will talk with
her"
| Then Sister Margaret withdrew
| leaving the girl, pale and trembling,
a!ohe with the priest. With the gen
-iSnesS and sympathy which had
made him such success in the min
'stry he set the girl partially at ease
ana drew from her the confession she
had come to make
ON. father" she cried clasDine
her hands before her and gazing into
his face with distress written all over
her face, Il have a great-a very great
sin uron my conscience | want to do
the best and wisest thing to undo the
wrong have inflicted upon others.
but the way is 50 dark and l am so
weak do not know what to do. You
nave been such a comfort to me at
the meetings, and you seem so good
ana wise, that l thought you could
ADVISE me. am willing to suffer
fllyseli Tor my sin, but l want to do
the best thing for those have
wronged."
Go on. he said gently
Many years ago--dear me, 1t seems
ages aGo-l did something in a fit of
temper which ruined my sisters han.
piness for all her life, and the banni.
ness. fear. of good man. Oh, faith
er, was only child. and did not
know. | loved my sister so dearly
that was madly jealous of her. She
was II years Older than I and q beau
tiul young woman. She had many
ADMIRERS | didn't mind most of them.
because she laughed at them hut
there was one whom l grew to hate
with that passionate jealousy which a
child sometimes feels. In my great
love Tor my sister l saw clearly that
l was second to none of the others in
her love, but ! was most distinctly
second to Henry. For none of tho
others would she abandon any of tho
plans we would make for our amuse
ment. but for Henry she would ab,,.
don everything and forget me entire. |
ly.
| broodcd over this until | was mad !
with insane jealousy. And then on, .
day. When he wrote a note and aS1,aa
her to go out riding with him &C ba
mad something in particular he warr
ed TO say to her, and She joyous,v
abandoned a picnic we had planrad
and sent me down 30 the parlor to on.
terrain him until she finished dres..
ing, Il lied to him and told him tb,+
after she received his note Gland.
avowed admirer-t,,
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