Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-01-22
What Rheddy Mahoney Heard

penance to keep my feet on the
earth"
The soft voice ceased. The little
man crouched behind the window. oh.
how well he remembered the day,
lie wanted the ring for Katy that was
soon to be his wife. He hadn't quite
that much for fines that they had put
III him. porter in the big depart
ment store. 1t was so he salved his
conscience then. He took the pas
iionately coveted bauble. was suspect
ed and discharged; but the ring could
not he found on him, and the firm re-
fused to prosecute. because they con-
'idcred prosecution when there was
not certainty of conviction. or recov-
cry of the stolen property. bad pre-.
cedent among their other employees.
And now his Katy had been paying
for that ring!
How did You get the money!" he
whispered. and soils broke his voice
so that she could have known 1t Meth
n Father MacNeil's nor Reddy's.
Sure, your reverence knows" she
replied wondcringly. that I've been
ioing your washing, and the washing
If two other people. And now the
back debt Is paid, aud Reddy and
ne Will have what money can make
or our two selves. Reddy is a good
boy. Father MacNeil. and you'll never
be hard on him; because they only
aid he took the rlng-they couldn't
prove It,"
but you've got the ring on your
inger.' whispered the tortured Reddy.
oh, think he paid for it-some-
way. Anyhow, tbs have paid for It
now. and Reddy and me can be happy
again. And he need never know. He
need never"
She broke OF uncertainty. startled
by an odd quality in the silence be-
hind the wicket
Ten minutes ago, Reddy Mahoney
had been bursting with Jealous fury.
He had skunk in here to put himself.
rs priest. between his wifc's soul and
her God The remorseless machinery
IF the situation had caught and held
lin. Though il scared his eyeballs.
lie must look fully upon the picture
Of himself which her innocent words
held up before him. CrouchinC
against the partition wall, his table
cloth huddled about him, his lullet
read dropped between his clenched
lists, he strangled back the sobs that
tore their way up from his heart.
For In his agony he chung to one
shred of sanity and kindness: he must
throttle this overwhelming impulse to
'un 10 Katy. beg her forgiveness, &C.
cuse himself as Jealous wretch,
smother her with passionate caresses.
and promise all manner of amendment
Tor the future This would be to rem
der her loyal sacrifice of no avail, to
apprise her that the husband she had
striven to spare was writing under
more than the shame she had labored
to shield him from. No. he must
drink this cup in the lonely place OF
his own soul
His eyes roved like those or a crea.
ture at bay. seeking some exit from
this torture chamber, when abruptly
a black curtain descended before
them. II was the skirt of Father Mac
Neifs cassock: and Father MacNeirs
quiet voice said to the wondering girl
! outside:
The priest to whom you were con
Tossing is suddenly ill. my daughter
And he swept the little man. shaking
and mutely convulsed. behind his own
tall figure.
/ Father MacNeil's reproofs always
bit to the bone. and now he was white
hot with righteous wrath. But des
pite the enormity of his present of
Tense, Reddy was far past dread oil
his priest. or even of his Bishop
Something OF this came home to the
reverend father as he looked at that
blanchpu cnnvulSpd fnra
There. there, Mnhoney," he re-
peated. striving vainly to think how
he should deal with this extraordinary
outrage. when suddenly Reddy threw
himself on his knees before the
! priest
For Gods sake, Father MacNell. '
he painted. never tell her! 'Twould
break her heart. But give me pen
ance--a double penance. When you
go in there" with distfaught ges.
ture toward the confessional, shell
tell yon-lay me the penance for both !;
you'll know why; but don't let her
know-about-'
Reddy's utterance failed him. The
priest looked keenly into the upturned
face. "l'll lay you no penance. Ma.
honey" he said; you'll get no pen
ance from me-" And the little mans
look of terror told him that his intul.
ton led Alright. Thus turbulent soul
had delivered itself into his hand at
last! 1t should not buy back the old
dangerous freedom with penance.
But" he said, with his rare, win.
/ ming smile. 'you may trust me not TO
tell her,'-Reddy's face frightened
till see you jealous again. Grace
MCGOWAN Cooke, in Syndicate Maya
zine.
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