Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-04-15
LOVES ROUGH WAY.

lOHeS girl III the prime Oh youth
and beauty was kneeling before the
altar robed IN the garments of a
bride The moment had come for
Margaret Stopford when one word
would seal the compact which meant
abandonment of the world and all its
works and pomps. The villagers strain
their necks to catch better view of
the bishop, who, in his bright canon
zeal Vestments descends the steps of
the altar to stand face to face with
the young woman as she takes the
final VOW. She stands up for mo-
ment, stately and beautiful; a glow Of
exultant feeling in her face, such as
is rarely seen on the face of bride of
| earthly spouse. Her lips tremble a
| little as she Jegins the responses
which will cut her off forever from all
hope of the ties which make up 9TH
er women's lives, but there is deep
| sincerity in the throbbing emotion of
| her low full voice.
Clang! Clang! clang!
| 1t is only the sound of the convent
doorbell which breaks with harsh
| discordance over the quiet, prayer
filled church; but it causes a momen-
| tary pause in the ceremonial of the
nuns profession.
No sooner, however, is the peremp-
| tory clamor of the worlds message
| over than a nun, with a pale face and
| hurried steps, enters the church and
! whispers something to the reverend
| mother. Then Immediately the ten
| sion which gives warning that some
thing unexpected is going to happen
) is broken by the sound of a mans
| voice
But 1 must see her. 1 cannot wait
| 1t is peremptory that l see her at once
at once"
Everyone in the little church hears
the words, and the girl in the bridal
| robes is seen to put her hand TO ner
heart, and to shake on her prize dieu
as if she were about to fall The rev
erend mother speaks in low tones to
the whtehaired bishop; then she
puts her arm around the trembling
girl and leads her from the altar
In the bare, whitewashed parlor of
the convent a scene is taking place
more strange and more moving than
anything that the popular magma
ton has invented.
A man who has been mourned as
dead for two years is holding the
hands of the girl in the bridal robes
and his eyes are sending into hers all
| the strength of unsatisfied longing
which has been burning in their
| depths since the day of their part
| ing. She returns this look of love
| with one of puzzled wonder Though
she listens to her lovers tale of his
| capture by savages, his long impris-
onment, and his ultimate escape, she
cannot associate him with living sen
| tent beings. To her he still seems to
| belong to the spirit world, where she
| has been praying for him.
Wen soon scatter these mystic
| cobwebs. my darling" he says, and
he makes a movement as if to take
| her face between his hands But
| she shrinkS away, and looks, as if for
| help. toward the reverend mother and
| the bishop, who are standing near
What am l to do? What am l to
2" she cries.
The man made an impatient ges-
| ture, but the nun held up her hand
| with commanding dignity
You know nothing about this" she
| said; please be silent" Then, turn
| ing to the girl, she said: 1T is best
that you go, my child, it is clearly
| Gods will" And seeing an express
| sion of dissent pass over the girls
| face, she continued: You came to
| us thinking your fiance was dead.
| You must see his being alive changes
| everything"
Il have been very happy said the
girl.
And you will be very happy still"
said the old nun; then she added and
there was a ring of pride in her voice:
God does not want a divided
heart"
Richard Moorheld paced up and
down the narrow strip of loose board
ing which served as a platform for
the station of Borelles. with quick
! springing strides. He was consumed
by the sweetest of all impatience--a
| desire for the company of the woman
he loved. She was coming. A vehicle
just like a huge black box and drawn
| by a small black pony with a strong
resemblance to goat had been pulled
up at the platform Only a convent
could send forth such a carriage. I'll
| is just four hours since | saw you he
said, as he held out his hand for Mar
| garet to descend.
Alone at last! AS the train moved
out Of the station Richard MOorfeld
| with the impulse which characterized
most of his actions. put his arm close
ly round the shoulder of the woman
! he loved. and with his disengaged
hand quickly lifted up the veil with
! which she had swathed her head He
! was confronted with face fun of sad
| ness and terror. As the train whirled
along, Richard Mooriield still smiled
! and dreamed dreams, while Margarei
| fingered her beads and sent up heI
| prayers to heaven for guidance.
Congratulations poured in on Rich
| ard Moorfield, 1t was considered or
all sides a right and proper endine
that the marriage should take place
| a month hence.
He had been lettering in the garden
of Margaret's home, and, seeing he1
at the window, he had fastened into
the drawing room. She was dressed
in black, and her face was of marble
| Wilderness and impassivity. No smile
came into her eyes as she greeted
him; no response came from her lips
as he kissed her. and her first words
| were:
Nellie has been dying for YOU Il
come. She wants to go for a Ions
tramp over the hills"
A few moments later he was tranp-
ing along the road with his sister-in-
law to be. Nellie. They walked on in
| silence for nearly half an hour sud
denly Richard Moorfeld stopped. and
laying his hand On his companion {
| shoulder. said
! Nellie. DO YOU think Margaret
| loves me ."