The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-05-11
monks and nuns" violently.

IouI whatever Is pOSSiUie IOI IIS 10
possible for you. You have the same
sources of strength that 1 have. You
are a baptized Christian. however
much you may have tried to deny it
since"
"Oh. that's all very fine.. But does
the average man do the sort of thing
you are trying to make me do?"
Certainly he does, and far more
frequently than you have any idea
of. Thank God the world is full of
souls who have learned, or are learn
ing, the meaning of sacrifice. They
don't write to the Daily Mail about
their spiritua | experiences, so we
don't hear much of them. But they
exist for all that
Sacrifice! Renouncel Give up! Is
that all the comfort you have to Of
fer?"
by no means. BUTT is my mes
sage to you to-day. Do this thing
if yop can compel your will to it.
Your mercy will make that wretch
ed woman believe in the possibility Of
Gods. And there is more There
is thing which, in all honesty, L
think Il ought to tell you. Whether
or no you divorce your wife, Miss
Wilmot will never marry YOU"
Lionel sprang to his feet "Ah!
that is where you are mistaken!" he
cried impetuously. "She may have
told you that"
Il do not go by anything that she
has told me-"
What do you 50 by?'
my own personal observation Ev-
en- if your wife were dead she would
not marry you.''
IF you were not priest, 1 would
ask you to bet on it." said the other
with a half laugh. "You don't know
what a man can do with a girl! She
may have been we'll primed up by a
priest, she may have had all her nat
ural instincts carefully restrained, but
her resistance goes down before a
love like mine
Hers will not. Because it is her
natural instincts which are against
YOU"
Lionel stood very still for a min
ute. ''She told me that there was
nobody else" he said TREMENDOUSLY.
There was no reply.
81 suppose youzthink there isr some,
one else?''
II give you my opinion. 1 with
hold my reasons"
There was a, silence in the room.
Gladwyn walked to the window and
stared forth unseeing.
will you tell me one thing" ask
ed Father Conroy. 'sHave you men,
toned your meeting with your wife?"
mot to SOUL
"That is much to your credit. You
did not tell Mrs. Bardsley.''
mo. You see, left them togeth-
er-LaurS and Mrs. Bardsley-and
went up to my room. Had 1 spok-
en- at once, the moment after seeing
her, I don't think I could have blurt-
ing it out. But, by the time she
was gone, 1 had had time to think:
and the case seemed too serious for
hasty action
Quite so. Now make me a prom
Use. Give me your word to take no
action for four and twentyhours
from now. Come to me again to-
morrow afternoon, having thought
things out honestly with yourself. And
in the meantime say nothing to no
body. If you tell Mrs. Bardsley that
you wish to see me again, am sure
that she will welcome a slight ex-
tension of your visit. And during
those hours refrain from distressing
Miss Wilmot. Let her see that you
respect her scruples. even if you can
not agree with them"
Lionel considered. He longed to
be up and doing. But delay gave
him more time in the society of, or, at
least, in the same house as the be-
loved. After some hesitation ne
promised.
They went out together to the gate
in the lovely summer evening.
AS they stood there, a dog-cart with
a spanking horse, drove up, and
stopped at the gate of the Fletcher
cottage, just up the road. A small
boy in livery sprang down and ran
to the horses head, and the huge
numbering form of Dan Trent was
seen to descend.
THAT is Trent said Father Con-
roy.
That" Gladwyn took a step
forward. He gazed upon the infiam-
ed face, the brutalized expression, the
shambling gait. He thought of Lau-
IA as she had been when he married
her-of her daintiness. her fastidious
nicely, her dislike to anything coarse
or vulgar. He shuddered from head
to foot