The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-07-15


which seemed to make his marriage
possible, and suddenly he made re-
mark that set her kind heart thrilling
with hope.
mr.. Clay is right good sort, Miss
Ward. He always encourages his
clerks to marry young"
"Mr. Clay? Why, / thought your
firm was Lake and HILL"
$50 1t is; but there's been no Lake
in it for years. Mr. Clay was Mr.
Hills stepson, and inherited the prac-
tice. He's one of the kindest men go
ing, for all he's had his share of
trouble"
SIS he married remembering that
Mrs. Clayton's husband was a lawyer,
and his name was Clay.
Eyes," answered young Meadows
81 never saw his wife, but some of the
clerks remember her as vision of
beauty. Nearly three years ago her
baby died, and then her health broke
down. Almost ever since she's been
living in the south of France, and Mr..
Clay goes over to see her now and
again; but there's no talk of her COM
ing home. Some of us think the
child's death turned her brain, but
that her husband can't bear for peo-
pie to know it, and so let's them think
she cannot stand this country's eli
| mate
"And does he live all alone?"
Eyes, now. His sister used to keep
house for him, but she's been dead
more than year. When I think it's
hard to be poor, Miss Ward, / just
remember the governor who must
have thousands year, and yet has no
scrap of happiness"
| And then Miss Wards ready brain
pieced out the story, and decided that
the tale of Mrs. Clay's living in the
1 South of France had been started to
make it possible for her to return
without scandal to her husbands
4 home as soon as he could find her.
There was George Clay, miserable in
his luxurious house, and his wife
eating her heart out in poverty at Os-
borne Lodge. Surely it was possible
to bring them together! The kind old
maid had promised Violet to keep her
secret from everyone at Osborne
Lodge, but she had never promised to
keep it from her husband The sister.
in-law whose malice had driven Violet
from her home was dead, and surely
IL Mr.. Clay knew the hardness Of his
wife's lot and her bitter regrets, he
would himself ask her to forget the
past.
!, Miss Ward took her courage in her
hand and went to Gramercy Park
one night, asking to see Mr.. Clay. She
was shown at once into the library
: where he sat alone.
I It transpired later that the lawyer
, believed firmly that if Violet were
ever i'll or in trouble she would send
! for him, and in consequence he had
given orders that he was never to be
: denied to any stranger, whatever hour
t they called.
( 1--WE are strangers, Miss Ward
: What can 7 do for your" he began.
) And then she told him Of the beauti
/ full girl who had come to Osborne
. Lodge in the spring, and who. she
! feared, would soon glide from it init
. the great unknown unless love ant
a happiness came back to her.
o George Clay took both Miss Ward!
Q hands in his as he thanked her will
i broken words.
a ri love my wife now as much as
a did the day I married her, and I d.
!. not blame her for leaving me; for ont
i very near to me made mischief in ou
i home, and Violet had much to bear
n / have sought my wife for over tw'
years, as men seek their best an,
4 dearest, but I could never find an.
clue, had begun to think my darling
J. was sleeping in her grave"
r He called at Osborne Lodge tina
d night, and was shown into the littl
Q study, where Miss Ward knew Viole
) would be practicing her shorthand
7 No one knew what passed between
I husband and wife on that cold Januar
h night; it was too sacred for outsiders
IT But when after an hours delay, tn
J. old maid went into the little study
X she found one of Violet's hands rest
s ing on her husbands shoulder, and tn
" other locked fast in his.
E Mr.. and Mrs. Clay have left tn
Y grand mansion in Gramercy Park
A and live in rural house in a Ne1
t Jersey town, not too far from Soutl
v Hill for Miss Ward to visit them iron
Y time to time. They are pleased to sa
s. that she brought them together, an
G. the thought fills her with delight, TO
s it seems to the kindly spinster tina
there is no title she could value NOR
q than that Of peacemaker.
v Clara Berg in Tablet