Evening star., 1914-01-25

beating wildly i'll her breast,
sent up desperate prayer,
and if in to it her
eyes fell upon a long, low building with garden
about it and the main doorway. 1t a
convent.
Cese crossed the street. and seizng the bell puedit
violently. Ar off she could hear in the silent corridors
the changing OF the bell In a minute two the little
sliding window opened and the porteresS, cherry
checked nun, struggling get her great white cornet
on her head, peered out.
LET me in. cried Cerise 4 am an honest girl, and
l away from evil man. Let in! Oh please
let in,
The sister hestated a must ask the Sister SUPERIOR
she called Il can't let you in without her permis
sion.
Then she closed the little window, and Cerise heard
her quickly retreltng steps She gone only little
while; but it seemed so long Cerise, shvering and
drenched in her evening gown with the sharp wind cut
ting her like knife that she pulled the great bell again
and again. Once more the sliding panel was pulled
aside and the Sister Superior elderly beautiful wo
man. looked out at Cerise
Let in" cried Cerise, between her sobs, and
cging to the wdowsil as if she would force her way
within. Il am a good girl. have done anything
wrong. Let me in!
The Sister Superior, experienced woman, noted
that there paint the pale cheeks of the girl
and that her gown although decoette, decently
cut and her eyes, those telltales OF the SOUL clear
and bright amid all their misery. The heavy bars to
the entrance were withdrawn, the great door opened,
and Cerise slipped in while the portercss fastened the
bars behind her.
Never was there a more wretched looking object than
poor Honeyswcet at that moment. She had lost
shoe, and mud and rain had reduced the white gown
rag Her teeth chartered with cold, and the fountain
of her tears flowed freely.
Il have done wrong, she cried; but have been
very foolish. | went out to supper with man, and
when | realized how wrong | had done l away
See, here is the print OF his fingers my when he
tried to hold me-
She pointed her slender arm, and there indeed was
the print of Dcorrnes fingers The spirit OF truth
the voice we'll the eyes of Cese, and the Sister
Superior believed every word.
Come, she said quietly, you must get off these
irenched things and be put to bed. Tomorrow you may
tell Your story and go your friends
In little while Cerlse found herself in small white
bed in a nuns cell. She and dry, and felt
immense sense Of relief.
1t is the Breton saints who have saved me, she
said the Sister Superior standing by her and giving
her warm drink. The Paris saints don't know any
thing about me.
The Sister Superior laughed God is everywhere
she said "thc same in Paris in Brittany Goodnight.
CERISE slept well. She slept until the Christmas
bells wakcned her. and she heard in her little bed
the fr-o voices Of the sisters in the chapel singing
the darkness OF the Christmas morning the hymns of
Noel But Ccrisc could not Her strong young
body racked with pain for the cutting wind of De
cembcr and the p',ss rain taking their revenge.
The Sister Superior came to her and laid on her bed
little picture csrl ,irescnting the Mother and the
Holy Child in the mangcr at Bethlehem, and the kind
portcrcss brought her hot breakfast. Both Of them for
bate her to r1Sc an! in iced poor CerlSe quite
capable OF It, But She insisted telling her story.