The Washington times., 1914-01-20

NM once more VI. COLIsaio was
w bending over hm. Therese
was fluttering anxiously at
the doctors elbow, and he a6be was
7. holding two bott es Of something that
smelled abOmniably. ,
La, la, Ia said VI. GGnsardr wag-
ging his head. That is better That
is better, Mon Dieu, l Tlll confess tnal
l was little frightened
ecstacv OF thanks ''Sainte Virge!" she
cried. He is alive once more.
You feel better low. htih"' asked
EveTard disregarded the doctor and
the old woman, His eyes s!, teUna RIHad the
Patience, mon cher, patience?" said
the abbe, ''or you will not get well at
all"
Eyerard shook his head. Tell me
where she is" he demanded
The doctor nudged the aDoe ana
whispered quickly: -,
Tell him anything, anything!
Therese stood looking from one TO the
other in deep puzzlement. The aooe s
sudden rush for the doctor when all
was apparently going yell with the pa
tent had caused ler considerable
alarm. 1t was a matter of personal
pride with her to see Everard on MS
feet once more.
The abbe waved his Land at her and
she left the room. Then =, ne eb eurn91 rn14snf u4
the patient. 'Toinette is IN Ile colAHeh'
at Boulogne." +,
what do you mean-'1 conventE
NV God! Do you mean that she is
going to become a NUM-! -,
The able nodded. Yes +h ne saIu
"She has been there for TWO montnS.
Everard struggled I'D OF one elDOW.
His face was white With terror. was
ne to lose her again?
''She can'tv' he cried: She mustn L
Fetch her out. For heaven rs sake s.
dom let her do it You've done 1t.
Yon.vo done this! You, you call your
seIt a friend and you sneak Toinette m
TO a convent Let me get up You re
LseDine me away from her. must
90 TO her at once. You shant put her
into a convent I'll burn her place
down. I'll climb in. 1 must hnd rtiea ner,
me something, anything, QUICKLY, 50
that l can get up. Oh, Lord, 1 can |
get up"
and at the end of this outourst ne
sank back into his pillow, exhausted.
broken, despairing. He was all OUT ss o.
control and tears came TO MS eyes as
they would to a childs.
Don't let her do it fmplore you
to save her, to give her back 10 me-
will do anything you say, you may
punish me how you like, break me-
cha-d, don't keep me away from her,
please. please! Tell me what l must
do TO make myself worthy Of her. !
will do anything you hkei anything.
Tell met Tell me-
The abbe put a hand on his shoulder
and patted 1t. There there, ne sald'
You shall see her; / promise you.
Everard caught up his hand, speech
less with relief and gratitude, sobbing
heaTIbrokenly.
But though the abbe promised thai
Everard should see Toinette, he was
big with doubt, reluctance, and Ques'
tioning. His little flower had been
as he now saw, for her fault, had de-
cideG to devote her life to the service
Of God She had come to this decision
keI self, without any prompting from
him, and naturally enough he, being
PRIEST, was very glad. He had always
for anybodys hands but those Of his
Master, and the day Of her entrance
into the convent in Boulogne had beer
to hIm one Of great rejoicing. He told
himself that all the choirs of heaven
must have rejoiced with him.
But now that she had definitely
chosen her way of life, and was pro.
tected against all the temptations OF
the world and the flesh, here was thls
Englishman who had cnce swept her
off her feet clamoring to reJotn her. To
take her from the convent now was TO
take her, metaphorically speaking at
least, from God and give her to the
devil For the Englishman had not
only robbed her of her purity, but de-
MED even the existence of God. How
could he. a priest, give her once more
into the keeping Of such a man? Would
the choirs of heaven rejoice If he fetch
ed her away from the convent? once
more it was a struggle between his
humanity and his sancity. II was a
struggle between love and religion, be-
tween the world and the Almighty,
and, as ever, he, the priest, was arol-
ter.
What was he to do?
His priesthood made him cling TO
her plan of becoming nun 1t was
her nlan. Why should he 90 out OF
his Wav to upset It? She had decided,
and as she was the pivot about whom
thev all revOlved, surely it was not for
Liryi 10 interfere. But there was Ever
ard and. for all his weakness and de-
Mai OF the Deity, he vas just as much
a chiId NJ Cod as Toinette. Then, too,
those months in England when his con-
science had driven him to self-destruc-
tiOr not once only, but on two sep
arate and terrible occasions, were they
NOT months of eXDiation, of atonement!
There should be no argrment IN the
matter The abbe told himself that ne
Vas the servant OF mis- Master, and 70
Lis Master he bowed mis- head. Iolnette
Tsd chosen. Perhaps she LAD CHOSEN
wrongly. 1t was for God TO declGe.
7 viii 20 and fetch her. ne SAID at
last.