The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-01-15

earth; but there would follow sea-
son of rebuke for the temerity of his
love; even in his grave. he would tell
himself, John Stone would still rule
him out of the heart of Alice.
Her eyes drew him to her side.
II feel very old tonight" she said,
among all these youths and maidens.
Is it not dreadful to think. Allan, they
regard us as old people? But we
should not complaints what we did
ourselves. And that was not so long
ago. was it,"
1T all depends on how one reckons
time" he answered slowly. For
myself do not feel that such a vast |
gulf separates today from yesterday.
know it has given us something we
had not then-something more pre-.
cious to us than even youth. Am /
right, Alice, or wrong?"
Very slowly she lifted her eyes
from her fan, and let them rest fully.
comprehendingly on his; and then an
swered him as he would have been
answered
The wonder and the joy of the mo-
ment held him silent; but all his long
and chivalrous devotion, all his deeply
buried love poured down upon her
from his eyes, where for years more
| than her son was old, the shadow Of
hearts loss had lain.
Others now came up, among them
her sister-in-law; but their words of
the days happenings, the success of
young John Stone, at first passed
over him as the unconsidered murmur-
ings of brook; then he found him
self listening with strained ears, as
Alice said:
No, he will enter the university
here. could not let him go that far
away from me.
"Oh, Alice, forgive me for saying it!
But that is not the place for him. 1t
is professedly atheistical. His father
would never have allowed John to go
there
He saw AIice's form stiffen and her
beautiful face grow cold.
Il have taken every precaution,"
she said, that John shall grow up
l
been if his father had lived
"Oh, know you have, darling!"
her sister-in-laW FASTENED to say.
Every professor in the college says
John is model Catholic boy. But all
your fidelity, all your work might
avail nothing, If you turned him over
at this time of life to the woeful in
t1uences of the university"
i "Then you mean to say he must
either be deprived of his degree or l
must be separated from him? I can
not wrong my son that way; | can
not wrong myself the other. My hus-
band would never, never have asked
that of me; he would not expect it of
me now, when all have is my boy!"
Her voice had not risen, but it was
tense to the point of sob; and Allan
Gray seemed to feel a cold hand
reaching cut of the tomb to kill his
reborn love, as his old promise to
John Stone resounded on his ears.
Then he realized that the husband had
known her better than did the lover.
When they were again alone she
turned her eyes to him. but the ex-
preston on his face chilled her; yet it
did not hold back her indignant words.
May come tomorrow to talk over
J this matter of Johns future with
your he asked as an answer.
Too surprised to speak she only
bowed her consent; and Allan Gray
/ turned from the brilliantly lighted
; room with tagging step. He seemed
! suddenly to have become the old man
these gay boys and girls deemed him
/ He found Alice deaf to his advice
that she adopt her sister-in-law's sug
gestion; and she upbraided him fol
cruelty in seeking to part her from
her child.
All the temptations which Allan
, Gray had met and, he thought, con
quered during the sleepless night
crowded in upon him and pleaded him
, not to ruin his own happiness as well
as hers, by going forward with the
, matter. At least, let him first. Sc
cure that; afterward, he could bring
[ her to his way of thinking. Thus they
surged in, only to be struck down by
the steady hand of the man who
i would redeem his pledged word at the
cost of his world.
], Gently as he could he told her he
was there to insist, in the name oil
! his dead friend, that the boy should
be sent to a Catholic University, lest
J that precious heritage of his faith
, should be damaged or lost; and he
must hold her to her promise, as the
dead was holding him to his.
/ At bay she cried out:
IL LET the boy decided"
; "The boy can not decide" he said
firmly; but, unheeding. she rang and
, babe the maid to send him down
|, Never, thought the man, had he
looked SO beautiful as he stood before
them listening to his mothers poig-
nant words. For one instant, as she
!, explained why his fathers friend was
/ there. he turned his eyes upon him;
, and their overfowing love and admir-
, alton fell like balm upon the sorely
wounded heart of Allan Gray.
Mother" he said tenderly, when
her words had ceased, Il do not want
/ to go to any university. Instead
, wish to enter Seminary to study for
the priesthood.
Over the scene that followed Allan
Gray wept tears in his heart; and he