South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-19
The Rector S Vacation
BY Mabel }. Bourquin.

~ Af''tit yum
+ daughter could think OF a poor
country clergyman. and permitted
I her 20 do as she pleased. So there
followed weeks OF long walks, visits
20 the parish poor and especially
I boat rides. They had so many in
/ terests in common. and the young
rector realized the strength she
could De 90 him in his chosen work.
And tomorrow she was going
home. and this was their last day
. together. While the boat drifted
down the stream he laid his heart
at her feet To his dying day he
never saw the setting sun without
remembering how il shone on her
face as she answered him.
Mr.. Nelson, had / dreamed that
you would take such a step as this.
n would not have permitted matters
+ 20 go so far ] am 10 blame for this
termination OF your friendship.
which has meant more TO me than
I 7 can tell YOU. There is no other
man living whom ] respect more nor
70 whom / would sooner trust my
life. But / am not free.
Then YOU love some one else in
stead / have been foolish enough
/ 20 suppose you were heart free. ard
might, in time, come 10 care for
me-"
! Listen. When my father died, he
/ left some MONOCHROME, had we
lived within our means. But mother
has been very ambitious for me.
: She sent me TO expensive schools.
and spent large sums Of money TO
I esta blish me i'm society. She is hope
lessly in debt. We are spending the
summer i'm this little town because
she dared not borrow the money to
90 20 some fashionable resort. as she
has always done. Do not look at me
/ like that, Mr.. Nelson. / did not
I know the truth of these Things un-
I'll a few days ago.
$50 long as I can remember she
! has had a friend, an enormously
wealthy bachelor. old enough TO he
my father II has long been a
standing Joke that I am TO marry
him. never imagined until this
week that she meant il seriously
He and his sister are to visit us next
week, and that is why we go back
TO the city. She told me that unless
( / accepted him we are financially
ruined, and we shall have TO earn
our bread. So ] shall be compelled
10 marry him, for her sake"
Wait, interrupted the man in a
strange voice, do you love this
MANI"
Love him? 1 de,est him! oh 1
know what YOU are going to say.
that ] am selling myself to him. But
there seems to be no other way. You
see with a pitiful attempt at a
smile, how useless il is. Mother
will never give her consent: and I
cannot marry even you without il
And now, let us drop the subject
please. Here we are at the land
ing"
All this passed through his mind
as he sat staring into the diving
Goals He had never written. had
obeyed absolutely her implied re-
quest for silence But day and night
her face was before him. He avoid
ed every nook which reminded him
of her, and worked with feverisb
energy one day, and brooded the
next. He read the society notes in
the morning paper before looking
at his correspondence. and ALWAYS
laid them aside with relief at not
seeing her name.
He felt that the warning of the
senior warden was true. and that he
n fc
know that i'm the neighboring city a
Girl often cried herself to sleep with
his name on her lips?
A falling log reused him from his
reverie lie rose packed his bars
and gave few instructions to his
housekeeper. He would go 10 the
p city catch one glimpse Of her face.
T and then hide, no matter where
The postman passed and threw a
letter upon the porch There was
but the one. and a glance at the SUI
i prescription brought his heart into
g his mouth. He devoured. rather
5 than read the contents.
My Dear Mr. Nelson feel
that YOU viii be interested i'm q
piece of news. Mr.. Raymond has
{ proposed at last-not to me. but
10 mamma. No wonder he was
P so long making up his mind.
for he no doubt chivalrousIv
hesitated at the pain his deci
sion would cause me. They are
To be married next week. and
: start at once for a wedding tour
of Europe. / shall remain at
the home of my cousin. Mrs.
Ransome of 326 Winton Place.
indefinitely.
- Il hope that all is we'll with
YOU, and that we may meet