The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-01-22

s,lSoA, 0AC u51uCuAucF vi ElcFC6 8 CAD !.
met. and one a priest--a missionary
in India As Madame de Vaucouleurs
finished her face flushed little; she
was ashamed of having boosted even
ito Miss Lepeyre.
It's a beautiful old house. with
glorious traditions Miss Lepeyre
agreed. but, Of course, the place Is
in need Of repair
Every corner Of it, inside and out
woodwork and walks, and furniture:
the roof, the pillars, and the garden;
but if Philippe succeeds why, after q 1
few years we will begin to live as the
de VaucOuleurs should"
Miss Lepeyre nodded earnestly
The honor of the house meant much
TO her, and she cordially disliked each
new family that climbed into promi-
hence and filled places which had long
belonged to her old friends and rela.
tives.
Ns4' OF course, the estate was never
| able to support such splendor as
Philippe's grandfather loved and in
sisted upon having, but it is not easy
to understand how he spent the vast
sums that slipped through his fin
gers, Madame de Vaucouleurs said
thoughtfully. My husband was more
levelyheaded, more practical. He, did
what he could to raise the mortgages,
and SO on, but he died SO young! He
was only thirty, you remember.
Philippe was a little child then, but
as my husband lay ill he said to me,
again and again, I'm not worrying
about you or about the estate. There
is enough for you and the boy to live
on, and when he is man he will do
what have not had time to do"
We've planned each step Of the
regeneration, Philippe and L. The
house can be made palatial once more,
and the grounds lovely. AS for the
plantation up the river, it needs only
little money and a good deal Of work
to make it gold mine. And-and bye
and bye, Philippe will marry and bring
his wife here, and" She was smil-
ing and her eyes shone. She had
dreamed it all a thousand times.
Miss Lepeyre laughed teasingly.
Marie Bourdeaux!' she suggested.
Madame de Vaucouleurs laughed too
laughed happily although she pro
tested. They were friends when they
were children; that is all" adding to
4 herself, rather than to Miss Lepeyre;
"A dear girl and one of-his own class z
1t was half-past two o'clock when
Il philinna do Uoron,,1a, ,,.c ,,<,r ~, - I,
! and the old friends and lifelong
/ neighbors had begun to stream into
the house, SO it was almost evening be,
fore his mother had an opportunity to
4 talk quietly with him alone. She had
i gone out on the gallery and it was
there that he found her when the last
visitor had said goodbye.
I Sit here close beside me, Philippe,
and let me look at you. Do you know,
4 I have thought all afternoon that you
are a little pale. Are you well, dear
est?'
Philippe took her hand in his and
/ held it fast. Perfectly we'll, mother"
4 he said
4 After a little silence, she asked an
other question. Worried about any
4 thing, my SOM, J.. 5..,. VI,
\ well, yes," Philippe admitted very
i gravely. Worried great deal about
about you, mother
i Madame de Vaucouleurs was startled
4 by the gravity of his tone and the sud.
/ den pallor of his face "Tell me,
Philippe she said, very, very, very
quietly
4 1T is-Oh, mother, know it will
Il hurt you You have made so many
sacrifices for me. You have counted
4 so much on my retrieving the family
4 fortunes, and SO did my father-and I
meant to- want to be priest, moth
4 eli"
i He had said it at last He dared not
/ even glance at her, but he felt her
hand tremble in his and heard her
4 catch her breath sharply A long min
i ute passed before she turned toward
4 him. He looked into her face then.
i 1t was ashy white, but there was a
light in her eyes that he had never
seen there when they planned the flu
ture glories Of the Ide Vaucouleurs.
She spoke at last, hardly above Wilis-
1 per.
i "A, priest, Philippe! / never dream
ed of such a thing! Thank God!
1 Thank God!''
Philippe tried@to say something, but
/ no words came, and as the soft sum-
4 mer twilight fell and deepened they
sat hand in hand, silent, n1otionless
| Perhaps half an hour had passed, per-
! haps only few minutes, before: the
gate was opened and three or four
young people came toward the gallery.
Madame de Vaucouleurs rose hastily.
II am going to slip away before they
see me- she whispered. Il want to
go to the church for little while"
Sudden tears filed her eyes and she
added quickly, 1T isn't that I'm not
grateful to God, and proud of you,
Philippe, and happy-very happy; but
must accustom myself to it all.
Your father and thought thatthat
] and | hoped that you and I would
ALWAYS be- you'll write to me Of
ten, won't you, Philippe? And then
| some day you will say your first Mass.
and shall be there?. To think that I
shall be there, my son!"-F. Gilmore
In the Rosary.
| iaaE h.
II x II.