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Show The Temptation of Father Gray j By CLARENCE L. GILBERT II tftfwwwwwvvvWtfwwwjwjM, .Jfl Fnthcr Gray was unusunlly tired. It had been a trying month, with the special services and tho resulting mimberlosB prlvato conferences ho had boon called upon to grant In order thnt the full benefit of tho se-tflces might bo reaped. It Is no smr.ii thing to hold threo regular services a day bo',des the duties an honest priest must ever perform to Ills parish tho calls on tho sick nnd afflicted, tho murrlugcs and the funeral rites. And when added to all this ono Is compelled com-pelled to hold himself ready nt all tlmos to recclvo tho half-converted, and pour Into troubled and doubtful souls the spiritual Inspiration thoy lack well, it takes considerable out of him. So Father Grny was particularly tired, and oven whllo ho brnvely told himself that It was all nonsenso nnd a weakness of tho flesh, and that ho was as well and strong nnd Xrcsh as over to go about his Master's business, busi-ness, yet his tired head persisted In laying on his arm on tho table, and to his overwrought aensos there stolo that delicious calm which 1b tho balm to tired nerves and brain and muscle. But It was not to bo that ho should enjoy this relaxation long. A knock came on his study door, and In response re-sponse to his drowsy invitation to entor thero appeared tho Bweot, calm faco of SlBtcr Margaret, and with her thero wns a shrinking young girl, with frightened eyes and palo faco crowned with a wonderful mass of glorious brown hair. She was a beautiful girl, and Father Gray remembered to havo seen her at Bcvorul of tho special meetings. Ho remembered particularly well, because tho faco had strangely reminded re-minded him of some part of his past llfo before ho wns Father Gray and simply Henry Gray, before tho great trial which had comn to him had moved him to reuoiinco the world nnd dovoto himself to tho servlco of tho MaBter mid His church nnd humanity. humani-ty. As ho looked Into tho oycB of tho girl the reminder camo inoro strongly than over, und tho blood rnn through his veins ns It had not done for years. The piiBt the happy past, with Its human Joys and hopes and promises roso before him. Ho shook the mood from him roughly, rough-ly, nnd In reply to the greeting of tho sister and tho statement that the girl had been awakened by tho meetings meet-ings and sought ndvlso from him, replied re-plied : "Very good slBter, 1 will tnlk with her." Then Sister Margaret withdrew, leaving tho girl, palo and trembling, alono with tho priest. With tho gentleness gen-tleness and sympathy which had mado him such a success in tho ministry min-istry ho sot tho girl partially at ease' and drow from her tho confession sho hnd co mo to make. "Oh, father!" she cried, clasping hor hands before her nnd gazing into his facq with distress written all ovor her fate, "I havo a great a very great sin upon my conscience. I want to do tho best and- wisest thing to. undo tho wrong I havo Inflicted upon others, but tho way Is bo dark and I am bo weak I do not know what to do. You havo been such a comfort to mo at tho meetings, and you seem so good nnd wlso, that I thought you could advlso me. I am willing to suffer myself for my sin, but I want to do tho best thing for thoso I have wronged." "Go on," ho said gently. Many years ngo dear mo, It aoems ages ago 1 did something in a fit of temper which ruined my sister's happiness hap-piness for all her life, and tho happiness, happi-ness, I fear, of a good man. Oh, fnthcr, fnth-cr, I was only a child, and did not know. 1 loved my slstor bo dearly that I was madly Jealous of hor. She was 12 years older than I and a beautiful beau-tiful young woman. Sho had many admirers. 1 didn't mind most of them, because sho laughed nt thorn, .but thero was ono whom I grow to hate with that passionate Jealousy which a child sometimes feels. In my great lovo for my sister I saw clearly that I was second to nono of tho others In her love, but I was most distinctly second to Henry, For nono or tho others would sho abandon any of Jhe plans wo would nmko for our amusement, amuse-ment, but for Henry alio would abandon aban-don everything nnd forget mo entirely- I brooded ovor this until I wns mad with Insane JoalotiBy. And then, ono day, when ho wrote a note and asked her to go out riding with him, us ho had something In particular ho wanted want-ed to say to her, und sho Joyously abandoned a plcnlo wo had planned and sent nib down to tho parlor to entertain en-tertain him until sho llnlshed dressing, dress-ing, I I lied to him nnd told him that uftor sho received his noto Clnndo Belknap nn avowed ndmlror hud como and nBked her to tako a boat ride, and sho had torn up his note nnd gono with Claudo. "Oh, I was cunning boyond my years, and I told him with tho convincing con-vincing nrtlossncBS of a child nnd I was glad, yea. heaven help met I wns glad to seo tho pain In his faco. Ho scribbled u noto to hor that ho was compolled to leave that night on a trip of ninny nionthB lu tho west nud bogging her to como to tho train, ns It would bo tho last opportunity ho would havo to eeo her until his return nrd that tho trip would menu n great advance for him so great an advance tint Ibclr fondest dream could be rea- lUtHi.' I "Yes," said tho priest, thickly, look- 4M Ing at her with unseeing eyes. HU "God blp tuc, I tore up the nolo," went on the girl, wringing her hands, , "and told Nellie that Henry went ' nwny In anger because sho was not ' I ready, soylng that he wouldn't wait ''H n.-ouiid for uny girl especially when ,H there worn o many girls sitting 'BJ around waiting for a fellow to take , -BJ 'em riding." "Merciful haovcnl no, you didn't do ',U that?" cried the priest, with some- H thing very like passion in his voice. "1 did, 1 did," replied the girl, sink- M lng on her knees and covering her 'BJ faco with hor bands. "And that Is BJ not the worst of It. Ho went away ,H nnd she heard from him no more. BJ Probably ho wbb heart-broken al Nel- lie's supposed heartlessness." BJ "Yes," murmured tho priest, sadly, H "ho wa heart-broken." BJ "I haven't thought bo much about jl him." went on tho girl, "although at times have thought what a brutal BJ wrong 1 did him." BJ "Yes," murmured the prlcBt, "a H brutal wrong." BJ "But you seo I havo seen Nollle all H the time," wont on the girl, "nnd a 1 - grow older I realized what I had done fBJ to her. She never smiled after that ;H In tho old happy way. At first sho BJ was very angry and soon after ho .BJ went away she married Claudo Uclk- nnp. f felt from tho first that 1 had :BJ dune u very wicked thing" H "A very wicked thing," echoed the priest, almost under his breath. BJ "But It wns not until n year ugo, H when I wont homo from boarding vBj school, that I awoko to a full reallza- BJ Hon of what I had done," continued BJ tho girl. "Then, being a woman my- BJ self, I learned thnt Nclllo did not love 'BJ her husband and never had loved hlrrf, )BJ and that she still loved Henry as sho 'BJ always had, and that she considered ,H her murrlod life u profanation. Oh, 1 BJ father 1 1 will never forget the hope- BJ less voice In which sho said to me: 'BJ 'Mury, Mary, never marry for any Bfl reason but honest lone. 1 havo nevor ;BJ loved Claude, and the days are full of .H remorse and tho nights full ot tor- ' BJ ment. If I wore not sure that he my lover was unworthy ot tny love and that ho basely deserted me, I be- Bfl llevo 1 should go mad.' And this, BI fnther, almost ou the ove of my own BJ marriage to a man whom I love dear- BJ ly and who loves me. So you seo 1 tin- 'BJ derstood fully. Bfl "1 did not know what to do," she 'M went on, creeping forward and laying Bfl her hands appcallngly on tho priest's Bfl knee. "I would havo told her nnd en- 'WM d u red her contempt and hatred, but I 'BJ feared that It would inako her more B unhappy, ns sho said It would If she B know that her lover was truo to her. BJ And then I thought of Henry nnd BJ what ho must havo suffered and the BJ false position ho occupied In her BJ heart and mind and 1 havo nearly B gone mad. Tell me, oh! tell me what BJ to do. Give mo somo heavy penance. BJ Only show me how I can undo what BJ I havo done. I cannot marry and be B happy with this sin against two lov- B Ing hearts on my conscience." BJ The priest sat very still with closed J eyes, for a very long time, while tho BJ girl watched him with staring, fear- B fill eyes. Little did sho dream, how- BJ ever, tho struggle going on back of BJ thoso closed eyes und that peaceful BJ face. Llttlo did sho dream of the tu- fl mult surging lu tho hoart beneath BJ that priestly robe. Finally he opened his eyes, took both her hands In his, which trembled a trlllo In spite of his most desperate efforts, and said to her In a volco steady, gentlo and full of Bfl paternal kindness: Bfl "Daughter, you can do nothing. You havo acted wisely In not tolling BJ your slstei. It would lead only to HH misery perhaps Bin. Your penancn ' Bfl Is that you must over hour the burden Bfl of your guilty secret. 1 would that I Bfl could absolve you from it, but oven u priest cannot wipe out memory and flfl conscience. Depart und bo ns happy Bfl as you can, and try to atone for tho Bfl two lives you havo ruined by making JJ all with whom you como In contact as IJ happy as possible and pray nlwnyB JH ami unceasingly lor forgiveness for flfl uiirsclf, and also that your sister may Hnd Btiength to bear her burden ' yes, and that tho man whom you HI wronged also may tlnd Htrength to HH bear his." HJ Tho girl arose mid wont from the IJ room Kobblng like a child. flfl When tho door closed tho prlent jER Hank to his knees, nnd great Bob Wti' shook him as he prayed, as ho never SHf prayed before, for strength to bear his new trial und tcmptutlon. And his- long years or self-discipline and self- YtMl control stood htm In good stead In ipf driving back from bis heart and mind Ef tho faco of u roBy-choekcd girl which Sjfjff pei-blBted In returning again nnd Wff ugaln. Finally ho nroBO the battlo won, aiid no ono in tho vaBt congre- iVfi' gutlon ho nddresswl a half hour later '"ifii would dream that tho calm, gravo ijL$ priest who told ot Christ's great love ,K'l5 and forgiveness, had within tho hour frfM'- been buffeted by tho fiercest passions. .H'? and nearly Hwept from his anchorage. "mWH Verily, ho who controlleth hliUBelf WM Is greater than ho who taketh n city, ''ts (Copyright. IWii, liy Dally Htoiy Pub. Co-' ' |