THE WEDDING RING

New Zealand Tablet, Volume 19, 19 July 1906, Page 37

THE WEDDING RING

Jardoyne had been very much in love with Alice Jordan when he made the usual promises ; he had done it in a half'-aniused way. Alice, he knew, adored him, and he was sure that he adored Alice. A submission of this sort was little enough to pay for such beautiful worship as she give him. His mother did not like it at all. She had no fancy that her grandchildren should be brought up Catholics. 4 It's a mere transient idea ! he said. ' Alice will soon get over these romantic mediaeval -fads when she had been n society awhile.' Old Mrs. Jardoyne smoothed the fine lace at her throat, frowned and chose the finest Dresden teacup for her seen. He was her only son. ' If I had known this I don't believe that I would have given her my diamond for the engagement ring,' Mrs. Jardoyne said, as she delicately poured the tea. ' It was a splendid diamond — and yet it would be hard to find a sweeter, more gentle, better bred girl. Perhaps this fanaticism will pass. If s bad enough to be married by a priest, but this business of the promises is almost too much. Still, there was Caroline Keating, she soon dropped her little bigotries after she had been with your set for a while ; so let it pass.' ' It will pass, mother,' said Jardoyne good-humor-edly. 'In college Prof. (Jollier always began his philosophical lectures with the formula, " There's no religion now— only a philosophy." And in the atmosphere of our home, Alice, who has known noßody all her life but Roman Catholics, will soon drop her belief in the magic angels and e\u spirits. She really believes in them.' And he laughed. Horace Jardoyne was, in his won opinion, extremely modern. He had inherited a comfortable income, every reasonable wish had all his life been gratified ; he was intellectual lco' ing, even distinguished, and he had eonve to be regarded at twenty-eight as the leading mind in a small Massachusetts town in which he had practised law in gentlemanly leisure. Alice Jordan had lately visited an aunt in this town. She was pretty, graceful, well educated, and with an air and style not usually found in small New England towns. Horace had proposed and been accepted. The ma'-riage took place shortly after Jordoyue's talk with his mother over the teacups. And when Alice left Mrs. Jardoyne for the wedding trip, she wore not only the diamond engagement ring, but the beautifully arabesqued wedding ring on which the artistic Jardoyne had spared no pans, for he was devoted to all fine arts. He reflected with satisfaction that Alice was poor ; he could not have endured a v/ife who would be independent of him in anything. As to Alice, she was like a flower. His heart rejoiced in her, he would make her Happy in his own way. As. to this phantom of religion which stood between them, it would pass, of course. Alice followed all his movements with her blue eyes. She certainly I6ved him with all her heart. ' A time will come,' she said to herself, ' when he will know the truth • I must do my best.' ' You value that ring ?' he asked. She kissed the engraved band of gold. • More than my life,' she said. He was content. ' She loves me too much,' he said, to let a fantasy separate us even in thought.' After a short trip in England, France and Holland, the Jardoynes settled in the pleasant old house in Matherville. Society welcomed young Mrs. Horace Jardoyne with cheerfulness. There was no Catholic church in Matherville, but old Madame de Torence, widow of a French diplomat haa* a private .chapel in her house, a mile from Matherville. To this > chapel The .Jardoyne * servant, and young Mrs. 3 ardoyne 1 repaired on Sundays and holy days. , J <^ ouldnt w ° have a ch apel in our own-hoiuse?' old Mrs. Jardoyne asked. ' I shouldn't in the least mind it. Uarlyle said that ' the Mass is the only real thing in Europe r" '

My dear mother,' Jardoyne answered lightty, Alice's fancy will pass. She loves me too much not to come over to my \iew. Old ;Mrs. Jardoyne shook her head. 1 l-here's something- awfully steadfast about these Catholics. I've studied Alice. 1 When young Horace waa born his father kept 'his promise reluctantly. 1 It's awful, 1 he said to his mother : ' we've been Episcopalians for hundreds of years—' 4 Since Henry V 111.,' said his mother, dryly, 'and Unitarians for twenty-five.' 'it's awful, anyhow,' he said. 'But she loves me and I have promised. ' You'll do nothing with Horace unt/il he sees that you're really in earnest,' old Mrs. Jardoyne said to Alice on the day before she died. ' Don't be afraid of him when it comes to religion. He thinks that he is a god to you. Now, de a r, say a prayer for me. I asked him yesterday to gi\e you enough money to make a chap-el of the west library— you promised to do it if the little Horace should be born ssafo -and sound;, didn't you ?' Alice blushed. 'Horace is rich enough— but he ;will not do it. When I tod him that I had promised.this to the guardian angels he laughed.' 'He has a good heart, but r,\<e m a de fum full of conceit. Keep your promise, dear ; the little Horace in this world meeds 5 our guardian angels. And remember that the diamond on your finger is yours • I gave it to you through Horace. Oh, I see he has it set in your wedcting ring now. Well, a woman otißht to have something of her own. Darine Horace's father's life I had nothing.' After the death of old Mrs. Jardoyne little Horace was taken with diphtheria. He was near death Alice stormed heaven with her prayers, and 'Father Craig-nis, her old confessor, came down from Boston Jardoyne was mild and subdued. Ho was " frightened beyond words by the child s danger. When the child recovered Horace was easy and jubilant again. There's no need of a chapel. If you want a 'lot of . Par , ls . u e° WnS . s ay so, but I don't care for -that sort of thing in my house' . He said good-bye and started for a six week's trip in the Adirondacks. l n the meantime little Horace waxed stout and strong— and still Alice, in .the. midst ot luxury, had not kept her promise. Horace lauehed to himself. 'She'll be past this folly for tho Mass before little Horace is old enough to learn what it means ' An VL^fif «. °Unu n Sunday - on lhe Feast of the H o ly Angels that he returned brown and hale from his ™ r i! P ' vv c,*e ,* ra^ ed ■ ecstaticall 7 over little Horace, and ha"! VAt^S^.aSr 11 " 4 * hnMut h ° Sh °° k 'It's a pity that sou didn't come earlier,' said the old priest pleasantly. 'Mass is just over. And the little room is beautiful ; it makes a jewel of a erJJs ; S a great thing i<y be So rich dso «m-nn,U!X« mnn,U!X? oyil « Pr ,° V^ his . good breedin g; he never asked questions. He looked at Alice. Her eyes were cm the sugar bowl ; she had the silver tongs in her h a nd, the left hand strange to say. His ring was not there . Alice ! he Tjegan, feeling as if evil was in the air. ' lou have lost ' ' No, my dear,' she sad, sweetly. Then she glided over to his place and whispered • 8 hn HtL PaWn f d lL . in Boston - T « e Kan lent me eight hundred o n the diamond. But the chapel is perfect Alter all a woman is poor indeed if she can't cali her wedtling ring- her own.' He gasped ; his face turned white. Does the priest know ?' he whispered. No. 1 Alice, 1 he said aloud, •if you've done this thine befor ' mUSt be VCry real to you ~ y° v ' ye P u * Wm life' He iS bef ° re 7 ° U> ' she Said> 'He is more tthan Father Craighis had occupied himself with the little •17°\ *?? d such Sood fortune in securing that ex-. quialte chalice after Cellini,' the priest said to Jardoyne. 1 It was my wife's taste,' Horace said, -but -he began to brighten. The chapel must be worth seeing By the bye, Father, Td like to see some booto'bf a rehgioun nature. The Catholic Church seems to bet real thing,' he added, noticing Alice's ringless l'es h - a ?r J{ it's real enough to make Alice do that I'd better find out more about it,' he thought 'His self-love had received a blow. Alicewas^sutoerhumanly 111 earnest. On the Feast of TTie-.Holy Angels v year from that.day, the bishop received hfm § n tj the i Church in the chapel of the pawned weddirig rin« —the ring that sparkled again on Alice's finger f f y^., Catholica are capable of anything,' he- said