Such Is My Beloved by Morley Callaghan Page A

It’s like this. I know two girls, sort of nieces, not in very good circumstances. I was wanting them to have new clothes for the spring….”
    â€œGo on, Father.”
    â€œThat’s where you come in.”
    â€œYou want me to help you with the clothes.”
    â€œWell, as you can see, I can’t very well go and buy them clothes. I’d have no skill in such matters. Besides, they mightn’t want to wear what I’d buy. If you would do this for me….” He began to look terribly embarrassed. He felt his face getting hot while they smiled broadly, and then he, too, began to laugh with great heartiness, his face all red and full of open enthusiasm now, and when he got his breath at last, he said, “It no doubt must seem a bit funny to take advantage of you immediately in this way, Pauline, but that’s the kind of person I am. Ask Charlie. I’ve been taking advantage of him ever since I’ve known him.”
    â€œI don’t believe it, Father,” she said. “I’d be glad to help you if you’d just tell me what sort of thing, what kind of dress, how much you want to pay and so on. Just give me something to go on. What are the girls like?”
    â€œOne of them is about your height and she’s fair, too. Her feet look to me to be about your size. Let’s say that for her. You get something like you’d get for yourself. Shoes, stockings, and dress. What do you think?”
    â€œYou’ve no idea what color for the dress?”
    â€œI think that black dress you’ve got on looks beautiful on you,” he said honestly. “I like that bit of white at the neck, too.”
    â€œThat’s fine. I didn’t think you had noticed it. What’s the other girl like?”
    â€œShe’s different. Her feet are smaller for one thing. They are very tiny little feet. I’d say a size and a half smaller than yours. And she’s a good four inches shorter. But mind, she is of a normal build, not fat or awkward nor thin either. And she’s dark with brown eyes. What do you think would look good on her?”
    â€œGray is being worn a lot now, gray with gray shoes and gray stockings. A gray outfit.”
    â€œLovely,” he said. “Simply splendid.”
    â€œDo you want to pay much?”
    â€œI don’t want it to be cheap stuff, but not expensive of course. Maybe if you’d look around you’d get a bargain. Then send it up to me and I’ll pay for it.”
    â€œI’ll be downtown to-morrow. I’ll look around in the morning maybe. How’s that?”
    â€œGod bless you,” he said. “If I were a young fellow I’d have a girl like you.”
    His own thoughts were now so delightful that he got up to go, so he could enjoy them undisturbed. They coaxed him to stay; he pleaded he had work to do. They were both smiling at him warmly, and when he went out to the street his first thought was, “What a remarkable quality that girl has. What a pity they aren’t both more devout Christians. Charlie’s in the Church in heart and he doesn’t really know it.” Then he walked on, still smiling, till he remembered he had said Ronnie and Midge were nieces of his. “That was a lie,” he thought and he was immediately bothered, walking along, staring at the sidewalk. “Of course, I couldn’t have explained who theyactually were. But I don’t want to get into the habit of lying about them. That’s inexcusable.” And while he wanted to let his thoughts leap forward with pleasure to images of the girls in new clothes, he resolutely forced himself to go on considering the danger of petty lying.

 
    TEN
    T he afternoon the boxes containing the dresses came to the priest’s house, Father Dowling was waiting and he wrote out a check for sixty-five dollars for the delivery man. The housekeeper, old Mrs. Arrigo, who had called him to the door, looked