The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-07

the quiet on the day I quit school to
go to work, ana | remember telling
her then that when I grew up ana got
to be rich man I was gong 70 BUY
her several hundred thousands OF acres
of fine land somewhere or other and
build a palatial convent for girls on
it, and then put her, Sister Raphaella,
in charge of it. She smiled with pleas
ure when I told her this, and patted
me on the head and told me I'd be all
right some old day. She was trans
ferred away from the town soon after
that. and didn't see her again untli-
well, when I got plugged with
Mauser down on the heights OF Juan.
they transported me over to Key west
on the Olivette in short order, and had
monkey and parrot time OF 1t, be-
tween life and the other thing, until
the latter part Of August, when l pick
ed up SO rapidly that they decided to
ship me home to Philadelphia. | arriv-
ed there about the middle OF Septem-
Der, walked around for week or SO,
and then keeled over with bad dose
Of malaria that worked itself into me
down in Cuba. I told my folks I was
going to Catholic hospital that !
knew something about in Philadelphia,
and, after some kicking on their part.
l was taken over there. l had pretty
nifty dose of the fever, and l went
wrong in the head as soon as l struck
the hospital. I did deirious act for
week, and when l came to | was
pretty much down in the mouth and
not caring a dickens of a lot what hap
pened-for this malaria thing is sure
ly morbid affair. Anyhow, when !
opened my eyes and was right in the
head, there was. a young lrishman
sitting at the foot of my cot. watching
over me. We had little talk, during
which he told me how long 1 had been
deliriously laxative and then he said:
named Raphaella?'
Nope, 7 replied But there was
an all right little woman, Sister Ra-
phaella, who used to have all kinds of
trouble with me in school when 1 was
kid
" rs that SOP inquired the young r.
ishman, and his eyes opened SO wide
that had asked him: .s
Why do you ask me that?'
Well he replied, you've been get
ting off heap of CAB during your de-
lirum about Sister Raphaella,' and
just wait minute; I've got to run into
the next ward
He was gone so long that l fell into
sort of a doze. The light sound of
approaching footsteps got me awake.
but / didn't open my eyes-Was too
tired and lazy to open EN-. But I knew
that the footsteps had stopped at the
foot of my cot. Then ! heard = soft
voice-so low that it didn't seem to
be intended for other ears-saying:
Yes, that is my bad boy of nearly
rs years ago and what huge
We'll, I opened my eyes then. I
thought it was about my finish when
I saw Sister Raphaella standing at the
foot of my cot. felt quite positive
that it was my last dream. She stood
with folded arms, thoughtfuily sizing
me up. / could make out a silver lock
of hair that had slipped down from he
meath her white bonnet. Otherwise she
was quite unchanged-the same psl]id
beautiful Madonna-ike face, not
wrought upon at all. it seemed to me,
by the impartial hand of Time. She
even had her old habit Of hlushiEf-.
She blushed scarlet when I opened my
eyes.
+" Well. Sister Raphaella!' said l.,
just as if / had seen her yesterday af-
ternoon in the old school room--I was
sure I was dreaming, but I wanted the
dream to finish itselfhout.
Well, bad boy!ttpshe replied, and
then I rubbed my eyes and looked at
her, / was all right, and she was actu-
ally there-the little white hooded gen.
tlewoman that I had thought of a mil
lion times after breaking out into the
world. She was now the mother super
ior of the hospital. Caesar! what a
glorious old talk we had. AS she arose
to leave-(oh. yes, she came back many
times after that)-she smiled reminis-
Gently and said:
And that beautiful site of many,
many thousands of acres, and the white
marble convent for girls of which I
was to be the superior--where are they,
son?' 800
And 7 could only smile at the
thought of the promise of glib boy
hood and the performance of manhood