The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-08-24
Charities street and left him aloEe on

But the cathedral bell had chlmed the
hour, and Toni paused, remembering
Pere Lsurent's words:
''Wait for me on the steps. mons fills,
and ] viii take you with me to hear
some music-some violin music-which
Father Charles will play for u.s.
And in passing by Pere Laurent had
placed his hand on Toni'sruugh, tangled
curls with gesture of protection and
was it affection?
At the thought, TOMS rich Italian
blood surged up, coloring the dark
olive of his cheeks, and his eyes, which
were watching the gathering clouds
being driven up by summer storm
from across the gulf, shone like two
luminous stars.
No, not to please Heavenly Father,
remote and unknown, one who had
not watched over those dark and I'M
happy days from which he had
emerged, would Toni strive to follow
the narrow path pointed out 10 hiEl by
Pere Laurent.
That path, which excluded passion,
vengeance and curses, ill-will and theft,
and the paying back of evil for evil, his
long-cherished dream, which was to
square up those old accounts of his OPP
pressed childhood, and settle the debt
with compound interest he owed those
who had so harshly treated him.
Toni would sit and plan how he
would wipe out the old scores when he
would be brawny and tall and power
full like the sailors on the goelettes and
charcoal boats moored in the Old Easin.
But if he was to renounce the keen
pleasure over which he had so gloated,
vengeance on Mere Felix and others, it
was only to please Pere Laurent, to
bring a smile to his dim, kind eyes, and
to hear him say: ''mons fills" those
words which, sinking deep, made Toni's
heart swell with passionate love and
pride.
No, il was not for the sake of doing
right, at the dictate of that remote God
in Heaven. 1t was for love of Pere
Laurent.
Toni Tedona had been uhwittingly
the cause of contention and reproach
in Father Laurent's quiet home, the
presbytere by the cathedral.
Old Madame Jean, his housekeeper,
had raised her hands in holy horror and
her voice in strong protest when told to
prepare a cot in the wing room for Toni,
the vagabond, who led all the pranks
and yillainies committed by the gamins
of the levee. 1t was impossible that
Pere Laurent would think seriously
of trying to reform SO notorious a
young villain.
And to bring him into the presby
tere That quiet, orderly house!
at was impossible! Why in weeks
time she, Madame Jean, would not have
chick or a hen left in the yard nor
would Father Laurent have one of those
beautiful silyerspoons presented to him
in gratitude by his congregation.
Toni Tedona was n brigand, and it
was easy to foretell what would be his
ending"
But Pere Laurent had smiled his
slow, quiet smile of compassionate re-
proof which Madame Jean herself said
was like ray of divine light from
Heaven, and reminding her of the char
ity of Him who had said to the thief:
Meet me in paradise" had persisted
that Toni, the reprobate, be made well
come under his roof.
THE boy is brave, and he lives not
who can assert that there is only evil
in him. He is young and has been hard
ly treated. His eyes are fearless and
true and ! will trust him"
So Toni was brought to the presby-
tore. 1t had been hard work for Pere
Laurent to implant into his wild and
passionate nature the seeds of those
traditions and virtues which guide the
Christian world, but there was fascina-
ton in the work, and he had persisted.
And soon Pere Laurent realized the |
magic of those two words my son.
and their effect upon Toni to quell his
burst of passion when troubled and
worried by the men on the levee for
whom he worked, words which would |
bring tears of repentance TO his eyes.
So Pere Laurent skilfully and pa
tiently tended the wild plant he had |
plucked from the poisonous dunghi1l of |
the street, and watched with pray erful
delight its gradual unfolding into a
thing of beautiful growth.
You think you have tanned him,
Pere? You wait and see. One of these |
days Toni will blaze out in fit of fury, |
and we will be assassinated!" insisted |
Madame lean.
But Pcre Laurent only laughed |
amusedly, if a little sadly. 1t had been
at Toni's own request that he had taken |
him as altar boy some six months ago, |
marveling that he should wish it.
Altar boy! Toni Tedona ALTAR boy!
When the news spread abroad down |
the levee, among those riotous compan-
ions, formerly led by him to the COM
mission of deeds which would not bear |
the light of day, and which an individ- |
uality of interests alone kept hidden |
away from the scrutiny of the police.
how they yelled and shouted derisively |
and Knocked at the farce.
And as Toni sat that evening on the |
steps of the cathedral in the waning