Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-07-03

{ Gil. ne was fSiO"1g On LnC-
/ howled to the saint to give me horse
/ wind and strength. but it did no good
and l was thinkin' that he. knowin
| ] was bound TO be too late. had gone
| on to prevent the loss of the plate
| himself. Anyway the diviI kept gain
| in and gainin'. dra win on before me
| till at last 1 could hear the clatterin
| far ahead.
About that time. Iookin' up in the
| sky, saw q rift in the clouds and the
moon. with a little star beside it
mebbe for protection or companion
| ship In the big heavens-looktn' as
serene as a saint just out of purgatory.
/ But all about rolled the black clouds.
now and then nghtin' up like big FIRE
flies, some of 'em sendin' low roars
like a sullen army that's been beaten
and movin away in the distance. And
somehow it set me TO thinkin' that
after all the forces of good had beaten
the forces Of evil.
1t was at that time that / saw some
thing shinin' In the moonlight just
over the withers of me horse. Putin
me hand down near where it was,
what did l feel but a little cross. 1
tried to take it away. but sOmethin'
held it. Runnin' me hand up to the
horn of me saddle. found hangin' TO
it a string of beads. took 1t OF, and
1t was a rosary.
Then l changed me mind. not be-
levin IL was the divtl that had been
ridin' beside me. but st. Patrick him
self. who in passin' had hung the
rosary to my saddle horn to tell me
that he was himself goin' to save his
own and that l needn't trouble me-
self about the matter.
After this l rested me horse a bit,
he BLOWN like a porpoise. Then l
went on at an easier pace. By this
time half the west was quiet ike and
glitterin' with stars. and the moon
Eight was soft on the wet hills and
trees. In the east the black clouds
were rollin' away and no sign left
of the storm except water runnin' be-
side the road and the streams roarin'
and boilin' down under the bridges.
And what made me feel better than
might at somebody-for l wasn't
sure it was St Patrick or the divil-
sittin' ahead of me In the race was
the moonlight on the drops Of water
hangin' on the trees and the fences like
tiny diamonds. l went on till. lookin
1t bein' the middle of the night l won
dered what new miracle gas on foot,
but when I came nearer 1 cried out:
"Bedad. it's the church?
Thinkin' the robbers were there, l
pushed ahead. wonderin' what the beg
CARS would be doin' ightin' up their
sacrilege, but hopin' to scare 'em off
before they could git away with the
plate. l galloped up to the front door.
leapt from me horse and was goin' in
but for the door bein' locked. ] ran
around to the door in the rear. where
the priests are used to goin' In, and
found It open. Runnin' in. was ready
to cry, "Avast, ye robbers" when l
stood still. speechless.
There was Father Conover at the
altar reciting the Litany.
l went in, crossed meself. bendin' me
knee at the same time, and when the
father had finished he saw me standin'
before him.
IF you've come for the plate" he
said. you'll have to pass over me body
to get it"
Father cried. Don't ye know
me? Pm Mike Mulcahey"
And what are We dom hereT"
II come to save the plate
"Ye're too late. I'm here ahead of
ye."
"And how do ye think to save the
plate by iighdn' up the church and
sayin' the LitanyY'
I'm hopin' that if they come to
take it. seem me here at the altar.
they'll fall on their knees instead of
committin' a sacrilege."
How did ye git here"
Zone of them that weakened came
to me and told me what was brewin'.
l borrowed a horse and set of. pass
in one or the beggars on the road"
'Oh, father. 1t was me ye passed.
At first l thought ye were Satan, then
l thought We were st. Patrick"
"And what made We think me st. |
Patrick"
Because ! found this rosary hang |
in TO me saddle horn"
With that ne put his hand to his |
waist and said:
i've lost me own rosary. When |
passed ye l rubbed ye. Me rosary |
fell on and caught on your saddle |
horn"
"And / thinkin' that it belonged to
ST Patrickr'
BY that time persons that had hap
pened TO see the lights in the church |
came runnin' in, every one askin |
what 1t meant. When they heard
that robbers were intendin to take
the plate they all stayed till the day
was breakin', and never a robber was
seen at ali at all.
I've never got over wonderin' how
1t happened that | first mistOok a
priest for the divil and afterward for
st. Patrick. But the most cur'u fact
of all is how the father lost his rO-
sary and how 1t happened to be caught
on me saddle horn.
July 3 in American