The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-06-17
What on earth's the matter?"
"Maurice!" she sobbed.

Maurlco! Sne SObDed.
Jack gave vent to a prolonged
whistle. $50
Say. Bessie, tell me all about Il.
And il that fellow isn't good to our
Bess, home we 60 to the South on the.
spot. Understands
But no explanation was forthcom-
ing for with the musical striking Of
the clock Maurice bounded up the,
steps and into the house. Already he
was in the dining-room, alert, smiling
and happy.
Sorry to have kept you, Bess,' he
began and then came to a sudden stop.
The atmosphere was frigid.
I'm brute, Bessie" he cried
quickly. Eyes, have been keeping
secret from you, just imagine, a great
big secret, too. Can't you guess what
it is, Bess?"
Elizabeth Strengthened up visibly
and wiped away her tears.
IT wanted SO much to surprise you,
but won't keep you in suspense any
longer, dear. l have been taking in
structions after Office hours every
evening from Father Connolly, and to-
night made my first confession.
am now Catholic Tomorrow, the
First Friday, we will receive Holy
Communion together, dear, and will it
not be grand closing to your Nine
Fridays? But it has been an awful
struggle. At times l felt I would be
conquered. All the doubts, all the
tales of my, childhood rose before me
like wraths of the past, reckoning me
back the way had come, throwing OBJ
stacles in my path, telling me was in
sane. Oh, Bess, it was awful"
Maurice Milligan bowed his face
upon his hands. A silence almost
painful in it's intensity fell upon the
group.
Jack was thinking how pleased his
mother would be, and Father Cum
mings, and-what ian old fossil" Miss
Jessica was anyway! While Bess-
with her it was grief that she had
not known in order to have aided
Maurice in his struggle.
None of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed,
How dark was the night that the Lord
passed through
Ere He found the sheep that was
lost
Out On the desert He heard it's cry,
Sick and helpless and ready to die.
And then Bess was sobbing. "And
I-I-doubted you, Maurice, for Miss
Jessica said"
Doubted me?" he exclaimed in
much surprise. Doubted your hus-
band? Why, Bessie Milligan, you de-
serve to be-kissed."
With a glad cry she went towards
him, and he gathered her, half weep
ing, half laughing, in his arms.
Jack turned away and discreetly
busted himself with drawing the
shades Catching sight of Miss Jes-
sica peering through at them, he
struck theatrical attitude and for a
full three minutes acclaimed volubly,
the text of his harangue being "The
mote in thy brothers eye and the
beam in thine own"
Maurice laughed heartily while
Elizabeth fastened to add that since
the mote had been extracted from
Maurice's eye, they must see what the
Nine Fridays could do towards remov-
ing that hurtful commodity from Miss
Jessica's.
''Lor' bless, you, honey came a
voice from the door-it was Aunt Chic,
their old Southern servant-''Lor'
bless you all, faint no mote in Miss
Jessicas eye, but beam as wide as
-as-the beam that comes in through
the window over the cathedral altar,
and it's filled with notes and notes,
and notes, and notes"
The voice of the colored servant
trailed away down with her footsteps
to the kitchen below, from which re-
gion arose savory and delicious odors
And, laughing happily, they all drew
their chairs up to the table and
waited.
Camille Adams, i'm Canadian Messen-