The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-08-30
Continued from Page 81
BETWEEN TIM AND THE PADRE.

bubbling of water and the soft cooling
of pigeons. He opened his eyes slow
ly and looked about him. The sun
was falling in long slanting rays ath-
wart the waters of the fountain, max
ing a brilliant rainbow that spanned
the broad basin. A dozen or so
of pigeons we're perched upon the
rim, bowling and cooling to each other,
and between whites they dipped their
bills into the cool water to drink. The
lieutenant watched them idly for a
few moments; it was as though he
dreamed. Then a sharp pain passed
through his wounded shoulder and the
quick word that rose to his lips
turned strangely into the words of
Tins prayer-"God help mel" 1t
was so rapid that he was scarcely
conscious of having thought at all, but
the words brought Tim to his remem-
brance and he looked toward his cot.
For moment he thought that he
was dreaming still, but his shoulder
was stiff and painful, and he knew
that he must be awake-only-Tim S
cot was emply-and as he still look
ed, another was brought to fill it-an
old soldier with a deeply SCARED face,
a Mexican.
He was silent. Not even a groan
escaped him as his comrades laid him
down with rough tenderness, yet the
pain must have been almost intoler-
able for he was fresh from the hands
of the surgeons. The Padre came to
him very soon and knelt by his side,
while the old man made his confess
sion brokenly. Again the lieutenant
terious power of the priest; yet when
Padre Joachim turned from his task
and would have spoken to the officer,
the latter feigned to sleep. The
priest looked steadfastly at him for
a moment, and his eyelids fiickered,
but his lips were grave as he raised
his hand in blessing ere he passed to
another who needed him more ur-
gently.
After ten days passed With the
finishing of the battle had come the
end of the war, and wounded com
batants from both sides mingled at
the mission, and fought their battles
over and over again in friendly fash.
ion Many left that calm refuge for
home, some to rejoin their return
ing regiments, others for the Long
Journey"
The old Mexican recovered slowly
He was man they couldn't KILL But
this time he would fight no more, fol
he was hopelessly crippled.
The lieutenant was able to be up
The bullet had been extracted from
his shoulder and the shattered bone
carefully set. 1t was painful WOUND
and long in healing, but the lung hat
escaped, and in time he would BIZ
quite well again. Now and again hi
tried to converse with the old Mexi
can, but the mans Spanish was 81
mixed with Indian and other words
that it was very uphill work. More
over, the lieutenant was still weak
neither was he patient man, and hi
favorite ejaculation, God help mel
made the Padre smile, it was so Xix,
swearing.
Now and then the priest would stol
and speak to him courteously, but b,
avoided mentioning religion and Tin
O'Moore, and the lieutenant's reserv,
was adamant Yet for all that ht
Lo5 1oow,,c5 v,oorxy &hir0n ard ,,a~bov1.
chief of them all, not to mock at tina
which he could not understand Whel
at last he, too, went home to Boston
he babe farewell to the Padre will
unaffected regret.
The priest sighed a little when b,
was gone He had partly guessed tn,
young mans state of mind perhaps
too, he had permitted himself to hope
but-Padre Joachim's eyes grew
strangely bright as he raised then
for moment to look into the sunse
there is always prayer" he mur
INJURED.
For time the lieutenant almos
forgot those painful days at the mis-
| sion IN the PHEASANT DuSCl0 Oh MS It
turn and the loving greetings of kins
folk and acquaintance, who viet
with each other in doing honor to tn
returned hero. In fact, for a few
weeks a friend might have feared TO
him lest the universal homage shout
do him harm. But his own goo
sense-and the prayers of Padr
Joachim upheld him through the OF
deal.
After while he grew tired an
slipped away into the country wher
he might have room to think. H
told them that he needed quiet, an
he spoke truly; he needed it NOR
than he thought.
The village that he selected wa
not very remote from the city-ius
far enough away to be out of sigh
and sound of the houses and the pet
Pile and it stood amidst gently rol
ing country and green fields an
pleasant woods, where the violet
lcarov,o@ hIr.o AMONGST the fender orno