The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-10-11
Icontinued from page 81
THE JEWELED cRoss-A STORY
OF LoURDEs.

C6AI0CI vi 1dW-U4O0EAA0Sy PAAANAPS~AAS
thefts, in which he had been helped
by many accomplices, but oftenest by
woman, who was as clever and dar-
ing a thief as himself. This woman
and he had eventually quarrelled and
she had left him, taking with her all
their ill-gotten gains. These consisted
principally of iewelry, and included
valuable cross which he had stolen
from hotel where the owner, a Grip
pied lady, had been staying.
81 am sorry for my sins, now, when
know I'm dying" he wound up his
narrative in a hopeless tone. But
they are so many that they fill up all
can remember of lifetime of fraud
and crime, and I cannot hope that
my dying repentance will bring me
Gods pardon. Now I'm going to meet
Him. know it, though pretended
didn't believe in Him. And I'm
afraid to meet Him-to answer to
Him for all my thefts, my lies, my
ill-spent life. How can few min
utes' death-bed prayer bring pardon
for all the years | spent defying
Him?"
Eyes, it is hard to understand how
He can so easily forgive, when you
have defied Him, and scoffed at Him
for so long," said the priest gently.
"And yet,-Christ on the cross told
the hardened sinner who hung beside
Him, this day thou shalt be with Me
in Paradise And I have good news
| for you, as l shall be Gods humble
instrument of restitution. l know
the lady from whom you stole the
jeweled cross. Tell me where can
find this woman; the accomplice who
left your"
The man gave him the address of a
room in a crime-infested quarter of
the city,-a place of such VIGOROUSLY
dangerous character that even the po-
lice Stunned it.
"She used to live there" he con-
tinued huskily, as the priest took a
note of the address. "But it would
be dangerous place for you-a priest
Ito go"
'No place can be SO dangerous as
to deter a priest, when there is work
for him to do. Indeed, I know the
place WE'LL" said the priest. His duty
done, he assigned to one of the Sisters
who attended the hospital the task
of watching over the mans last mo-
ments, and hurried off to the apart
ment house he had taken note of.
It was certainly an uninviting quar-
ter, where poverty and vice held sway.
from the dark alleys of which the
Apaches and nightbirds crept forth to
pick up desperate living in the only
way they knew. But, beyond few
sneers at his garb, and few rough
pleasantries, the priest suffered nc
molestation in his search, until he at
last found himself in the apartment
of the woman he sought.
He knocked at the door, and getting
no answer, he turned the handle and
went in. A woman was lying on a
worn mattress on the floor, tossing
from side to side, and babbling to
herself. He was too well acquainted
with the wretchedness of the under
world of Paris not to know that she
was in pitiable prostration which
comes after many doses of absinthe
have done their work, and are follow
ed by drop to the lowest depths of
physical and mental prostration.
why don't l sleep? or if l cannot
sleep, why don't l die at once?" she
cried in wailing tone, and then went
on to address some person who was
not there. mol" you old witch! you're
waiting to get ito sell tiff l die
or if sleep. But you shan't have
it! Who are you?" she shrieked, as
the priest, STOPPING over her, took he1
hand.
Il want you to come with me at
once, to the hospital" he said quietly
"a man is dying there whom you
know, and he wants to see you before
he dies. He is the man you left,-
from whom you stole the Cross
'"The cross? He stole it FIRST
only took it from thief" she cried
excitedly. He wanted to sell it fol
his own pleasures stole it from
him because l wanted to sell it fol
myself Old CASTOR deals in them,-
he would pay me a thousand francs
for it, and ask no questions as to how
!. / got it. But / couldn't sell it! I've
been starving for food; I've been raw
ing wild for absinthe;-and it lay il
my bosom all the time, waiting to BIZ
changed into money. But l couldn'
J sell it! Every time I've tried, anC
! taken it from my breast, that cross
/ has glittered into my eyes, as if tt
say, You dare not part with me, yol
must return it to the woman-to he
who wants to give it to Our Lady'I
Shrine 1t seems to burn into m,
i flesh when l touch it. But | won
sell it, and l won't let you rob me O
It'll"
Listen to me-" His calm, slowly
: uttered words seemed to quiet he
paroxysm; and he proceeded to tel
her the story of the lady who ownet
the cross, and of her cure. .As tn,
: world would look at you, you are al
unfortunate woman he went on
when he saw that he had quieted her
i yet there must be some good in you
; nature good that you yourself don
know of. l don't ask you to give M
/ that cross. Stolen by your accom-
) plice, and stolen again from him
t by you-it must now go back to tn
3 lady who had intended it for higher
holier use than either of you dreame,