The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-04-05

1
the June breeze toying with his silver
| locks.
He had been resting for perhaps a
quarter of an hour when the sound of
voices reached his ears. He listened
and soon perceived them to be those
of children, evidently some of the vii
lage boys taking advantage of the
quarrymens absence to explore the
place.
It's a darn lie," heard Father
James, and in another moment two
boys of about nine years of age turned
the corner of the tool house and
stopped, their backs turned toward the
priest. Father James instantly rec
ognized the two youngsters. The
short, stocky one with the thick crop
of red hair and the mass of freckles
was none other than Jimmy Whelan,
the quarrymaster's only son. The
other, of slighter build, but more
rugged looking, was young Deering,
the son of the postmaster. The two
boys remained standing in their tracks
and the priest watched them with a
smile. He permitted them to talk un-
disturbed, taking a keen pleasure in
the childish opinions regard the pos
sibility of the quarry reaching a depth
of five miles. Young Deering, who
asserted that this would some time
happen, related an impossible tale of
hole he had seen that was deeper
than from here to the sky
"It's a darn lie,' repeated Jimmy.
You're the worstest liar ever saw"
At this point Father James inter
posed. What sort of language is
that he asked, in tones of assumed
severity. The unexpected interruption
of their conversation startled the two
boys, and both turned to face the
priest with frightened countenances.
Whelan was the more frightened and
his terror increased as he beheld in
the priest the most talked of among
his fathers enemies. He started to
withdraw carefully, as though an
ticipating some sudden and for him
disastrous movement upon the part
of the man before him. His action
aroused his companion, who likewise
started to withdraw, but without the
same display of mistrust. Then, as
| if moved by common impulse, both
turned and ran, Deering taking the
road that led up to the village, while
the terrified scion of the quarry boss,
ran farther into the excavation. He
did not slacken his pace until hun
dred yards or more separated him
from the priest and then he turned.
"Cathlic, Cathlic he called; "Old
Cattle priest.
Father James lay back against the
building and laughed at the bold
youngsters words. The priests laugh
disturbed Jimmy the more and he re
peated his cries: Cattle, Cattle; old
| Cattle priest!"
Then dissatisfied with the effect pro-
duced he picked up stone and threw
it in the direction of the priest. The
missile had been poorly directed and
had fallen far short of it's mark, but
Father James nevertheless decided
not to let the boys last act pass un-
needed. He arose from his seat, shook
his cane at Jimmy and muttered, 'Ye
little bog toad, it's a blame good
thrashing I'd like to give ye," and
then started in the direction the boy
had taken.
Seeing that he was to be pursued,
young Whelan turned and fed, but
Father James followed slowly. He
knew we'll that there was no escape
for the boy; that he would soon come
to the end of the quarry, and that un-
less he hid himself in one of the many
crevasses that abounded in the local
ity and that offered ample protection
to one of the boys size he would be
found easily. If he caught Jimmy,
Father James resolved to give him
some kindly counsel The old pastor
followed slowly, while his eyes noted
the marks that the boys bare feet
had made in the gray dust of the
road. Then his latent interest in the
scenes about him returned, and re.
peatedly he stopped to examine some
particular setting that attracted him
or to pick up one of the many lime.
stone particles that lay in profusion
about him.
While engrossed in viewing one OF
these piercing shrek from the direc
ton young Whelan had taken sounded
in his ears. Father James dropped the
stone he had been examining and lis
tened, but for moment there was no
sound save that of his wildly beating
heart, set into rapid motion by the
startling interruption. Then another
cry, more prolonged but less intense
arose, and in it the priest recognized
Timmy's voice. He started forward
and though his rheumatic limbs for.
babe more than painful jog, he did
not slacken his pace, for the second
cry had told him that something was
wrong. Either the boy had been at
tackled by someone or something, OF
he had fallen into the big pool that
covered much of the abandoned sec
ton of the quarry and which was
usually filed with Shiny and dirty
water. The latter seemed to the priest
the more probable explanation of the
cry, and he increased his pace as
well as he was able, knowing vel
that it was highly improbable that q
boy of Timmy's age could swim.
Continuing onward he rounded g
wall of rock and saw instantly that his
fears had been realized The boy in
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