The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-09-19


she seized the silken blouse. Take
your message back to Sergeant
Carey" said she with teeth clenched
in anger, and she flung the blouse at
the pedlar's head, "and don't come
here again with stories or messages
from peelers or sergeants.'
Tommy's temper by this time was
tallow, and the angry word was a
spark to set it ablaze.
bad luck may take you then, with
your black head" he cried, "'tis too
good he's for you. The seven par
ishes know it already, how you coaxed
him and fooled him, and you not hav-
in penny, but less than myself"
Kitty was speechless with anger at
this unexpected outburst. Tears rush
ed to her eyes, great lump filled her
throat. She could not even order the
pedlar off. His speech, however, was
fluent and fierce.
rags of girls after every man in
the force,' he cried as he tied the
last knot in his pack, land they afraid
of their mothers to own it. IT'S I'll
tell the parish priest himself. IT'S
I'll tell the head of the League about
the girl that opens the letters and
gives the sacrets to the police"
The falsehood and treachery of this
last shot made Kitty tremble in fear
of this rambler of the roads, and of
the scheming sergeant. Just then
Bat Caravan, "the head of the
League" approached the post office
door, The pedlar, hearing the ap.
preaching footsteps, shouted his in
suits and falsehoods louder that he
might he heard.
Bat hearing the row" stood twenty
yards from the door to hear more dis.
tinctly the single-tongued combat.
Kitty beckoned to him through the
window to come to her aid. He was
an accredited admirer, although he
had not declared himself. He was
also head of the league" but the ped
lar was ignorant of both facts. Bat
always enjoyed the pedlar's "veX."
He came to the doorstep and stood
again with an inquiring look on his
face. The pedlar looked up, but did
not cease his vituperation.
Bat soon OWNED that the torrent Of
abuse was being hurled at Kitty. He
ordered the pedlar off, but without
moving from the door. Tommy took
up his pack, put his stick through the
knot and swung it on his back.
AS he went to the door he stood
and fired his last foul shot
MAY you never get the man you
want"
mo more of that! Out you go!"
Bat ordered
He was lighting his pipe in cool
unconcern as the pedlar passed him.
The vileness of the pedlar's tongue
brought down dire punishment. The
pack was lifted, laces and cottons
bulged at the corners. AS he passed
out Bat, mischievously, dropped the
lighted match he held into corner
of the pack.
The dedlar took the road he had
come AS he went the smoke from
the slowly smouldering flame in the
pack assembled in the summer air.
He felt not it's heat for the July sun
was broiling> and the fineries in the
tightly-boundf pack smouldered rather
than burned Neither did he smell
the fire, for his anger had dulled even
the sense served by his nose. AS he
went the volume of smoke continued
to grow Bat watched it in a fit of
boisterous laughter from the post
office Kitty endeavoured in vain ten
times over to get Bat to talk, careful
ly avoiding the sergeant's scheme and
the pedlar's insults, but he would not
listen while the smoking pedlar re-
NAMED in sight.