The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-12-12

my mead that / was to die outside
the Churchill only one modern mir
acle was to be worked, 1t was to be
for me. I've laid on barren island
with an old hulk that could run
steam yacht with his profanity, and
when he thought we were lost he'd
cry,T was goin' t. sign up with yer,
Lord, after this vy'gejust gimme an
other chanst! And he meant it-un.
til he got ashore again.
Those were slashing times for our
trade, right after the war; The Amer
lean boats had been swept off the
sea by the Confederates and the ship
yards ran day and night fitting out
new ones. If the whole forest of
Maine had drifted down to the coast,
it would have taken an army to keep
up with the orders. Many day l
worked eighteen hours at a stretch.
paid for home; fitted it up like
a nabob's; stuck my head up with the
best in the village. And, of course,
while /, was prosperous / didn't worry
about the going back time-why
should /?
"One noon as Z hurried home for a
hot bite I saw man come out of our
gate and hurry up the street. "A ped
ler,' thought. Patience had been
crying-headache, cross baby or some
thing. l didn't stop to inquire partic-
ularly what. thought no more of the
matter until a week later when saw
the same fellow leave the house again
and hurry of as turned the corner.
And as before when I got into the
house I saw Patience had been crying.
II felt kind of sick and trembly as
| I washed UP. There was no way l
could ask about the thing without
seeming to: be suspicious or jealous.
which I was, and yet began to get
mad that she didn't say something in
explanation. She seemed to talk in
a rambling way bit more than usual
and she didn't look me square in the
eye every time I spoke to her. /
just felt something was in the air;
| it's about the way man on the look
out near strange shore feels the
breakers long before he hears or sees
them. It worried me, lad, and l
couldn't tell why.
Then it1wore away and near for
got it. But one night I came home
earlier than usual and there was a
light in the best room and Patience
ana some man talking. l knew when
got a glimpse that it was the same
stranger, and again Patience was cry
ing as she held the baby. 1t was
some time before any of us could
get our bearings.
I am sorry, SIR he said, quiet and
smooth as mill pond, I'm sorry for
this seeming intrusion But when /
looked at Patience got heated all at
once and interrupted:
What is this?' I began, but she
hushed me.
"'Let him tell it, Tom,' and she
Rugged the baby closer.
"'Pll be very brief, he said in the
voice that was worse than daggers
to me. And he was.
/ He paused: have never since
heard such a storm without being car
ried back to that tiny "fo'castle" into
the presence of that suffering man
and hearing his low, dull recital
I Patience was his divorced wife.
Il guess he went on a whole lot
about their hasty young marriage and
quicker separation and divorce, but
didn't get any of it rightly. You
see was sort of drifting around in
dense fog His voice was coming
to me out of mist in which I caught
occasional glimpses of Patience and
the baby. Something was trying to
beat it into my brain that the woman
had given UP everything and every
body for was not my wife,"
/ He stopped to wipe his haggard,
dripping face.
'fOf course in their law she was my
wife; but in a fash it occurred to me
where | had landed. Now, when my
repenting time came, when l was to
offer the husks to God, must give her
iup-She could not come back with me.
Get the reckoning? The mother of
my baby! Up to that time, return
to God didn't seem such an important
matter, but once the gate began to
close in my face clamored to get
through. 1t made no difference what
the man-made law said, my conscience
told me plainly what was coming to
me. And how was I to live without
| her? IL,
You see where the priest was right?
If we. had gone to him, even once,
perhaps I'd have learned this before
it was too late. She never dreamed
my religion made any difference-lots
Of people outside the Church don't.
And to tell the truth she was divided
in her affection between us; if l had
thrown him out of the house and in
sisted on living with her she would
have been satisfied. But when she
saw me hanging between the Church
and her, / guess she began to incline
toward the old love. They never
should have been divorced.
Il walked the streets that night,
| fighting it out. You see could not
bring myself to argue with her when
the most of her argument was sneer-
ing at me for my pious ways. 1t ended
by my deciding to- live apart from her
and insist only on having my share
of the baby. / began to worry most
about him and his future now, and
vet when we rush into a foolish mar
riage the. child is the very last con-