The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-05-08


age when Mrs. Wharton, the lady in
question, a dashing widow Of apparent
| ~ unlimited means, had bestowed on
him the charms of her society to an
extent that had interested and amused
the other passengers, and caused
them to predict only a brief campaign
before Penton surrendered. He had
parted from her at Southampton with
the conviction that he would meet
her again, unless, indeed, Gibson had
secured the prize, Gibson being an
other passenger from Cape. Town. who
had more than once interrupted a tete-
a-tete between Mrs. Wharton and Mr..
Penton, and, as the. latter believed, of
set purpose.
should have told him wasn't in
any way a rival, unused Dick, as he
proceeded along. the boulevard of
Lord Street. Its. true l need "a wife,
but not fashionable dame, rather a
sweet, gentle girl who'd help me to
help less lucky ones, and care for me
| if /, hadn't a cent" =
| BY devious ways he had arrived at a.
quiet street of red-brick houses, all
| with bow windows. and a square of
grass in front divided by a path, some
distinguished from their neighbors by
the device Apartments" One of them
boosted an attempt at gardening in
shape OF gay border of pansies, from
which an errand boy was adjoining
his cap and coat when Dick arrived
He had pounced on. the urchin, and
was about to administer chastisement
when there was an interruption. 'Oh,
please don't hurt him! | am sure he's
sorry. Do let him go!"
"A girl had come out of the house,
| and when Dick looked at her.. he for
got everything else, until the color
rising in her cheeks warned him that
he was staring her out of countenance,
whilst the boy careered into space
with his trophies
Il am afraid you won't keep many
of your pansies," said Dick, coming to
| his senses.
75iAnd / am afraid that | must plead
| guilty to fellow-feeling with the
| criminal, confessed she; buried
nearly all the year round under the
bricks and mortar of a city | can
scarcely pass a garden without a. de-
sire to help myself All the same |
thank you for trying to protect ours"
Il am looking for rooms" said he,
discerning the necessity for an excuse
for lingering, and he glanced tentative
| ly, at the windows behind
my aunt, Mrs. Kenrick, will be
glad to see you," said the girl with an
eagerness that revealed much, and he
went indoors to interview thin, faded
lady who, like the furniture, had seen
better days. In few minutes he had
engaged apartments, and stated his re-
quirements, which were so simple that
Mrs. Kenrick jumped to the conclu-
sion that he had had much pinching
and saving to enable himself to take
a holiday at all, a condition of affairs
with which she was most familiar.
Are there any other boarders?" he
asked. az
mot yet. My niece Alice is spend
ing her holidays With me, but we are
very quiet III
/ Dick said that that was what he
wanted and whef alone with turn
round the room in rapture at the
thought of being Under the same roof
as the blue-eyed Alice. He was soon
at home in the tinpretentious estab-
lishment, and 'full fathom five" in
love. He ascertained that Alice was
one of what is expressively called "a
large, small family" that her father
was poor clerk, and that her share
of the burden Of support had pressed
somewhat heavily on her slight shout
ders SO that the change to Southport
4 had been sheer necessity.
i Thanks to Mr. Penton's devices, her
holidays were worthy of the name
i and she allowed herself to dream
Il sweet dreams inspired by his honest,
manly face, his clear and kindly eyes
though, she knew we'll that the awak-
ening would come when she must
leave the dewy fields of fond illusion
i for the rocky path of duty.
But happily went the days until one
4 sunny noontide Dick was sitting on
4 the grass beside the pansies to which
Il he owed his Introduction Alice, the
4 chair which had been carried out fol-
i him being occupied by the family cat
4 when there came a surge of silk, a
Il rattle of chains and bracelets, and a
II delighted cry.
"Why, Mr.. Penton, how perfectly
lovely! You mentioned you were go
4 ing to Southport, and I've been won
dering if ]. should meet you, everssinee
my doctor ordered me here, Where
can | find a quiet place to stay? I'm
so sick of hotels and hydros, bridge
and tennis and frivolity don't You
knoWYs Are you boarding here? What
cHarmingly peaceful. place! Is that
Ey5tIE tandlady in the porch Il must
ask sherrsif she WIZ accommodate me
] So tired hunting for suitable rooms. :
/ Dicks first wild impulse to fly the
! spot was crushed BY thought of Alice
but his lips took q dismal curve when
the staccato of MRS. Wharton's voice
reached him above the subbued muir
niurs of Mrs. Kenrick. Then that is