The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-06-26
CONTINUED from page 6.)
THE BLESSING.

"Then forget about it," growled
Nifty. Talks cheap as dirt. God
bless you never fed man when he was
starving, nor put clothes on his cold
back. It's easy to say God bless you
when your skins tight and your body's
warm. Forget it, Sneaky, and listen
to business. I've got a job on for,
tonight, easy money, no chances,
plenty of loose coin and plate lying
around. / know the lay to dot, and
there's only one man within a mile
of it,"
where's all this pie waitin'?"
"a Catholic church on Thirteenth
Street"
"Not ST. Martin's?" broke in Sneaky,
startled.
Niftys quick brain scented the rea-
son behind the suestion.
"No," he lied; s"it's got some other
nameI forget. Say sneaky," he
burst out wrathfully, "cut out this
sentimental rot. That's ruined more
than one good man before YOU
Sneaky. ashamed of his own weak
ness, shuffled his feet.
"All right" he said; 'Tm with you.
But somehow" he muttered to him
self, 81 could do it easier if he hadn't
said God bless YOU
st. Martins parish was far from
rich. You could have guessed that
from the weather-beaten cottages and
one-story shops that rudely elbowed
the church on every side, even had you
never seen the predominant copper
lining of the collection plate. The
church building itself was a frame
structure that served three purposes.
On the first floor Father Harding and
his curate kept house in four fair-sized
rooms. These we're shut off by par
tition, impenetrable to sight, but not
to sound, beyond which some three
hundred youngsters, from five to fif-
teen years, sang shrill songs and gave
shriller recitations, tfamped to and fro
With an appalling clatter and learned
the lessons that were to make them
loyal citizens and true Catholics.
Above was the church, plain but
beautifully clean, it's altar never with
out floral offerings and it's candelabra
never without votive tapers. And be-
yond, overlooking dreary lane OF ash
tins and sagging fences, dirty yards
and crowded back porches, was the
tiny sacristy.
That was Nifty's goal. In an un
guarded moment the ianitor, who lived
in the basement, and who frequented
the neighboring saloon more than was
conducive to his sobriety or bank ac
count, had boastfully confided to Nifty
that the chalices in there were solid
gold, and that the one for feast days
had jewels in her" When the eager
Nifty asked for a glimpse of such
treasures the janitor had protested
that he didn't care to take stranger
into the sacristy, because the Easter
collection was still in the safe
Though Nifty feigned disappointment
he felt that the depleted bottle which
the bartender placed on the shelf
was well paid for.
The officer on duty, passing slowly
down the street, rounded the corner.
His heavy football, echoing down the
alley, was the signal that set in mo-
tion two figures clinging close to the
shadow of dilapidated barn. Black
from head to foot they were hardly
visible as they slipped onto the tiny
porch back of st. Martins Church.
With grunt the shorter of the
shadows, who in the daytime was
known as Sneaky, bent double, while
his companions shadow mounted his
back. The lower shadow slowly
raised; there was slight scraping
against the pillar supporting the
porch, and Nifty gained the top.
Hand over hand, his legs wrapped
about the support, Sneaky followed
and together the men crept across
the porch roof to the sacristy win,
dow. Nifty shook the window
slightly; it stuck tight, SO he i'm
patiently felt for his glass cutter. A
bit of gummed paper was placed
against the pane, and in a second q
round oval admitted Nifty's expert
enced hand.
A small spot of light falling into
the sacristy, passing slowly over the
walls, fell caressingly upon the small
iron safe in the corner, and then sud
denly disappeared.
Not a soul within a mile" whis
pered Nifty, with joyous hyperbole
when we get through there won
be enough to buy a cigarette paper
Another furtive glance down the
alley and they we're in. No neet
for instructions; they had worked to
gether before, and their methods
were perfect. Before the iron SAT,
lknelt the skilIful Nifty. his ca
pressed against the door, as hi
turned the simple combination lock
@Baby's bank was made stronger,
he chuckled to himself, land the.
expect men to be honest when the,
make a safe like this.
j Sneaky, concerned in his owl
proper sphere, ran his hand rapid
through drawer after drawer, fiingin