The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-10-07
Continued from page g.
SAINT

SAINT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
window-sills. Even the windows did
their best to add to the general gaiety
by showing boxes of brilliant-hued
flowers to rejoice the public eye.
Birds were heard everywhere trying
to drown with their singing the inces-
SAINT clatter of the cab-horses' hoofs,
the deafening blasts of the automo-
biIes and the roar of the omnibuses.
Indeed, London is a pleasant place in
spring.
Tommy looked at the people and
the people looked back at him; he
was good to look at. Tall, clean
limbed and muscular, he had looks
and to spare. He took off his hat as
he stood looking out over the water
and the light winds blew his hair back
from his forehead. The old passed
him and sighed; their Owl fires had
burnt low and the sorrow and pain
| of age had come upon them. But they
did not envy him the joy and fresh
ness and strength of his youth.
Then he met Ursula. They saw
each other from quite a distance, and
both at once felt painfully conscious
of having hands and feet which seem
ed somehow to get in the way more
than usual. While Tommy was debat-
ing as to whether it was possible to
| address an unintroduced lady when
your only claim to her acquaintance
was a recovered threepenny bit, and
whether the episode having taken
place in church put it in a more con-
ventional light-while these and other
thoughts were passing through his
mind, his doubts were put to rest.
The fates, faithful again to their cue,
stepped forward in the person of a
small boy in a sailor suit. He was
trundling a large hoop very fast, and,
blinded by the excitement of the mo-
ment no doubt, bowled it in between
Tommy's legs and tripped himself up
very neatly just at Tommy's feet. The
only thing for the two of them to do,
was of course to combine forces in
calming and soothing the little boy;
and before they knew what they were
| about, they were both sitting on a
green seat facing the round pond.
Il suppose this is all right" she
said with a smile, "as St. Anthony
introduced us half way. My name is
Ursula K%ingwood."
"And mine is Thomas Dexter" said
| To~o1nI A L;c m che oouo n lit
tie start.
mot the Dexter who sold Hachett's
Court? ?" she asked.
THE same, unfortunately. You're
not the Kingwood?"
"Yes, we are" said she gleefully
THAT makes it quite all right; were
like old friends now that we have
both lived in the same house. But
how you must have hated leaving it
it is so gorgeous
That" said Tommy, twas the
worst thing about being poor"
They talked about many things. He
told her about his work and of the
two fat checks he had received that
morning. ISL
"And you write stories," which
meant, of course, Please tell me about
them" s ,
YES" he said, 4 am writing ono
now. 1t is not finished yet. In fact
l don't know how to finish it; ] an
tangled up in the middle of it. That's
the worst of your own stories-youl
mind seems to get out of focus ant
you can't judge them properly. Ant
I've nobody upon whom | a impose
by making him listen to mine."
Then she said just what she wa;
meant to say: "Perhaps-of course
l know nothing in the world abou'
that sort of thing-but perhaps if yol
would read it to me l could help yol
a little"
"Oh would you?" he said eagerly
THAT would be just the thing"
, So they arranged that he should cal
on the following day and that the.
should read and criticize the story to
gether.
AS the months went by Tommy be
came quite a regular visitor at Ursul;
Kingwood's home. They were il
town for the season, the two of them
Ursula and Ursula's father. She wa
the only child, motherless and yer,
much adored. Ursula's father grew
to like Tommy and welcomed him t
the house in spite of his poverty
And Tommy after each visit returned
to his little two back rooms in Cape
Street and worked more f%uriousl,
than ever.
One drizzling, depressing Afternoon
Tommy came to Ursula, his cheek
glowing and his eyes bright.
i. "Come, let us go for a walk" h
cried.
"Where?" said Ursula. "On a coun
try road?"
Well find one. Well ride out int
the country on a bus, and we'll fee
for once the wind of God in our face
and the smell of the rain. Comet"
And they rode along in the gentl'
hesitating English rain, the omnibus
rumbling like an earthquake beneath
them, rejoicing in it all, in the we
ranks of black houses and the dark
dripping trees.
will you tell me one thing | hav'
wanted to know since that first morn
ing?" said Tommy.
TELL me what it is and | will SCI
if I cam she said.