The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-04-01
CONTINUED from page 3D.
THE BREATH OF A ROSE.

"No-not much" he replied alb
He put .Bess down on her
feet and she ran towards the open
door.
After moment of silence he asked:
"Annie, do you love me?" He threw
out his arm to stay her movements.
She paused and set the dish that
she was carrying back again on the
table
Sure, / love you. Dam. If we
weren't married four years I'd think
that you wanted to go courtin' again"
Would you love me Tiff / was
bad-if-if every one was down on
me?" he stumbled over the words.
The laughter faded from her eyes
and they became serious and inquir-
ing.
"Oh, wasn't good enough for you,
Annie!" he exclaimed in unfeigned
humility.
Lord! Dan, how many times are
you going to say that? Guess I've
heard it hundred times" the little
woman burst out impatiently.
Then you do love me, Annie?"
81 do love you, Dan, and if all the
world was against you'd love you
as long as you were my own DAM"
She threw out her arms to him and
he kissed her almost reverently.
She turned away and went on with
her work in silence.
He walked to the door and stood
looking out. How much money is
there in the bank at Allanville?"
"One hundred and thirty-five," she
answered promptly.
She did not question, but he knew
that she was wondering-why?
Dan stepped out into the warm
summer air. The red, blazing July
sun was slipping down lazily in the
rudy west. BeSs ran to nina half
blown rose in her moist, fat hand.
Laughingly she thrust it into his face.
It's fragrance sent flood of thoughts
through his mind-thoughts that made
his face grow hard and determined
He took it from her outstretched
hand and fastened it in the buttonhole
of his frayed coat, and together they
went into the house.
I'm going as far as the Centre for
a walk, Annie" he called. 'Tll be
back soon."
"All right" she answered from a
far-off point upstairs. Send Bess up
to me-"
Come, Bess," he coaxed, run up
to mumsie." He lifted her and set
stairs. He watched her plod up the
rest, then took his hat from the peg
and went out. r..
He started towards the Centre, but
soon turned his steps away, for he
had no desire to see the White Rock
Inn tonight. He was thinking-think-
ing. Would he pay Slippery to go
away quietly and leave him alone?
Would Slippery go only to return
again for more? Annie would never
ask what he had done with the money
he had earned and she had saved.
His anger grew. at, the thought. No,
he would not give it to him. Annie
would stand by him. His uncertainty
regarding her had vanished. With
her help he would start new again.
Of course, he would lose his place at
the foundry! He had made begin
ming before, urged on only be the
memory of a white-haired mother
whose heart he had saddened. Now,
he had Annie and BesS. His heart
gave an angry leap. oh, that this
had come after his hard up-building!
The shadowy twilight deepened and
the blackness of night came down.
Dan crossed the railroad tracks that
skinned the edge of the town. Sud
denly he stumbled across something.
He stopped. 1t was the body of a
man lying across the tracks. He
turned it over, and the gray, white
light of the moon feel on Slippery's
face, pallid and immovable. AS Dan
Strengthened up again his eye rested
on the light in his cottage, a few
yards away. SO Slippery was going
or had he been there? Dan did not
know which it was.
One long, still moment and Dan
heard the whistle of the midnight
| limited as it plunged shrieking through
the gap. Nearer it pulled and roared,
An awful temptation beset him. Why
not let Slippery stay there on the
track? The train would do tho work.
Hate suffused his soul and gripped it.
AS Dan bent over the PROSTATE body
sweet fragrant breath played on his
face, dark and angry. He shrank back
before his own thoughts, for with the
perfume of the rose came thrilling
emotions and tender memories-of an
altar, a promise and God.
Quickly he pulled the man over on
the soft, dew-besprinkled grass. A
minute later the train tore along and
passed throbbing through the clear
night. With it the temptation, too,
was gone. The gaze that rested on
the quite figure had become almost
pitying. Dan Carey fell to wonder
| ing why he wasn't lying there tonight.
Heaven had been kinder to him! He
remembered his lost opportunities,
his cnances-many, too-while Slip
perry had had almost none.
The man on the ground moved.
His eyes opened and he coughed.
cts you, DAM" He coughed again
and a little stream of red colored his
faded shirt.
II was dizzy, I took too much
whisky. Guess | tripped and fell"