The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-04-29
THE SIXTEENTH PEARL.

l
Frances asked, wistfully.
1T is strange" replied Mrs. Naugh<
ton, thoughtfully. It's about six
years, isn't it, since we had the last
letter."
), Six years and half" her niece an
swered, signing heavily. Its curious,
auntie,' she went on after a. pause, II
always miss him, and look for him to
come, more in. the winter than / do
in any other time of the year. | sup
pose it is, because | remember so we'll
that last Christmas before he went
a,Way-the time when he gave me tho
first. pearl. was only five years old,
so he's gone twenty years. A long
time!" $50
"A, long time, indeed echoed her
aunt. But | am sure he is not dead"
she added more cheerfully, and that
we shall hear something from him be-
| fore long. All our prayers are not
to go unanswered. ! am convinced of
that. So let's go on hoping and pray
ing, my dear
/ J, Frances frightened. "And maybe
who knows? -he may be at home this
Christmas" she said, smiling.
/: The Naughtons had formerly lived
| in Denver, where twenty-one years be-
fore Mrs. Naughton's only brother,
just bereaved of his wife, had left his
motherless little girl. in care of his
sister and had gone West, ostensibly in
search of fresh opportunities, but
| really in search of forgetfulness. I'm
able. to rise above: the blow ofg his
I wife,,s DEATH he had fallen among
sconvivial companions of other and less
happy years, to his consequent detri-
ment and the grief of his sister. A
year later he had returned with
| eXtraVagant gifts for Frances, for
Mr. and Mrs Naughton and their
small son, and@With equally extrava-
CANT praises ofnthe gold fields where
he had decided to seek his fortune. He
remained but Al week or. so. leaving
Mrs. Naughtonf not very much hap
pier for his visit. Shortly afterward
Mr. Naughton was transferred to Pitts
burgh and the, family left the West,
taking little Frances with them, who
grew up cherished as their own. But
| her, father never came to see her,
| though he usedrto write at infrequent
intervals. The last time she had seen
him he had given her a small pearl of
| undoubted value, sending her one like
| it regularly for the. next six years.
When the pearls ceased coming,s a
wealthy cousin of Mrs. Naughton's con-
| ceived the idea of completing the
String of pearls for Frances, and every
YEAR on the girls birthday added one
to the collection, until there were fif-
teen, perfectly matched and of rare
ly beautiful ecolor.~ Then the generous
cousin died, leaving the string uncom-
pleted.
Il guess you'll have to sell those
pearls, Frances" her cousin George
remarked, lazily one day.
Indeed, shan't!" retorted Frances,
indignantly. "Why?' .1'1'.
."What good are they?' he scoffed.
"a lot of little white buttons in a
drawer! Girlsnare funny"
/ Little white buttons! / want you
to know, George Naughton, have fif-
teen perfectly beautiful, lovely, round
pearls, and they're worth-they're
/ Worth--I can't tell you how much
They're WORTH The girl eyed her
cousin in angry disdain.
go umph! No, 1 don't suppose you
can,' he answered, dryly. "But
where's the sixteenth one coming
from?: That's what I'd like to know"
""Oh, I'm not worrying, said Frances
Escftily. Maybe uncle will buy me one
some day, or auntie, or+4or-
1"Or Tom, suppose" teasingly.
Whats that about Tom?" called
gay voice from the door. It'Was Tom
Dalton, Georges best friend.
"Oh," remarked the latter airily,
Frances was just saying that maybe
some day H
f. eGeorge@ exclaimed Frances. flush
ing deeply IF you say another word,
I'll never forgive you!"
All right grinned her cousin ami
ably, "but' think Tom ought to know
the way you talk behind his back
Never mind, france, SAID rom,
laughfngfy, 4 don't believe a word he
says. I'll trust YOU" And the some
what shy glance that passed between
the two was not lost on the obseryant
George. !.
i roh, well, if you insist on buying
the pearl, l suppose we'll have to let
you,' he, said, in a resigned tone, saun-
teriag off with his hands in his
pockets.
Whats he talking about?" asked
Tom, mystified.
Il haven't the slightest. idea," an
swered Frances, glazing after her cou-
sin, Lets change the subject" And
the new subject, whatever it was,
proved SO .engrossing that the call to
Sunday evening supper found them
still with. plenty to say.
It was plain to the most casual OBJ
server that Dalton,s admiration for
his friends cousin was deepening into
something stronger, and in the course
OF time it became evident, too, that as
far as she was. concerned, Tom might |
add to, the pearls any day Matters
stood thus when Tom was sent West