The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-07-08
LOYALTY.
BY Eleanor Lloyd.

then back to her husbands face.
What can be keeping Carmel,
Hugh? She's never as late as this!"
'She is late" he agreed, taking out
his watch to compare the time with
the clock on the mantel. But don't
worry, little mother, Carmels all
right" He had caught the note of
anxiety in his wife's voice, and smiled
back at her reassuringly.
She'll be along presently
Happily for Alma's peace of mind
the door opened, and child as dainty
and as delicate as flower, with her
mothers eyes and gold-brown hair,
came running into the room.
Mother and daddy dear, guess!"
Carmel was radiant. "But you could
never guess!" she added, as she took
her place at the table. Father Elton
came in our room today at two o'clock
to take the names of all of the chill
dren who are going to make their
First Communion this year-that's
why / was so late in coming from
school," she stopped to explain.
It's going to be an awful big class!
| didn't think he was going to take
my name. He looked at me like he
thought l was too little; he didn't
know | was eight. Sister Gertrude
must have told him that l was eight
years old, for Sister said something
to him that made him look at me
again. Maybe she told him I knew
lots of catechism, too," she beamed.
Father asked me if l would like to
make my First Communion. Course,
| told him that I'd love to. Then he
smiled and said for me to go to in
structions with the rest. So I'm going
to make my First Communion! Isn't
that grand, mother and daddy dear?''
Her mother nodded and smiled, but
her father did not answer. He seem.
ed to have lost interest in what the
child was relating. Rising abruptly
from the table, he threw himself into
his favorite chair to bury his face in
trades journal that had come in
the mail that day Carmel did not
see the frown that gathered between
his eyes as she prattled on, but he1
mother saw and understood, and the
frown like a knife cut it's way deer
down into her heart.
Her eyes left his face and came
| back to the table. Silver and cut
glass glistened in the radiance of the
hearlEJ saftePnoon sunshine land the
roses that occupied the center of the
| table were never more fragrant, never
| so full of color as they were thai
| afternoon. Her gaze wandered away
from the table over the rest of thu
mission-finished room. She had al
ways wanted home like this! No
a chilly graystone-front-afair, but ;
home-a place where simplicity ant
beauty would go hand in hand will
love and peace and harmony
But the harmony was beginning t.
slip away from the home There hal
been a change in Hugh, and tn,
change had come since Carmel hal
grown old enough to go to Mass AM
Sunday school. She did not know
where it would all end. She onl
knew, as her eyes went back to he
husbands face, that she would Civ
it all up-her house, everything It
have Hugh different.
| Even Carmel began to feel tina
there was something wrong wit
daddy DEAR" for in those last fey
moments her chatter stopped, and
was not long before she quietly lef
the table and slipped out of the room
When the door closed on her, Aim
! ment over to where Hugh sat. SSh
started to speak to him as she stoo
there, her hand resting lightly on hi
! arm, but the words she wanted to sa
refused to come. Finally he looked u
from the journal. The frown ha
gone, and he was speaking in his oil
kind way.
but do. you not think that Carmt
is too young to make her First Con
: munion, dear?"
1 mot if Father Elton considers ths
: she is not too young, Hugh. He
3 the best judge of that, l think" sh
r answered with a SMILE
t Il do not agree with you," he r
t torted, and the frown began to gathe
f again. 1.-The child cannot possibl
know what she is about at her ag
and as far as being governed b
Father Elton's judgment, are we nj
capable of judging for Carmel on
selves? Is she not our child?"
Eyes, Hugh, of course. But we al
all children where the Church is CO
cerned. Therefore" she added, "it
not for us to question
!, Nevertheless" he persisted, ISL
: is too young
There was pause in which Ain
looked out of the window, then BAG
! to her husbands face.
''If were only sure" she said, 9Th:
your thinking Carmel too young [
: make her First Communion was you
only reason for objecting.''
Il do think" he emphatically d
!. clared, ''that she is entirely tt
I young"
= But that is not ALL
He shifted his glance. Her scare
ing eyes were hard to meet. His haI
reached out for hers and tightene
over it. and it was with an effort TIL
he spoke.
s IF told you my real reason"
e. admitted, Il would hurt you. 1 {
n not want to do that, nor do l wa
/; to make you angry"
IS go on" she smiled, "and tell me
Isl She drew her hand away, al
,t drnnnnd into n chair 4hnt .rzan No.