The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-06-02


Nathan Hale Peck" shouted his
father, who was always in danger
Gus mood when he called his sons by
their full names, tdon't try my pa
thence, or by the great hornspoon I'll
snatch. you bald-headed. And what
would your Sunday school teacher say
if he heard you express yourself in
such unrighteous language"
One Saturday, when business was
unusually brisk, Mr.. Peck hobbled to
the door that separated residence from
store to see how things were progress
ing out there. Peering through mar
row slit he caught sight of Hardy, the
small brother, seated in the middle of
the floor, an ice cream cone in each
hand, and in his lap the remnants of
small pie that he had just despatch
ed
Shades of the mighty" yelled Mr.
Peck, opening the door wider. Han
nah Hanks Peck, look at that young
one eating up all the profit"
Mrs. Peck was at that moment en-
gagged in profound discourse on how
her aunt Jemima used to brew herbs
to make medicine when they lived
back at the Corners. Now she looked
up in mild surprise at her husband,
framed in the doorway, and leaning
on his clutches.
IF you women folks wouldn't spend
so much time giving old lingo" he
hpU9n Thnn hn oo11oI,t cioht of "
helping himself to cookies. Hard
Peck" he vociferated. 1--WE half a
mind to brain you with this crutch!"
At this dire threat, Henry sprang
forward and sought to rescue the glass
jar from the sticky clutches of Hardy,
who did his utmost to hold on to the
object he coveted
Hen, cut out that rough stuff and
| wait on trade ordered his father
from the half open portal. There was
a line of customers waiting to be
| served.
Crash! went the glass jar. lizard
Peck" yelled the store-keeper as the
| disgruntled Hardy gazed ruefully at
the wreckage that his gormandizing
ways had brought to pass.
Then followed thrilling scene.
Mr.. Peck limped forward brandishing
his crutch while Hard" as his parent
designated him, lodged out of sight
| behind stack of boxes. The irate
man jOstled against the customers in
his frenzied attempt to capture the cul-
prit, who was stuffing into his already
over-taxed mouth, the remnants of his
loot, as he crouched behind the fortifi-
cations. Henry was sweeping up the
bits of glass after having saved the
cookies from the ruins, all the while
trying his best to look serious for fear
of an onslaught from his thoroughly
aroused parent. The would-be Gus
toners were enjoying the scene huge
| ly, and Mrs. Peck still discoursed on
life at 1.-THE Corners when Aunt
Jemima brewed YARDS"
Suddenly a startled yell proved that
the quarry had been discovered. Out
from his temporary refuge fled the
youthful miscreant, and in his wake
| llIC VI uICll NlCluCl, lluIICllhS9 III
cations. The door opening onto the
| street slammed violently as the two
| persons in the drama made their exit
and Henry heard a man remark:
Some show, that"
| The finale of the exciting scene was,
that Hardy disappeared and did not
put in an appearance even when sup
| per time came around. Meanwhile
| Mr.. Peck Voiced all manner of threats
| That kid knew better than to come
back at meal time, he declared, for
he'd get bread and water, and then
his downy nest.
| But poor Mrs. Peck was visibly wor-
| ried over the lads absence, and when
the evening repast was over she sent
| Henry and Nat in search of Hardy.
After a lengthy but fruitless quest
the boys returned. 1t was then quite
late, and Mr.. Peck, seized with sud
| den fear, went to the telephone and
told the story of his young sons pro
longed absence to the police depart
| ment
1 I1Io luSSSdS6 uellN6lSu, lAC uIoII Coo'
ed parent hobbled up and down from
one room to another on his crutch
| while he expressed his fears for the
| safety of the absent Hardy.
Every once in a while he would go
to the phone and call up the police
| department. Each time he was In,
| formed that officers were busy on the
case, and would surely locate the miss
| ing youth. But he persisted in inquir-
ing every few minutes until finally he
was told that if he didn't get off the
line and stay off, an officer would come
| up and pinch him.
Upon receiving this message, Mr.
Peck resumed his hobbling back and
| forth, all the while making gloomy
representations over the fate OF
Master Hardy.
"Ten chances to one" he would
mutter, the poor kid is all tangled
up in the wheels of car or an auto
Or, 81 bet if we'd go to the morgue
we'd find him laid out"
Mrs. Peck sat rocking back and
forth, and at each melancholy utter
ance that fell from her husbands lips
regarding the boys fate, she would