The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-01-11
CONTINUED from page2.)
THE COMMONPLACE Mr..
CARDIGAN.


go home. The thought that this boy
might blast his most cherished hopes
was neye.racking. But the ordeal
| had to be faced, and he moved toward
the familiar place with q prayer on
his lips
The landlady. with whom the man
and boy lodged, greeted him cheer
fully and he scarcely knew how he
returned the salutation. Hugh was
waiting for him, with the eager ex-
pectancy of youth, and in a few min
! utes they were seated at the table,
facing one another
Felix could not remember when he
had seen the boy in better spirits.
He was fairly bubbling over with
health and happiness. He chatted
gaily on dozen different subjects
on everything except the one thing
| that was on the mind of his adopted
Father.
The meal ended presently, and still
| he had made no mention of the fatal
| dollar. Felix sat there g1oomily with
his hand resting on his big-boned
/ cheek, seeing the apple of his desire
icrumbling into Dead Sea ashes. Two
.or three times he looked furtivefy into
the boys face and the very frankness
Of it made him groan with despair.
IF he could appropriate the money Of
lyanother with such ease and careless
ness his case must be hopeless indeed.
I Presently the boy noticed the I'M
| over ana put his arms about him affec-
/ tionately.
whats the matter, daddy; don't
Iyou feel well?p ga
1 The strain was beginning to tell on
Felix Carrigan. Between his love for
/ Hugh and his detestation of dishon-
esty, he was suffering the tortures of
i the condemned.
/ NO." he replied reluctantly, but
/ with truth. Il don't, feel we'll at ALL,
i As he spoke, a queer feeling of aver
/ sion came over him, and caused him
i to shiver. He gently removed the
! boys hands, and rose from the table.
i You'd better lie down. urged
Hugh, with real solicitude in his man
ner.
: "Oh, no." replied Felix, YEARLY.
'Ill be all right in. a little while
lwant to be alone"
7 wish could do something for
Iyou,' said Hugh, looking at the other
with anxiety and sympathy depicted
in his youthful face.
i "Ah," thought Felix, "if you only
knew how much you could do for me
I-if you only knew @
L They We're moving away from the
table by this time, when Hugh sud-
idenly gave an exclamation.
/ "0h," he cried, I'D almost forgotten
to tell you. / found a silver dollar in
your bedroom this morning. I was
Esure it belonged to you. so I put it in
the tin box in your bureau drawer"
You found a dollar mumbled
Felix, unbidden tears coming to his
eyes and almost binding him.
Yes exclaimed Hugh, not noticing
1.-THE. emotion, of the other one. 1T
tmade me rich for a minute. but then
I remembered It belonged to you, and
II became poor again.
I, He laughed at the recollection and
moved in the direction of the bed
room with Felix at his heels. The
next moment he had the drawer open,
and the father saw the dollar lying in
the bottom of the tin box.
! & He could restrain himself no longer.
As queer obstruction had risen in his
Throat, and the tears made his sight
Imore misty than. ever. He threw his
arms around Hugh's neck.
My boy, he exclaimed, you have
Ifnade me very happy
& Hugh looked at him in surprise.
1 The demonstration seemed out of pro-
1nortion to the amount involved.
Ill didn't think a. dollar meant so
much to YOU. he. said finally.
i This particular dollar does was
i the emphatic rejolnder: TT makes
me feel very, very rich
I'm glad found it then
so am I, and now I'm going to
4give it to you u.
The boy protested, but Felix in
sisted. They had pleasant evening
4 together, and when Hugh went to bed,