The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-07-05
THE WHITE ROSARY.

eff Father Morris will not officiate
at my marriage to Dorothy without all
those crazy promises" mumbled Hal
Kane, as he strobe haughtily down the
steps of the parochial residence, well
be married by some other minister or
by a magistrate. | never have had
mummery, anyhow. Dorothy is the
only Catholic I've ever respected, and
she-well, after we're married for a
while, she'll get over all her nom
sense"
Of course, Hal could have promised
all that Father Morris insisted upon
his promising, and then, like so many
others, after the ceremony could suit
his own convenience as to keeping
these solemn promises. But, no, Hal
Kane's natural honor and virtue would
not permit him to take so dishonor-
able course.
Hal was a promising young banker.
Just one year previous to the opening
i
mercial club, he had made the &C
quaintance of Mr. Everest, a success
full cotton broker who had extended
to him an invitation to his home.
Little did happy, care-free Harold
Kane realize that in calling at the
Everest residence in response to this
kind invitation he was fated to meet
the one woman who would make his
heart beat faster, his every nerve tin
gle with rapture, and his very brain
ache with the longing desire to pos
sess her as his own.
AS to the girl in the case upon the
death of her mother, about seventeen
years previously, Dorothy Carver, then
a child of three years, had been placed
in a Catholic orphanage. At the age
of eighteen, she had bid farewell to
the good Sisters, and had secured a
position as companion to Mrs. Everest,
who being a motherly old soul and
childless, soon came to look upon her
gentle, lovable young companion as a
dear daughter.
And now, after one short year of
courtship, she had promised to become
the young bankers bride, if he would
consent to be married by priest and
to submit to the demands of the
Church in connection with the prom
Uses exacted of the non-Catholic party
to such union.
Hal had never troubled his mind
with religion in any definite form,
though he honored his Maker, be-
lieved in square DEAL for all men,
never drank, nor swore, nor even
smoked nor chewed. In fact young
Hal, aside from his lack of religion.
was a perfectly model young man. To
him, Catholics were such silly crea-
ues, their dipping of hands into a
vessel of water on entering or leaving
their churches, and their going
through with so many other crazy
motions and maneuvers. And how
very ridiculous their Latin service
what was it they called it-ah, yes, the
Mass-the sitting, standing, kneeling;
standing, kneeling, sitting; the strik-
ing of the breast thrice at the sound
of the gong beyond the altar rail. He
had been to the Catholic Mass a num-
Der of times with Dorothy, and was
forced to admire her sincere devotion !;
still it all seemed so silly. And now
Father Morris would have him make
thousand and one promises that
humbled his pride and seemed to place
an intolerable yoke of slavery upon
his shoulders.
That night he called on Dorothy
and, having talked, reasoned and ar.
gued with her for more than three
hours, only to learn that even the
deep love she confessed for him could
not shake her in her devotion to her
faith, he left her with the understand
ing that all was over between them.
Two long months passed with no
word from Dorothy, no sign of relent-
ing on her part, and with but one
week more to look forward to before
duty should call him to the service of
his country.
now on the morrow he must bid adieu
to his friends and dear ones and en-
train for camp. Early morn found
him vending his way to the home of
the Everests to bid last farewell
to the one he loved above all others.
What was his surprise to learn that
Dorothy had entered the ranks of the
Red Cross one month previously, and
was now on her way to France. Mrs.
Everest met him as he reached the
foot of the veranda steps, and tear
fully broke the news. Dorothy's last
request to Mrs. Everest had been that,
should hal call, as she had no doubt
he would before starting for camp, he
should be assured that he was dearer
to her than all else on earth; but that
not even this great love could make
her unfaithful to her God. Give him