The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-08-30
DULUTH DIOCESAN DIRECTORY s2.ssf


show him the place for each thing,
here in the sacristy. 1t is an indignity
to Our Lord to have such scenes as
the one l witnessed take place in the
shadow of His tabernacle"
Brother Francis gasped and said 1
nothing, but stood staring after the
prior as he passed into the house. A
minute afterwards he became con- |
scious of big lump in his throat and |
swallowed hard to get rid of it. Two
big tears rolled down over his cheeks,
and then two more, though he did not
suspect it.
! That evening was not the first time
that his quick temper had gotten him
| into trouble, nor was it likely to be
the last; but it had never occurred to
him that anything would separate him
from the pretty chapel which he so
| fondly loved. His punishment was al
most greater than he could bear, but
Ihe could not plead that it was I'M
merited. Many and many time he
had been warned, and many times ten
lderly counseled, about striving harder
Ito control his anger
| He did not move for quite five min
lutes after the sound of the prior's foot
Isteps died away Very, very slowly,
then, he put each vestment into its
place and fingered unnecessarily over
the locking of every case. Never be-
fore had he cleaned the censor so per-
fectly, or put fresh water into vases
filled but two hours before. 1t was the
Hast time-but he could not prolong it
forever. When all his ingenuity could
find no uncompleted task, he knelt for
and made an act of contrition, not
only for the outbursts of that evening,
but for all the Impotence and all the
, carelessness of his service, with a
childlike confidence all the while that
the Master had overlooked them. By
way of conclusion, he breathed a
prayer of thanks that he had not told
the prior what he thought of him.
When at length he CROPPED his way to
, the bedroom near the sacristy his
heart was very heavy, but it was not
: troubled. Our Lord was sorry to see
him go; he felt certain of that, and it
was a great comfort. Another
sacristan, he knew, would not love the
y work so much, although he might do
it more neatly and Systematically.
+ An hour passed, another, and the
town clock chimed midnight, but
Brother Francis had not slept, and the
pillow under his restless head was
wet with his tears. 1t must have been
about half-past twelve that he heard
an unaccountable creaking sound com
ing from the direction of the sacristy
In an instant he was on his feet
listening breathlessly. This sound
came to his ears again, and then he
thought that he heard a light football
O and a slight cough; a moment after
! ward other little noises convinced him
" that some one was in the adjoining
i room With incredible swiftness he
q slipped into some clothes. Very softly
!. he opened the door and peered into
. the darkness of the sacristy. / No one
:. was there, but the door leading into
:. the sanctuary was standing ajar, al
;, though he had remembered to have
!, closed it.
~ Brother Francis heart was thump
, ing wildly as he tiptoed across the
g sacristy but he was not at all afraid
~ His one thought was the tabernacle
and the Treasure which it enshrined
4 Determined that no profane hant
- should touch It, he unhesitatingl.
- opened wide the door and passed int
- the sanctuary.
nj A man was standing before the altar
A. nervously fumbling with some tools
r. He was negro, tall and powerful
"a built, wearing a shabby, dark suit, an
n a cap pulled low over his eyes; hi
ID pistol lay near his right hand. S
II much Brother Francis saw at a glance
70 Then, as he brushed against tn
p credence table, the intruder turned,
a scowl on his face and his fist raise
70 threateningly.
+ Undaunted, Brother Francis hurrie
ia up the altar-steps, and standing clos
70 to the negro, said fercely: Get GU
of here as quickly as you can! Thi
is Gods house! Don't dare"
10 With all his force the man struc
- him in the chest. Brother Franci
~ y, reeled and fell heavily, hitting hi
~ head against a sharp corner of tn
!" marble steps. A torrent of bloc
- gushed forth from an ugly wound an
O. streamed across the pavement.
q Terrified by what he had done, TO
~ a minute or two the negro StareC
open-mouthed and motionless, at tn
crumpled form and agonized face; hi
, presence of mind returning, h
II snatched his pistol and tools, dashe
70 into the sacristy, and noiselessly lie
:. himself out through window whic
~ he had left open when he entered.
= In pool of blood Brother Franci
- lay alone. He shivered convulsivel
% two or three times, and once he spok
% in a half-whisper: Dear Lord,
III thought You could not bear to see m
work in the kitchen-and my hear
- here all the while" That is what h
- said. A minutes sharp agony, a fey
- deep-drawn breaths, and all was ovel
- One o'clock, two, three; it was hal
= past four before the body was founC
- When the first shock was over an
!. the first prayers for the dead had bee
- recited, one of the priests said sadly
- HE slipped and fell. See, the rug
pushed awry, and a mark on the ste