Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-04

great bishop. far to the south, did not
realize what this astounding thing
meant to the folks of Attegat! Thus
ran the burden of the bitter lament,
the cropping for truth in this maze of
disbelief, for It did not seem as though
it could be true.
Representative clifford and Norman
Aldrich withdrew themselves from the
lugubrious throng after a time and
went with Notary Gendreau to his
office.
Like children who have played
with a loaded gun-that's what they
are!" sputtered the patriarch. "The
deed has been done-the gun has been
fired. Now let's see what the surgeon
can do"
He sat down at the notary's battered
table and drew sheet of paper to.
ward him. He pushed back his broad
straw hat and began to write, wrin.
king his brow, taking thought be.
tween sentences, scratching the pen
through words, building his writing
laboriously, line upon line. The others
sat and watched him in silence, defer.
ring to him, trusting him in a mat.
ter where politics was to the fore, for
they understood well that the vista.
ton upon the head of poor Pere lie.
clair was thunderbolt forged on the
anvil of politics.
k,,I al n,,,,1N ha hi 1nn n
ways and the methods of politics!
He finished at last and sat back and
read his screed through to himself.
moving his lips vigorously.
Now, gentlemen, hear this! We've
got hard rock to split. This, here,
is only a wooden wedge. The water
will be poured on it later.
ITO our mighty and revered bishop
Listen to this humble petition from
the poor folks at Attegat For thirty
| years the good Father Ieclair has been
our priest. He has welcomed our
children as they have come into the
world, Joined the young people in
',essed marriage. and laid our dead
in the grave. He has encouraged the
understands us and there is no one
in the world who can understand us
as we'll To you, Great Bishop. we lift
our hands. If we have done wrong in
Attegat put the punishment on us.
We are not wise. We are not expert
enccd in the ways of politics. We
only know that we love our good
| priest. On our knees, in our little
! homes beside the great river, along
| the lanes, from the farms and the
woods of the north, we implore you
to send him back to us. We do not
understand the great disputes. We
only know that all Attegat sends this
and weeps and listens for the word
you arc to return to us. Give us back
our good Father Leclair, we beseech.'
He questioned them with his gaze
turning from, one to the other.
You understand our people, Repre-
sentative Clifford" stated the notary
You have put in simple words what
they would like to say for themselves
That is how all Attegat feels, sir
Hear those voices out there in the
street,"
1T is the way feel-only haven't
language half earnest enough" de
clared the old man. II wish I knew
the right words to use for the de
scription of a martyr and a hero
There's only one merit in what hav'
written-it comes right from the deptl
of my heart"
He pushed the paper across thu
table to the notary.
Make a dozen copies in your bes
round hand, Brother Pierre. Paste OF
plenty of paper for the names. AL
drich pick your men. Get horses tina
can gallop. Well cover this parisl
, from one end to the other before morn
ing. Yell in front of the houses
Pound on the doors Haul 'em ou
of bed! Let the children sign, toe
We're waking the, people up late
, but they'll be wide awake before thi
I, thing is over"
CONTINUED TOMORROW