The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-04-03
ISOBEL'S ATONEMENT.

The announcement of dinner put an
end to the speculatiOns about the boy
who had aroused IsObels contempt in
such a degree, and for the remainder
Of the evening his reputation was
safe
Mr. Ormond had said nothing about
his daughter, but that evening he re-
marked to his wife:
I've been thinking about Isobel and
have come to the conclusion that she
will never be cured of her fault until
she makes very serious mistake
that will cover her with shame
AS the beautiful summer days gld-
ed by, IsObel and her companions al
most lived in the secluded part of
the river bank near her home. There
was never any cause for anxiety, as the
young people were always within sight
of the OrmOnd property, so they could
row short distances, battle and swim,
much to their delight They had been
perfectly unmolested until the ms
FERROUS boy made his appearance but
he seemed quite harmless and not
energetic enough to bother them. He
was a thoughtful looking lad, always
intent on his books Or drawings, and
who took not the slightest notice of
the merry group not far away.
One day he became SO absorbed in
, his work that he did not observe lis
, little brother slipping away from him
The child had descended the bank
and was looking longingly at the pref
! ty boat in which he had often seen
the girls sailing down the river in
such glee.
If only he could have a sail,
! Some moments in life are full of
meaning. Before them is the or IL
nary, commonplace existence; but
after them, life is never the same
again!
Up on the river bank lay Philip
! Marston dreaming of what the future
might possibly have in store for him
were he not hamDered in so many
ways. A little distance away were
the Merry Maids,' as they called
hemselves-Isobel and her friends
who spent more money in one day
than poor Philip could spend in a
year. Suddenly a group Of picnickers
turned the corner of the bank, coming
i in search of a sheltered spot where
they could enjoy the contents of we'll
filled baskets. The unexpected in
vasion made Philip look up hastily,
and for the first time he noticed that
little Freddie was nowhere to be seen
Maids arose, intending to go down
| to the boat, when one of them cried
out in alarm:
Good gracious, The child will fan
into the river"
Freddie was trying to reach the
boat, and before any one could inter
fere, he stretched out his arm, lost
his footing, and fell into the river.
A panic ensued as the startled crowd
OF young people were too bewildered
to know what they were doing. With
a quick look towards Philip, who was
glancing at them with an agonized
expression on his face, some of them
shouted:
''Your little brother is drowning!
Hurry! Save him."
Il can't! Oh, my Cod" exclaimed
Philip.
/ Isobel cast a most contemptuous
whitening glance at the boy, and said
scornfully:
"Coward!"
Immediately she ran down the bank,
divesting herself of superfluous cloth
ing on the way, dived into the river
in her skilled fashion, and in a few
moments emerged bearing the uncon.
scious child.
AS the crowd followed her towards
the river, Philip cried in a pitiful
voice:
For heavens sake, will some one
help me up and give me my crutch
I'm paralyzed on one side and can't
get up by myself.
Several lads among the picnickers
came forward in sympathy, helped him