The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-07-02
A NIGHT CALL.

Father HOOley paced reStleSSly back
and forth. 1t was long after mid
night but he could not sleep. He had
tried, but after counting innumerable
sheep and using every other method
pheus, he gave it, up and took novel,
which he had found insufferably dull,
in the hope that it would soothe him.
He was astonished al. himself, as he
was not generally nervous. 1t must
be the weather, he thought, for the
day had been, hot even for midsummer
in New York, and the night had
brought no alienation. He leaned out
Of the window and not a breath of
air was stirring. The air was charged
with electricity, the sky overcast and
he hoped that the thunder storm would
break the spell of hot weather and
bring relief to the suffering 100000.
What a day it had been! He had
answered call after call to the hospital
as the heat prostration victims were
gathered up in the streets, but this
was his daily life and he was accus-
toned to it. He was strong, able and
young, a man of iron, and the scenes
of distress which met his eye daily
in his visits to the hospital had never
affected his nerves. "
He sat down. to analyze the situa-
tion., What in the world was the mat
ter with him? He had been thorough
ly tired and drowsy, and after. finish
ing. his Office, had gone to bed ex-
pecting to enjoy the well-earned sleep
of tired worker, but no sooner had
he retired than the drowsiness left
him and he could not close his eyes.
The curtain had tapped to and fro,
and that had irritated him because he
gotten up and fastened the disturbing
shade. Then the floor creaked as il
someone were in the room. His blood
chilled for an instant, and then, think.
ing what fool he was to be disturbed
by a creaking board, he had tried
again to sleep. Then the willow chair
in the bedroom snapped almost as II
someone sat in it. Again he was
startled for moment, and again he
composed himself. That had happened
before Then he thought he heard
the door of his study swing open.
Had. he forgotten to close it? He
jumped out of bed again, and sure
enough it was slightly ajar. By this
time he was thoroughly awakened, his
| sleepiness gone and so he had taken
| the dull book to quiet his nerves. Was
he, the iron man as they called him,
going to break at last? He composed
himself to read but could not. Some
premonition, some disturbing current
in the air was playing havoc with his
peace. Something is wrong" he told
himself finally, radically wrong some
| where, and what is more, don't think
there is anything wrong with me.
There is something wrong in the hospi-
| tai or in the parish
He leaned out Of the window to take
long breaths of the night air. The
city was quiet, but for the wailing of
dog in the distance Perhaps If he
took a few turns around the room he
would be able to sleep. But even
while he thought this he felt strong
premonition that q call was coming in,
a hurried and urgent call. He did not
know from where it might come. nor
when it would summon him, but he
knew he could not sleep until he had
answered that call. He did not even
formulate this conviction to himself,
then, but afterward, when he pieced
together the events Of the night, the
significance of all these things came
home to him. All he did then was to
leave open the door Of his room and
the door Of the staircase leading to
the, roof as well as the door itself on
the roof that he might hear the night
bell when it rang in his room He
AIR .AsA----azds when he