The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-01-29
Black Sheep Made White


Garfield Manor was the ideal SPOT
for one who preferred the quiet Of the
woods to the noise and hustle Of the
city. a lane of arching elm trees led
to the old Colonial mansion. from
which meadows stretched broadly at
either side. Behind the house a
stream, rich with speckled trout. purl-
ed and sparkled between borders of
green, and beyond on irregular line az
wooded hills etched itself against the
sky, shutting away the boisterous CITY
that lay on the other side. The Manor
had come to the Saxbys through their
maternal grandmother, Parrish of
Virginia and belle in the palmy
Southern days, and the fragrance of
romance still fingered upon it.
Charles Parrish Saxby, the present
owner, was lover of country life and
appreciated all the good things this.
country estate afforded-the fishing.
the hunting, the woodland rambles.
Each day after business hours he lost
no time in leaving the dirty and noisy
city to enjoy life in his secluded Eden.
Frequently heiinvited friends to enjoy
the weekend with him, and the old
mansion would again take on some of
the merriment of former DAYS.
Ihls evening, however, he was
alone. Friends who were to have mo-
tored out from the city had telephoned
that an unexpected mishap made the
fulfillment of the engagement impos-
| s1ble. Saxby was disappointed and
tried to find companionship in the
evening paper.
"A little Scotch will just hit the
spot" he unused, as he drew himself
| from the deep cushions of Windsor
| chair, and sent the sheets of the even
ing paper flying about the room. He
stretched himself, slipped into a smok-
1 ing jacket and went down stairs to the
dining room. His hand was on the
knob, just about to turn it, when the
clatter of silver within caused him to
hesitate.
The, servants are having jolly
time; won't spoil it," he said to him.
self, as he turned away.
| A sudden crash of breaking glass
made him pause. He moved closer to
the door and listened All was quiet.
| He hesitated another moment, and
| then burst into the room. All was con-
fusion. The table was strewn with
silver; the drawers of the buffet were
| open; linens were thrown upon the
floor and the hundred pieces Of what
had been an etched claret service
cracked under Saxby's feet as he walk.
ed through the room.
| Cautiously Saxby made his way to-
ward the window and out upon the
Veranda. He saw dark figure run
ming down the lane. His first impulse
was to give pursuit, but he dismissed
the idea and stood on the steps watch.
ing the figure until it was swallowed
up in the blackness of the woods.
Then he returned indoors. He was
ready to switch off the lights and re-
/ tire to his room, when a shining OBJ
| ject on the floor near the window
caught his eye. It was rosary. Sax
| by picked it up and examined it care
fully. The beads were of dark green
color and were large and irregular;
the heavy chain and quaint filagree
cross were of dull brass.
Saxby, a collector of antiques, at
once recognized the workmanship of
"a long past generation and realized
what prize the housebreaker had
added to his collection of curios. He
| slipped the rosary into his pocket,
| switched off the lights, and left the
room.
The thief couldn't have been so
bad, after ALL he told himself, as he
climbed the stairs. Perhaps he real
ly was in want and was forced to
steal"
| Upon arriving at his room, Saxby
took the rosary from his pocket and
spent some time in studying it. AS
| the beads passed through his fingers
he found himself unconsciously repeat
ing the Hail Mary for their owner.
Then, having placed it in box for col
lar buttons and cuff links, which stood
on the dresser, he prepared to retire.
| The first thought that came to Sax
by upon awakening the next morning
was the rosary. Rubbing his eyes, he
| jumped out of bed went straightway
| to the dresser to examine his new
curio in daylight. Was he still asleep
or what had happened? Everything
on the dresser was in confusion The
little silver receptacle was upset and
1 had split its contents of collar buttons,
| cuff links and tie clasps over the dress
er cover. Anxiously- Saxby snatched
| UP the silver box It was empty. The
rosary was not there.
Hurriedly he dressed and went down
| stairs. The servants were called to-
gether and carefully questioned; the
house was ransacked, but all was I'M
successful. The rosary had myster.
iously disappeared.
The brother-porter of ST. Michaers
monastery had finished clearing the
table which had been spread for Mr..
Charles Parrish Saxby-who was
spending few days at the cloister in
retreat-and was nodding over spir-
itual treatise, when tapping on the
| door brought him back to the world.
Come in he almost shouted
The door opened, and SaXby stood
before him.