The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-11-19
MR.. KlNSELLA'S FAILURE,

Mr.. Kinsella closed and locked both
big windows, picked from the floor
some scraps of paper and bit of
string and went toward the door alb
sentmindedly fumbling in one pocket
after another for an old brass key. He
found it at length; but, instead of
unlocking the door, turned back to
look for the last time at the long,
shabby, empty room; it's walls streak
ed and SCARED where rows of shelves
had stood against them for many
years; the floor worn in pathways
which had once been aisles, and COM
raratively smooth and glistening
where counters and showcases had
protected it. White-faced and weary
to the point of numbness. he looked
over the room for the last time be-
fore he opened the door, passed out,
and, having turned the key in the
lock, went slowly down the street
Thirty-five years before, when West
Yorktown was but struggling set
Element, he had opened a general store
in that room, new then, and consid-
cred very fine. Month after month
the little business had prospered as
the hamlet became a wide-awake vii
lage and very quickly a fiourishing
town. When it began to give prom
Use of developing into city,, keen,
alert young men from the east had
come with money in their pockets and
startling new ideas in their heads.
Mr.. Kinsella's capital still had been
comparatively small, and he, too old
sational methods of new era; SO, as
was inevitable, his trade had slipped
from him, almost imperceptibly at
first, but afterward by leaps and
bounds. And now the end had come.
He had gone but a few PAGES down
the street when Mrs. Doane spoke to
him; and, because he neither saw nor
heard her, she touched him lightly on
the arm.
$50 the stock was sold at auction,
and you're giving up the store!' she
began. "Why, Mr.. Kinsella, Spruce
street won't seem like Spruce street
without it, as I said to my husband
only this morning And Mr.. Hobson
tells me that you are going to Cincin-
Dati to live. He thinks you're max
ing big mistake to leave here; but l
said to him-and l spoke emphatical
ly-I said: You may be sure, Mr..
Kinsella knows his own business best.
That's what I told him."
Having murmured something by
way of vague reply to all this, Mr..
Kinsella managed to escape from Mrs.
Doane. He had no wish to talk to
anyone. But at the corner he was
waylaid by the gentle, kindly old man
who had been his family doctor
when he had had family.
$50 you are leaving us, Mr. Kin
sella!" he said, with a little tremor
in his habitually CHEEKY voice. I
hope you will soon feel at home in
Cincinnati, although / can't help wish
| ing that you were not going
Mr.. Kinsella gave him his hand.
Thank you, Doctor!" he said. Il
you are very kind / wish that
could stay, but Pm going to live
with my daughter, you. know" And
he passed on before the old doctor
could say another word,
Mr.. Kinsella turned down Center
street, and as he approached the par
| ish school, Father O'Boyla came down
the steps and went,to meet him, both
hands extended and a wealth of af.
fectionate concern on his rugged face
This time Mr. Kinsella had no desire
| to escape. He took the proffered
hands and held them close for min.
ute.
Its goodbye, Father!' he said in
a choked voice, and his lips trembled
and his eyes filled.
Instantly Father O'Boyle remem
bered how, in the old days, Mr.. Kin
sellas face had been the most genial
in all West Yorktown, and his laugh
the most frequent and the most in
fictitious
81 shall miss you sorely, .and many
another WILL" he said. But | hope
| you are going to be very happy. Mr.
Kinsella. You will soon feel at home
and find new interests in Cincinnati
But don't forget your old friends
Mr.. Kinsella had no reserves from
Father O'Boyle. Il haven't said Sc
before and won't again, Father. but
FL hate to 60. | love West York
town; I'm used to it; and in Cincin