The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-05-13


attracted / her. attention. Turning,
she saw her acquaintance Of the day
before He smiled and extended his
hand. -. IL ~.
Il am very glad to see you again,
my child" he. said. 81 have been
wondering whether you lived in the
neighborhood, or were only a. little
stranger in the city, whose path
Fwould never cross my own. again
F "Oh,. no. replied Lucy. 1--WE live
over. yonder. My father is Doctor
Dunstan.''
Il have heard of him." reioined
the. old man. HE is a very good
man"
Indeed; he is,".a replied Lucy,
pleased to hear her dear father
praised: IT hope you do not feel
hungry today" she continued. Il
know d. quarter doesanot go very far,
hut it will buy some tloaves of bread. "
very small 'l0aves these days.
said her friend. But that quarter has
brought me what Is better than
bread" ~.
Lucy looked a little mystified. but
asked no further questions. After a
few words more the old man passed
on, and the child resumed her play.
| u Almost daily thereafter she would
meet him, exchange a few words
with him, and then he would leave
her. 'F:E 5E.}.i s s ..s>5;
One day she asked him., 'How is
it that never saw you until that
day and now I''see you 80 often?" ss
well" was the reply, II used to
live in another part of the city, and
some atime ago moved here. That
is why I walk in this park instead of
the one near which I formerly lived =
do you like it as. well?' inquired
Lucy. sa~a at al
Much better; Il had no friends
little friend" m
why didn't you have any before?"
Well perhaps it may have been
through my own fault. 4 am some.
thing Of cynic. Do you know what
that means?"
"No, sir, do not" aH%
well, forget it and may you never
know it's meaning" 1n as
Mrs. Dunstan often walked to the
park with Lucy, and gradually be-
came quite interested in Lucy's
friend, who she now felt certain was
tby mo means as poor as they had at
first conjectured, but probably an old
soldier living on his pension, frugally
I Of course, but quite comfortably.
Not far from the Dunstan residence
ait the corner Of the square, a very
large but gloomy looking house was
situated in the middle OF a once
beautiful bat now neglected garden,
which had long been an eyesore to
the prosperous neighborhood. 1t be-
longed to an eccentric gentleman
who. it was believed, had gone abroad
several years before, and who had
obstinately refused to sell the prop
erty or keep it in repair.
One morning as Lucy was passing
the corner, she saw her friend OF the
park ascend the steps of the mansion,
FIT key In the door and enter.
When she related the circumstances
to her mother, Mrs. Dunstan said:
Now the mystery is solved, could
not imagine where the old man lived,
| in this neighbOrhood. But !. think !
can explain it. No doubt he Is care.
taker of the Ralph house and has a
room in the back part, near the old
vegetable garden" At
.Yes," said. her husband. II re-
member having seen couple of win
dows opened there lately"
Christmas with it's manifold pleas
ures came and went most joyfnlly.
A few days later, as Lucy, was trun-
ding her hoop in the park, she saw
her. friend advancing to. meet her.
Her eyes spoke the joy in her affec-
tomato heart. "0h, am 30 very
glad to see you'll she said. We
Thought you had gone away forever.
and r. was "a little worried, too, for l
Imagined yon might have been sick
Eand alone in that big house you take
Ecare of" s5.3
Precious. little care j take OF IT,.
he reioined. but I live there true
Isenongh. :, Il
Yes said Lucy, Il even went
around TO the hack Of the garden to
see IL you were there. Butsthe win
dowsa we're shut se ! fancted you
So y ~ 5 * 81 ~