Just then Bill entered. He was surprised to see the priest talking to his father. Immediately he supposed that he had come to complain about the breakage and mischief at the Club. But he was set right almost immediately.
"William," said the priest, kindly and proudly, "come over here and shake hands with your father."
The boy hesitated.
Again the priest spoke: "William, come and take the hand of a man that is never going to touch liquor in his life again. Your father is a new man."
"O father, father!" cried Bill, as he rushed across the room.
No words. Tears of the father and son as the two embraced.
The priest, meanwhile, had gone into the kitchen to tell the good news to Mrs. Daly. She rushed in to find the father and son weeping over each other.
"O Michael, Michael," she shouted, "I knew the Blessed Mother would never let you go to the end as you were!" And she fairly fell on them both.
The priest withdrew, and would have left altogether, but that he had not finished his work. After a while, he came into the room and said, "All three of you kneel down." They got on their knees. "May God Almighty, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, bless you."
"Amen" responded the three.