Wichita eagle., 1888-08-14
ana '"Tne Gypsy Fortune Teller" said,
swell, Katie, what are your
ipov l,,,< Patti Mo-

you have 1t made for the occasionw
"No, ma'anl," said she; sits one had be
fore l left old Ireland I've not had it OF
since came to this country, and I thought
1t would do for tonight, not feeling that
could afford to buy q new one"
"You could not have done BETTER" and
with the silent conviction that necessity is
sometimes kinder than we know bade them
good night.
The next morning before I went down to
breakfast Katies voice came up to my ears
in song. She had clear, sweet voice, but
this morning there was new tone in it.
There was new light in her face, as she
passed in and out the dining room. mentally
decided that a little masquerading had done
her good.
Afterwards l said to her, "WelI, Katie,
what is itl There's some reason for the smile
In your eyes and the song on your lips this
morning. Can't you tell me what it isp'
"Thrue it is, ma'am, an Quare it is that ye
can see what Is in a woInan's heart SO quick
/ think it must be because yer own heart is
so warm an SO kind. Sure I'm the happiest
girl in all Ameriky the day"
In her fervor she dropped into the brogue
that was rarely a feature in her speech.
'Yis, in all Ameriky there's not girrul 50
happy an SO grateful to God an the Blessed
Virgin as l am this very minute. o, it was
purity sight there in the ball room, ma'am,
wild the lights fashin', en- the music, alb, the
music just foated, swelled an throbbed one
minute like it wud lift your hearts right out
OF all sorrow, an then it was a-sobbin' an
surgin' like the soul that is in the depths of
pain and despair, ma'am. It makes one So
glad sometimes, such music does, that nothing
but tears can tell your gladness, an so sad
too, for it brings back all the sad things that
have ever come into your life; 80 it was with
me, ma am, an then tie strange dresses Of
the b'ys and girruls. There were kings an
quanes an knights of the old days, an fish
women, an gypsies an the saints know what.
An there was one tall man among the lot
that somehow I'd noticed from tho first, an
I'd noticed, too, that when whit on the fure
to dance that tall man he would get hisself
right in the same set. He hadn't any foolish
coshtume, only he wore a mask like the rest
Of EN-
II was just going to dance a raazurky wild
Patrick Mcclure, an I've never danced a
mazurky nor a polky wild any man in this
country, when he came up to US, an he
touched my arrum, an says he: Who are ye,
amy wayP
'An says L: who are your
''Then says he: Don't be trifin'. I saw q
woman in gownd like that onct, an she had
the same swate voice as yerself, an she
danced just as yerself, like the fairies dance
on the sod of ould ireland, an I've looked
for her an longed for her night an day
since, an l know il you are that one your
own heart will tell you who am, says he
can right there, ma'am. wild Patrick Nc
Guire a shtandin' beside me, an crookin' his
elbow in the elegantest way for me TO go on
the dance wild him, what did dol Why,
Ina'am, l just cried out: ooh, Tim Haleyf
says l.
"An' ooh, Katie McCartyr says he.
AN there, savin' your presence, ma'ana,
an right in the sight Of kings an quanes an
lords an ladies an Day an Night en- Summer
en- Winter an the whole quare lot Of 'em, 1
tore the mask off my face, an he tore the
mask of his face, an he put his arrums
around me an kissed me in a way that wud
have brought tears to your eyes, an it did to
mine, as one wud kiss the lips that they had
thought wud never spake lovin' words to
them again. He was my own true lover,
maam, that l parted wild in Ireland two
long years ago, an niver a limo nor a sign
from him since then, though I'd prayed to
the saints night en- day"
"How did it happen, KatieT'
'Oh, ma'aIn, we don't rightly know, but
be sent his letters in the care of his cousin,
ma'am, an'-well-he WAS bit in love wild
me, the cousin, more than I knew, and SO his
letters niver came to me at all, at all, an
.,,J 70
all this great country he might be- Yis, the
letters was Intercepted, just as I've read
about in story books, an we both wild achin'
hearts the time"
'And he knew you by the dressf'
eyes, ma'aIn, the night before he left Ire
land l wore that dress at little party, an it
happened that never wore il after that till
last night. 1t was in the bottom OF my
chest, an wheniver / looked at it it just
seemed like the ghost Of all my old happiness
shtared me in the face an could not put
the gown on me back. An wore it that
night because it seemed it was just as good
masking as amy. 1t was tho coshtums of
happiness an it hid the real Katie McCarty,
SO l thought; but the saints be praised it
brought mo great joy.
''No, ma am, he didn't know was in this
country. didn't como to End him. I'd not
follow amy man, but came because all the
family came, an there was no reason why I
should stay behind"
You have perfect faith that your lover
has told you the TRUTH" l ventured.
How her EYES flashed. 'The truth, ye sayl
VIII 9 man tell lies TO the woman he loves,
dye Think An will man that does not
love a woman remember the very gownd she
wears when she bade him goodbye VIII he
know her through her mask by the beatin'
an throbbin' Of his own hearth us, be-
Geve livery word lie says, thank God.'
l stood re5uked before her simple faith and
said: II an glad in your gladness, as I am
sure you know"
''Cud ever have told this, ma'am, if had
not known the warm, lovin' heart of youl
Why, I've felt many q time that ye knew
that my my heart achei, and that We was
sorry for ma 0, there's something, and
quare thing it is, that tells We better nor
words when We have found friend, an Katie
knows well the signsn
When said to the head of the house, that
evening, Didn't tell you that there was
some romance hidden in the pathos of that
girls eyesF' he responded:
II believe you did, and am afraid you
would rather lose the tidiest, most capable
domestic We have had In many a day than
have your intuitions unverifed Own that
l am right, now. aren't you gladf'
Pm glad" replied, ''that am unselfsh
enough to rejoice in sister woman's happi-
ness, even il it does take her out of my
kitchen Pm very glad that the masquerade
brought about such sweet reality"
Upon the whole" responded the head Of
the house, thoughtfully, 80 an La-Car-
lotts Perry in Good Housekeeping.