The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-18
PATRICIA.

love. You said 1t very prettily then. My
difficulty about your name is that one
wouldn't know what to call you if one
wanted to shorten it
Pat said Miss O'Neill.
"But Pats a mans name. Wouldn't
'Patry' be better?"
mo-" she said, land anyway it doesn't
matter, does it?''
ut might some day said. and looked
at her with what / intended to be very
meaning glance.
We'll" she said "there'll be plenty Of
time for you to make up your mind"
THAT doesn't sound kind. don't know
what YOU mean by it, Pat"
"Ricia." she added.
y may call you Patricia2p
eff it will please YOU"
s'Of course it will please me. But you?"
II don't mind in the least"
you're very Indifferent person, Miss
oNenl"
We'll" she said, you can't expect me to
be Interested in my own NAME"
-'Or mine,' 1 added.
Il know you almost as well as my name"
And think as little of me, 1 Iirrnly be-
neve."
You're a silly boy. What do you want
me to do? Am / to go down on my knees
to you?"
''That would be very nice, think. Better
still, you might allow me to kneel."
THAT would certainly not be nice. Men
always look foolish when they kneel to a
woman"
How do you know?" asked, for 1 was
certain Patricia had never been TO theater
in her life, not even in Dublin.
do you suppose. Larry. that you're the
only person who ever wanted to kneel TO
me?"
Il should like to suppose it, Patricia
would you, indeed?" said she, and swept
me a courtesy.
Then she sat down to the piano, and, turn
ing her face toward me- sang:
20 Larry, me dear, ye're the incest av boys
But sure, Larry, that isn't ALL
1e must turn out yer toes in an iligant poSe
And never say die till We fall!'
There were several verses in this foolish
song, and sac went through them all. When
she had finished Patricia bowed to me again
and gided out of the room, smiling with I'M
RULED innocence.
Patricia" thought I, you're the most
tantalizing of creatures, and the sweetest.
One moment you seem to love me and the
next you're as far away as the moon What
pity we know each other so we'll. 1t
doesn't give me fair chance"
1t was November, but fine and clear. and
not at all cold. 1 walked into Ballyclogher
after luncheon to post my letters and to
buy some little things for Patricia She
made no scruple to use my services. / re-
member in one shop, where they sold ev-
erything, found some fine Irish clay pipes,
and bought two dozen of them; these car
ried back in great triumph, packed in a
little box. Patricia begged one of them. to
blow soap bubbles. she said. but l never
saw her engaged in that charming occupa-
ton.
After this / took my gun, and. calling the
two settlers, Mars and Nimrod, and little
Willie Donnel to beat for me, l went over
the turnip fields to the wood. l care moth
ing for the wholesale slaughter of a Dig
shoot but l love the chances of a casual
excursion with the dogs. Ii you want to get
away from yourself, there is nothing like
IT. in my judgment. When your finger is on
the trigger, and the dogs, head down, are
making a line just ahead of you, there is
no room for anything else; an distracted
person could not even walk over a turnip
ned without coming to grief
Mars raised small covey of cartridges,
ana, by unusual good luck for me, / killed
with both barrels This put me In good
humor with myself, and on we went.
can't say that Willie Donnell was a good
beater.. and he had silly way of shouting
Mark shrilly when an innocent thrush
or blackbird rose; but he meant so well and
appeared to enjoy the work so much that
/ had not the heart to send him back
we had worked half up the wood, and I
had couple of brace of pheasants to my
credit, when Mars ran back, wagging his
tan tail, violently as Set. hang you" l shouted.
Oh, Mr.. Shove, said a voice; shame on
you TO swear at the poor doggte because lie
goes to meet friend" / turned and there
was Patricia calmly walking along through
Well" / said, "a dog shouldn't run away
from his duty even for you. i could forgive
q man for 1t. What do you want out here,
Ratricia?"
.Oh, l just heard the firing and thought
I'd come TO see whether you could Shoot
Of course l can shoot"
You all say that NV cousin. Archie
O'Neill, said SO, but the birds he brought
nome were a week dead and came from
We'll my birds are still warm" 1 said.
and called Willie Donnell to show them
TO ner. she looked at them and nodded.
u can shoot, you know" she said.
indeed! said l. Perhaps you would like
to show me how well you do it now?'
You don't believe me, butH cam
tricia.'
"Ah. Larry" she said, you're a good
creature and wouldn't deceive you for the
world. Give me the gum
handed it to her and she looked to see
that the cartridges were all right l con-
fessed to myself that she handled the thing
IN businesslike way and not as most girls
do, as though they were afraid it might
so off Unexpectedly. L sat down on the
trunk of a tree and looked at Patricia.
Sit down., l said, and get your nerves
under control and think what you'd like to
shoot att
She stood before me with the gun on her
shoulder, part of the barrel being hidden
by her loose hair. 1 felt that my gun was
happy.
What. do you think I'd shoot at but a
''Oh, come!' said.
She turned scornfully on her heel and
called the dogs. followed, watching her
sure step on that uneven ground with de-
light. Suddenly Mars stopped dead, head
down, tail steady. Mark, whispered. In
q moment q cock pheasant rose and rocketed
up into the bare branches. Patricia sighted
with the utmost GOODNESS, fired and the
"Bravo!'' said 1. II should have missed
that. Considering that my guns far too
long for you, II was magnificent"
You forget" she said, that I'm a big
How could forget with you standing
there before me? If l live to be as old as
Biddy Mcguire I'll remember how you look
at this moment, Patricia. Ah child" 1
added q felt that l might call her child
being four years her senior), IF you'd only
believe how you're always before me night
and day.
She blushed and turned her dark ewes
aside; | think her breath caught. At that
moment Willie Donnell shouted and another
bird was up. Patricia fired and missed.
The other barreli' l cried.
Larry, it isn't loaded" said she, looking
at me with the prettiest penitence.
You're nice sportsWoman," said /.
You should have loaded it for me-
well. / admit that. But what made Won
miss? II was an easier shot than the other"
You were talking to me-" she said.
Patricia, put down that stupid gun and
sit here by me; it's as warm as spring
We've shot enough for to-day and Willie
III IL ~.