The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-05-24
The YELLOW TOMATOES.
A Beautiful Little Romance.

A Beautiful Little Romance.
WORE A TOMATO SHAPED TOPAZ.
Chicago Tribune.
When Eominicus Van Brunt first
went to the public school in his
adopted country he had the felicity Of
sitting opposite little girl with freck-
les aud blue eyes. Her name was Ber-
tina Manderson,. which was difficult
name for Dominicus to remember.
But it was not at all hard Tor him to
remember the dear little girl with
treckles. She wore tiny black tassels
at the top of her shoes, and white
apron ruffled and tied upon the shoul-
ders with large, airy-looking bows, and
the ends of her smooth braids we're
tied with ribbons now the color OF the
violet and now the color of the rose.
Dominicus said to himself that in
little girl 80 freckled and SO dear.
II wish she would lock at me-,
thought little Dcmlnicus Van Brunt.
But be thought it in Dutch, although
hen he spoke aloud he managed to
make himself understood in English.
1t must be confessed that little Amer
lean children are too egotistical to be
polite. Thinking as they do that they
are moulded on the right pattern, they
f0 oh drf1y RI +.
/ :ering from them as curiosities. They
considered the round faced Dutch boy,
with his shy ways and defferential
manner to the teacher, strange little
fish indeed. And no one in all the
school was more amused than the
dainty Bertha, who looked at him COW
ertly out OF her gray-blue eyes. How
ever, she did not laugh at him. So
Dominieus, who did not know she was
amused, and who perceived only hef
aspect of gravity, thought her kinder
than the rest and was grateful. II
only she would haye spoken to
him, or looked at him as If she were
his friend, he would have had nothing
more to ask-he could even have been
patient with that terrible English
language which every one around him
was jabbering.
He determined to do something tc
call the attention of his freckled
hearts own to himself, and one day he
hurried into the school room the frs
minute the door was opened and laic
three pear-shaped yellow tomotoes or
Ter desk. The scholars came, saw thu
pretty vegetables, aud had little trouble
in deciding from what source tht
tribute came. For who else in fash
ionable suburb would have yellow to
snatoes, except the son of the Dutcf
gardener? The school lndulged in un
restrained giggliug, but Bertha, in
stead of participating, shot defiance
from her gray-blue eyes, and turnin'
with an adorable smile toward Domin
icus, carefully fitted one of the yellow
tomatoes into her red mouth and de
voured it in the same spirit In which
loyal subject drinks to his king. l
was evident that Domlnicus had beel
right. Bertha was different from th
| others. His happiness stained th
boys amlable face scarlet, and whil
ths other boys jeered at him a numbe
of them felt a distinct pang of ieal
ousy. They were quite alive to tn
extraordinary favor which had beel
, shown him.
From that day ON Bertha, the daugh
ter of a prosperous lawyer, and littl
maid distinctly conscious of her socia
opportunities, and Dominicus, tn
son of the man who raised garde
truck, were friends. There came
= day when Bertha, having reached th
proud age OF 10, gave birthday part
on her fathers lawn, and insisted o.
having Domlnicus among her gnests-
famous day for Dominicus, in whic
he saw the princess in all the glory c
her best white frock, with her hal
crlmped d >wn her back, and had tn
rapture OF eating cream tarts in he
company
But there was yet a prouder day i
which Dominlcus was permitted t
return this social attention, ana ws
!, allowed to Invite Bertha and thre
other friends to the snowy kitchin {
:. his home back of the garden, whef
q the mother cf Domlnicus sang beaut
full songs to them in a language the
; could not understand, and fed ther
i with crullers and grape juice. BERTH
thought she bad never ssen any roof
; SO charming as this kitchln with il
, racks of blue plates, its shining par
and its illuminated notices upon tn
wall.
IL Bertha was not more than II whe
che went to a private school, and {
the years went by she saw people {
0 quite q different sort from Domlnicl
s ana his father and mother, and ough
probably to have forgotten all abot
them. But it is an undeniable fact
q though it may have shown some ev
rs licences of vulgarlty in her nature
T. that all the years that she was occupie
n with other matters, such as boardin
school and summer resorts, and econ
- ing out" and The gaye:ies of wint'
It in the city, she remembered that Ct
er rlous kitchen and the people who live
n in 1t, and wondered where they ha
= gone. For it happened that or
autumn, after returning from tt
seasnore, Bertha bad discovered th
n the house back OF the garden. v
p-t empty. 1t had been Fad nome
- flor her. The tears came into her ey
as she looked at the untidy piece
10 ground where the exqulslteIy Ke
es garden of Jacob Van Brunt had Deel