The Negro world., 1900-05-19

5 The Yellow Tomatoes S:
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les and blue eyes. Her name was Der
lia Manderson, which was difficult
name for Duninieus TO remember.
But Ii was not al all hard for him to
remember the dear little girl with
freckles. She wore tiny black tassels
OF the top Of her shoes. and white
aprons, ruffIed and tied upon he Shoul-
slers with large, airy-loolipg bows. and
the ends of her smooth brnids we're
tied with ribbons now the color Of The
violet and now the color of the rose.
Dominicus said to himself that In
Amsterdam he had never known amy
little girl so freckled and so dear.
Il wish she would look at me-"
thought little Dominicus Van l}rnnt.
Hut he thought IL in Dutch, although
when he spoke aloud he managed to
make himself understood IN English.
II must be confessed that little Amer.
lean children are too egoiistical 10 be
polite. Thinking as they do that they
nre nodded on The right pattern. they
nre inclined 10 regard all children DIFF
ferlng from them as cnriosities. They
considered the round faced Dutch boy,
with his shy ways and deferential man
ner to the fencher, strange little fish
indeed. And no one in all the school
was more amused than the dainty
Berfha. who looked AZ him coysrtly out
~ her grny.blue eyes. However. she
did not laugh al him. So Dominicns,
who did not know that she was amused.
and who perceived only her aspect OF
gravity. thought her kinder than the
rest and was grateful II only she
would have spoken 10 him. or looked
nj him as N she were his friend, he
would have had nothing more 10 ask
he could even have been patie',s with
that terrible English language which
everyone around him was jabberlnR.
He determined to do something 70
call the attention of his freckled
hcaris.own TO himself and one day he
hurried into the sehooiruom the first
minute the doors we're opened and laid
three p,ar.shaped yellow tomatoes ON
her desk The scholars came. saw the
pretty vegetables and had little trouble
in deciding from what source the tflb-
uie came. For who else In "a faEhion-
able suburb would have yellow to-
matocs, except the son Of the Dutch
gardener The school lnduiged in uu-
restrained gigglng but iierthu, In.
stead Of participating. shot defiance
from her gray-blue eyes, aud, turning
with an adorable smile toward Domln.
icns. carefully fitted one Of the yellow
tomatoes into her red mouth. and de-
soured II IN the same spirit In which
loyal subject drinks 10 his king. II
was evident that Domlnieuk had been
right. Bertha was different from the
others. His happiness stained The
boys amlahle face scarlet, and while
the other boys ieered at him number
Of them felt Il distlnet pang Of jealousy.
They were quite alive te the eNiraor-
dinary favor which had been shown
him.
From that dny ON Bertha. the daugh-
ter of Il prosperous lawyer and little
maid distinctly conscious Of her social
opportunities, and Dominiens. the son
OF the man who raised garden truck,
were friends. There came a da, when
Bertha. having reached the proud age
Of ten, gave birthday party on her
fathers lawn, aud insisted on having
Dominlcus among her guests ia.
nous day for Dom.nicus, In which he
saw his princess in all the glory of her
hes, white frock, with her hair crimped
down her back, aud had the rapture
OF eating cream tarts In her company
liut there was yet prouder day in
which Dominieus Was permitted 20 rc-
turn this social attention. and was nj.
lowed TO insite nertha aud three other
friends 10 the snowy kitchen of his
home back of the garden. where the
mother of Dominicns sang beautiful
songs To them In language they could
not understand. and fed them with
ernllers and grape juice. Ilertha
thought she had never seen any room
~ charming as this kitchen. with itS
racks of blue plates. It's shining pans,
and its illuminated notices upon The
wall.
bertha wns not more than u when
abe was sent 10 private school. aud
as the years went hy she saw people
OF quite u different sort from Dumin.
icus and his father and mother. aud
ought. probably. 90 have forgotten an
about them But Il Is an nndeniahle
fact though II may have shown some
evidences OF vulgarity In her nature
that all the years that she was occu.
pied with other matters. such as
boarding school and summer resorts.
aud coming out and the gayeties OF
a winter Ia the city, she remembered
that curious kitchen. aud the peopIr
who lived in il. and wondered where
they had gone. For Il happened that
one autumn. after returning from the
seashore. Bertha had discovered that
the house back Of the garden was
empty. II had been sad moment for
her. She had felt the tears come To
her eyes as she looked at the untldy
piece OF ground where the exanlsttely
kept garden OF Jacob Van Rrunt hna
beens and the windows. from which the
round face of her friend had often
smiled at her, repulsed her now With
their baroness.
II happened that IN course OF time
Hertha had notion To 60 abroad. and
having the consciousness OF her cer.
,itieate Of graduation IN her trunk. She
MAS In no haste TO return to her home.
So she fingered where she pleased. ar
rogantiy directing the movements OF
her party. which consisted of a maiden
aunt aud an elderly second cousin.
With this double ehaperonage she was
allowed 60 do almost anything she