The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-16

Going to the Shamrock associations ball
in search Of a husband! Ellen's face
famed, then turned pale. But then they
did not know about HIM. The very
thought seemed like treason to the strong.
erect figure which never passed out Of
her mental vision.
| Its well enough of am, John, with
out a husband, an I see no reason why
YOU an Mary should want to marry me
off. I'm thinkin' Trixie would miss her
l. old auntie sorely." And she drew the
child close as If to ward OF with her in
nocent childhood some impending dis
aster.
slant.
Eyes. an that's what the neighbors are
all sayin'-that use you as nurse girl 1or
the child. an dance an go 10 the the
alter with John an my cniid would
suffer If it wasn't for you. Ihey taik nhe
Won was a sort Of Cinderella, an It's
tired l am Of their long tongues. Dla
ever ask you to spend money on Irixie
when YOU needed it for your own clothes!
Did I ever ask you to stay home with
| the child? It's an ungrateful lot, tnat
| what you are, to bring me IN dlsrePute
with me neighbors, just because you're
that uppish our friends amt good enough
for you!" =
i And that was how Ellen happened to
go to the bali Of the Shamrock associa-
ton. She gave her sister-in-law carte
blanche in the matter Of new dress.
and that parsonage, restored 10 eood
humor, reveled In the purchase and max
ing of real white satin frock.
But the day Of the ball, Ellen could
| hardly keep her mind on her work. Her
glance would wander toward the sky
scraper where he was working. She felt
that he was whistling-his movements
were SO brisk. And John was trying. with
the best intentions, to marry her OF,
solely to maintain the honor Of the Mulvi- =
hill family. She had thought OF Day
when she should marry-when the sky
scraper was done, perhaps, and he became
A. contractor She would not wear those
NASTY high stocks which she designed for
other women, but dresses turned IN at
the neck and edged with soft lace, and
he would tell her that she had the throat
Of a lily. Young husbands in novels al
ways said that.
| At night John led her the length Of
the hall with pride stamped on his face
and his walk. Men were introduced to
her and asked her to dance. but she be-
came possessed Of a strange terror ana
fslipped back among the wall-howers. MIS-.
Mulvihill watched her with rising anger.
What was the use OF worrying over
real satin dress for a stupid girl like Ell
len? -.
Ellen was thinking Of Trixie ana how
+ late thew would reach home and how
J., loud the music was, when she heald
!. HEARTY voice at her elbow
r "sure. I'd be glad to meet the sister Of
r John Mulvihill, an it's odd I never knew
S you had one" - -- -
e She swung round, and sudedn1y the
d lights in the room leaped into bewilderins
- flames, the dancers mingled strangely as
II in a. broken Kaleidoscope. In the confu-
e sion one fact stood forth clearly. There
y was Just one man in the world who could
y stand like that, one man who had such a
y pair of shoulders-and he was the man
e who5wrought every day in the skeleton OF
y, the fskyscraper.
e She heard her brother say it was Dennis
a. Gallagher, president of the Shamrock as
le ISOLATION. That was quite real to her
= Of course he would be president Then
'oj John ,drifted away, and Gallagher sal
+ beside her. It was quite while before
'ol she glanced up into his face She was try
i ing to realize the beautiful truth-thai
t. they were no longer parted in mtdaiF,
but sitting side by side in a noisy, heated
r. ballroom. She was glad 1t was noisy
ID otherwise he might hear her heart beat
= ing. - :, r-.... =.
, J. When she looked into his, eyes sh'
started and the color came and went pref
9, tily In her cheeks. Dennis Gallagher
a smiled. He had seen girls look like thi!
~; before But Ellen was utterly ingenious
:, in spite of her twenty-five birthdays. h
It did not speak, and finally she said a1mos
Of breathlessly: .:. T.. -:
re It thought they would be bIue-and
le they are brown-no,s hazel!' =: :
xt So Of course 1t came out. She didn't
III mean he should know at all-and he
Re didn't know at all, just enough to make
r. him linger through two dances, and SCI
IS. John Mulvihilrs heart swelling with pride
1sI
a. A month later Ellen dropped into The
ne quiet, shadowy church on her way tt
s. work. She fingered longer than usual
. There were so many "All Halls to So,
'is this morning and the church was quite
empty, so with clasped hands and eyes full
- of happy tears she looked into the benign
;,e face of the Woman Of Many Sorrows an,
murmured: 49,. H. j
h. BLESSED Mother, do deserve so muel
p happiness? Am 1 good enough for him
N He is coming every Wednesday and Sat
d. urday nights to see me, and by and by j
tn will be every night: he said So every da.
and every night we will be together, 81
long as we live. You who have suffere,
tn much, teach me to be strong and brav
m for him." - 40
W. And all that day a man working IA
'er above the din of the mighty city locke
Ter across the gap to the great factory build
GU ing where he knew she bent over he
hit, work. His heart sang within him. and hi
m blows fell full and clear, for a wonderfy
light and happiness had come into his lift