Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1910-11-10
ShooSy-Shoo
BY EDITH GRAY
COPYRIGHTED, 1910, by Associated Literary Press

no spark OF her mothers cleverness,
no glimmer of her wit. Her life had
been thought out for her from the be-
ginning, and she was too sapless a
thing to dream now of rebellion, too
lazy to do other than drift onward
with the current. If he asked her,
she would consent, and she was at
least too inanimate a creature to in
terfere in later life with any Of his
dreams Why ask for more? If she
brought no inspiration, at least she
would bring no disturbing element.
There would be leisure and some
peace. Why ask for more?
O'Neill stood now upon his feet de-
termined and quite done with argu-
| ment. 1t was all so simple, SO easy
! and quite inevitable. If he brought
the wit, the cleverness to the house
hold, she in turn would bring the
money, the tangible means of ex-
istence. If he brought the great
| thoughts, the inspiration of genius,
she, on her side, would furnish the
leisure wherein to make good his
dreams. If he attracted the circle Of
artists and poets, she would furnish,
as her mother before her, hospitality
and unstinted wealth, the allurements
Of comfort and ease.
And yet, John O'Neill stood, mo-
tionless as a stone image, bound fast
amid the towering ferns and fra
! grant orange trees. Why did he not
seek at once the famous beauty
There could be no doubt as to her at
titude, loving daughter of a doting
mother. Why, then, fearing no re-
buff, did he not go at once and offer
her his hand and heart?
A little thing, quite insignificant
and beside the point, yet still bearing
on his early youth, held him. A tiny
letter, now resting next his heart,
redolent of old days and past, sweet
memories.
John, it is you that our mother
is speaking of now. She is so old,
John, and l, too. 1t is the sight of
your face we both be wanting.
John, is it not strange that Rosie
will not marry the rich MacVey, for
all he courts her still and will not
go" that was a part of It,
There was music now in the room
beyond-a violin and piano, following
one another, laughing, leaping and
romping, glittering on through mex
pressible mazes of technical splendor.
The man listened, and gradually his
eyes hardened again, his brain the
master of his heart. Yes; he was
born to all this sort of thing! 1t
was foolish, unutterably mad to dwell
on the long dead past. He would bury
it all now, his life would swing on in
perfect harmony effortless, brilliant
and we'll controlled. He would write
his Aunt Katrine this very night, and
how proud they would be to hear Of
this great match. He stepped for
ward to seek the girl beyond.
Then he paused again. A fresh
young voice was raised, clear, pierre
ing in its untrammeled sweetness. II
was a song now, dealing not at al
with trills, simple and unhampered IL
its sway-a song, a real song, anc
without aw!
when meadow larks would singing bC
in old Glentair
Was one, sweet less with eyes of blu'
anQ tangled BOluen ndlrs
For Irish eyes are fairy flax, no othel
eyes so blue,
Come nestle in my arms and swing upoI
the shoogy>Snoo,"
On through the verses, vibrant
quivering and alive, and O'Neill bow
ed his head, swaying in the new fount
, realization of his old best self o.
what use the splendor, of what use
| .,q, hn haaIttif,t
binding, if the book were empty with
in? Rosie, Rosie. His soul bowed
with the knowledge that for him there
was but one woman who through al
the years had found him worthy o
the waiting:
: ''Ah well, the world goes up and down
7 and some sweet day
Its shoogy-shoo will swing us two wher
signs will pass away.
So nestle close your bonny head ant
close your eyes of blue,
And swing with me and memory upol
the shoogy-shoo.
"O'Neill's crazy" said the gossips o
: the studio circle. "All he wanted Il
, work out his big drama was leisur,
and little time. O'Neill's crazy ant
he was an idiot to run back to the oil
country in that erratic madcap man
neE."
"o'Neilrs crazy" said little blue
: eyed woman back in old Ireland
! "O'Neilps crazy" But the manner 0
. his. madness, being a not uncommo
one, she laughed as she found he
bonny heart locked fast within tn
shelter of his arms.