Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-06-22
Thee reenSignal
d Story For 81. Patriek's Day
b. NORA ROURkE
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.


| Eirl that catches the fellow. Pretty
girls have continued temptation to
vanity. Homely girls know they must
rely on their wits, and between beauty
and wits let the honely girl once get
her start and she will win every time
But the strangest cases OF girls who
have all the lovers they want while
others 60 begging is she who has pei-
Their beauty nor wit. Aud, after all.
isn't the matter Of woman's fasci-
mating powers mystery anyway?
Kit Herman had no beauty. As to
her smartness, don't know about
that: but, being an Irish girl, 1t Is nat
ural to suppose she had her share
Anyway, she could do with man as
she liked. When she came to make us
visit one spring she was barely
nineteen years old, a little over the
medium height, Of sallow complex
lon. somewhat bony and not past that
awkwardness often conspicuous In
girls between fifteen and twenty. Her
only good feature was her eyes. They
were Of dark brown, and there was
something In them to set one avon
dering.
My intimate friend Tom Shea was
4 bachelor and a sort Of woman hater
He was often Mt my house and used
to say calamity that when he found
as good a woman as my wife he would
marry. but not before. Tom was n
good catch. He was in the plumbing
business. and every one knows that
plumbers have way Of melting lead
pipe down into gold. He was thirty
years old and ran his own shop.
kit" said, Il wish you'd marry
my chum, Tom Shea. He would be
better or with wife. and II he were
married he and would have more in
common. Now. I'll tell you what I'll
do. Let me see. This Is the first day
Of March. II you'll land Tom on or
before the 18th, St Patrick's day, I'll
give you q check for a thousand dol
lars for q wedding present.
wished that l could tell by the ex-
preston that came into Kits eyes how
she felt about It. but couldn't.
knew that the idea Of possessing q
thousand dollars was Of great impor-
lance to her, but whether the husband
that was to go with 1t moved her at all
had no knowledge.
"How should begin?" she asked.
Nonsense. Don't sit there looking
at me that way. asking me foolish
questions. How have you begun with
the dozens Of fellows you've had dan
Cling about your
II never did begin"
Then how do you do 1T"
II don't know" And, looking into
her eyes for information whether or
not she was telling the truth, l saw
only an innocent look that accorded
perfectly with her words. Possibly
she was unconscious Of any attempt to
inveigle her admirers.
Tom was at the house more fire.
quently than ever after Kit came. He
affected to regard her as chit be-
meath his notice. 1t wasn't long. how
ever. before he would chat with her
banteringly. and my wife and would
make excuses to leave them with
each other. At such times as We
all came together again Tom would
wear a shamefaced look. as II It were
not quite satisfied with himself for
spending time with so slight a crea-
ture as Kit. could understand Tom
somewhat, but Kit was as much Of a
puzzle as ever.
During the last ten days Of the pc
riod l had given Kit to make her thou
sand dollars Tom Shea. who was to
be chief marshal on st. Patrick's day.
was very busy planning for the pa
rade. In fact. he didn't appear at the
house for several days. Then he came
one evening when Kit knew my wife
and were going out.
Tom came In just before We left.
manifested an embarrassed surprise
at our going. which was plainly feign-
ed and badly feigned at that. said at
first he would walk along with us to
the shop. where he had some figuring
to do, and ended by deciding to stay a
few moments to tell Kit about the pa
rade. We returned home at II O'Clock,
and Tom was still there. still telling
her about what fine things were to be
done on St Patrick's day.
That was the last seen of Shea till
he came riding down the street at
the head Of the st. Patrick's day pro-
cessi0n ON a milk white steed, with a
green sash hanging over his right
shoulder and fastened at his left side
with big star.
must digress a bit here to say that
I had hired a window from which we
might witness the procession. There
my wife and I and Kit, with several
other people whom we had invited to
share our perch, went on the morning
Of st. Patrick's day. There was no
evidence that Kit had won her $1,000
and no evidence. judging from her ap-
pearance. which was as unreliable as
ever, that she had lost It. She carried
. handkerchief with her Of green silk
to wave at the paraders.
When Tom Shea appeared half