The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-17
THE EVENING STORY
Ihe Wearing Of the yellow,
(By Dorothy Blackmore.)


her favorite shade; it may have been
that it harmonized with her costume
of the afternoon; or, it may have been
simply because yellow spring flowers,
jonquils, daisies and tulips were plen-
tiful in the florists shops in March.
But the very fact that she had Sc
lected yellow insteal of any other
hue in the rainbow made all the diff
ference in the world to her faithful
cook, Norah.
Norah was daughter of the EN-
erald Isle and she never lost an OPP
portunity to go to a st. Patrick's ball
whenever the anniversary of that good
saints birth rolled around. And In
all the five years that she had been
in the country she had never failed
to dance the opening waltz with big
Pat Deasy from her own County Cork.
Norah's mistress had chosen the
afternoon of st. .Patrick's day for her
bridge party, and when the last guest
had gone and Mrs. Cardinger's duties
as hostess were over, she stepped into
the kitchen to give a word of praise
to her cook for the extra effort she
had made to have the pastries and
coffee toothsome and dainty.
"And, Norah, I want you to wear
a bunch of those lovely jonquils to
your ball tonight. They will add
much to your appearance Also, you
may serve dinner at six-thirty instead
of seven, so as to be in plenty OF
time,'' she said good-naturedly. Mrs
Cardinger appreciated the faithful
mes of Norah, and she knew with what
pleasure the girl had looked forward
to the ball of the evening.
Norah sang over her cookstove, and
when dinner was over she mounted
the stairs to her room to dress in her
finest frock. And, in her hand, she
carried a bunch of the lovely yellow
flowers her mistress had given her.
She pinned them this way and that,
and it was not without thought as
to how Pat would like them best that
she finally arranged them in her belt
pinned there by shamrock rat MINI
self had given her the year before.
On her way uptown to the ball
Norah stopped to call for her chum,
Katie Malone, who was ma1d-oI-all
work to a family in the next block.
"An' you must share my bouquet,
Katie, my darlin'," she said to the
girl. Her big Irish heart was gener-
osity itself, and she could not be so
selfish as to wear flowers when her
friend had none.
Their tongues wagged busily as they
climbed the stairs to the elevated road
in great haste lest they miss even one
strain of the fiddler's music. Their
hearts were beating quickly in antlcl-
patton of the evenings pleasure, Tor
Katie, too, had a son of Erin who
awaited her coming with anxious eyes.
be called for by their beaux-it was
a. waste of time, and the dancing and
the escorting home again were the
important things.
Bright lights streamed from each
of the great ballroom windows as the
girls approached the building where
the Irish ball was an annual soclaI
function. They entered the cIoakroom
to dispose of their outer garments just
as the orchestra inside began an IN
troductory number.
Flushed and smiling, Norah and her
chum made their appearance in the
wide doorway of the ballroom to scan
the assembled crowd for famillar
faces. No sooner had they stepped
onto the shining floor than they were
bounced upon by half dozen strange
young men who demanded by what
right they came to st. Patrick's ball
wearing the colors of the Orangeman?
And, without further ceremony, the
beloved bouquets were torn from the
belts of the two girls and trampled
under foot by the husky young Irish
men.
Norah had been innocent of the
breach of etiquette she was making
in wearing the flowers and her chum
had been as guiltless of error. Now.
as they retired to the dressing room,
red faced and not knowing whether to
be angry or merry. they looked at each
other and broke into laughter.
Faith, and I never thought OF it at
all. at all, Katie" said Norah, adjust
ing her disarranged belt. m sorry
I was so generous with my bouquet"
Its nothing at ALL" retorted Katie,
but l saw Pat Deasy and Michael
O'Flanagan standing on the other side
of the room takin' in the whole thing. |
It's mad they are, or I'm not Katie |
Malone this night"
Now. Pat Deasy, though we'll IA
vored in the eyes of Norah, was not |
her only admirer, and she had seen
the time when his blue eyes flashed |
at the presence of another young man /
IN her spotless kitchen. "Perhap'
she thought now, "he thinks l am ar
ter getting the flowers from Tom"
At least whether the two SWANS
took the wearing of the yellow flowers
as a personal insult or whether they |
had other reasons for ignoring their
hitherto adored ones, Norah and Kat
ie heard the opening strains of Come
Back to Erin waited from the or
chestra without noticing the approach
Of their usual partners.
Never long alone at ball, Norah
was soon whirling about the room IN
the arms of another admirer. And
from the way in which her soft Irish
laugh ripp1ed in response to HI
witty barney her partner whispered
m her ear she was conscious OF no
other man in the room. She was pos
5eSSed OF the lAhCl chi - AoA- |
IF being all things to all people for
he time being.
The ball waxed merry and waltzes
and iigs and two-steps and barn
lances were called off one after an
1ther, but Pat Deasy never once
sought Norah as his partner; and she
lid not know that his eyes followed
Ter through every turn Of the dance.
f, as he believed, she had deliberately
worn dowers-and yellow flowers at
hat-sent her by his hated rival, she
must indeed have forgotten all that
ae believed had been between them.