The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-07
TIE EVENING STORY
Son of Ireland.

he hated the Irish individually, for he
didn't Some of his best friends were
of that nationality, but they kept out
of his way when he was in a tantrum
about Ireland, for he was an old man
and they did not want to hit him.
AS individuals they did very WELL
but taken in the abstract-he hated
| them! A bit of shamrock made him
| furious and he took to his bed on ST.
Patrick's day.
SuZette, the fair daughter, may have
] known what it was all about or she
may not; for she had a smile for every
one and nearly everything, unless they
cast reflections on her father.
One year it came about that her
sunniest smile was, without question,
for handsome young Joe CulIane: and
equally without question he was Irish!
The neighbors were surprised when
they found that old Anton approved of
Joe. Perhaps it was because Joe had
no brogue. He was a capital fellow
and things went very smoothly until
st. Patricks day approached
'Suzette,' said Joe one day. ''the
boys have certainly honored me this
year. They have made me the stan
dard-bearer of the Erin club"
Erin club! Why do you belong to
[
know We hate it and all it stands for?'
Erin? Why, that's about the best
name we could find. You know that's
the sweetest word there is to an Irish
mans ears
Il try to forget that you are Irish,
you are standard-bearer? What is
that?"
THAT means 1 have charge of the
flag-old Erin's flag, you know. carry
that in the parade ST. Patrick's day,
and that's a thing any Irishman would
be proud to do
Joe Cullane! You are not going to
do anything of the kind!''
Why, why not, Suzette?''
You know very well why not! You
know how father feels. You are just
insulting him."
"Suzette. You don't mean that. II
don't hold anything against your ia
Tiers country and I cannot help how
he feels about Ireland
You can at least respect him and
his feelingsi''
II do respect him but I don't know
what I can do about his feelings 1 |
don't know how to change Them
"One thing you can do is to stay
away from that silly parader
What! Suzette, I'm Irish and proud |
of it. Do you think T would go back |
on my country SO easily? Most GER
tainly no..'
'tJoe Cullane, if you march in that |
parade you need not bother to call here |
again, for 1 will not even speak to |
your
Don't talk that way, Suzette. dear.
You surely love me too much to let |
parade more or less come between us
don't you? 1 have marched in every
ST. Patrick's day parade since I have
been big enough and now when they
have chosen me standard-bearer do |
you think 1 will be faithless to the
old sod? It's about all we can do for
Ireland, you know-just show her that
we love her still. You surely don't
mean it, Suzette?'
II do mean it, If you carry that
flag you will learn that 1 mean it. o
joe why are you so obstinate?'
obstinate, is it?" and Joe laughed
rather mirthlessly. 'I thought, SUI
zette, that you would be proud of your
boy and I had arranged for fine seat
for you to watch the parade and then
for the ball at night. We would have
had such fine time
ct won't go; and if you loved me you
go either You must choose"
Choose? When it comes to choos-
ing between ones country and some
ones prejudices, there's only one thing
for man to do Joe strobe from
the house
The matter was not so easily decid-
ed as that, after all. Joe loved Su-
zette fully and sincerely, and that
means as much to an Irishman as to
any one else-if not morei The thought
of losing her was intolerable to him.
yet he was angry that she had forced
him to do as he had. She should have
known he could not have dfshonored
his birth in any such way He would
go on and march with as brave a
heart as he could muster, and after
that-well, after that, it looked pretty :
lark
He was so upset by Suzette's atti- s
tude that he forgot to cancel the or
Ter he had left at the florists, and {
4 beautiful bunch of shamrocks was {
July delivered to that young lady He
should have been more thoughtful of
Did Anton's feelings than to have or
Tered shamrocks in The first place. but
after the quarrel they seemed to Su-
zette like an insult. She tore them to
fragments, venting on them her feel
ngs over matters in general and love
affairs in particular, and carefully
wrapped the remains, sending them to r
Zoe.
Joe understood and did not hold this r
against her. He only upbraided him
self for forgetting to cancel the order. 7
Suzette, too, was very unhappy and
inaIly took the whole affair to her ia r
her, who listened sympathetical1y and
hen shook his head very seriously | r
suzette wondered at what he was
shaking his head but he only said, c
We shall see. We shall see.''
The day came, and in all the pa e
ade there was no heart that beat with
greater pride in old Ireland than did
Toe's albeit it was a very sad heart
Then suddenly the heart gave a leap i
md the green flag avered uncertain-l +
Y for a moment III
Standing at prominent cornerl
where they had good view Of the e