Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-12-17

Anton Meliare hated Ireland. He was
very emphatic about it. Not that 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 tantTum
about Ireland, for he was an old man
and they did not want to hit him.
AS individuals they did very we'll, but
taken in the abstract-he hated them.
A bit of shamrock made him furious
an6 he took to his bed on st. Patfick's
lay
Suzette, the fair daughter, may have
known what it was all about or she
may not; for she had smile for every
one and nearly everything, unless they
cast reflections on her father.
One year it came about that her sun
NEST smile was, without question, for
handsome young Joe Cullane; and
equally without question he was Irish
Tho neighbors were surprised when
they found that old Anton approved OF
Joe. Perhaps it was because Joe mad
no brogue. He was a capital fellow anu
things went very smoothly until st.
Patrick's 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 20
club with such name? Don't you
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"
II try to forget that you are Irish,
and l wish you would, too. You say
you are standard-bearer What is that
"That means l have charge OF the
fag-old Erin's flag, you know. carry
that in the parade St. Patrick's day;
ana that's thing any Irishman would
be proud to do"
tJoe Cullane! You are not going to
do anything Of the kind!'
"Why, why not, Suzette?'
"You know very we'll why not. You
know how father feels. You are just
insulting him."
"Suzette! You don't mean that.
don't hold anything against your faith
er's country and l cannot help how he
feels about Ireland"
"You can at least respect him and
his feelings!"
81 do respect him but l don't know
what | can do about his feelings.
don't know how to change them"
zone thing you can do is to stay
away from that silly parade!'
"What! Suzette, I'm Irish and proud
of it. DO you think would go back
on my country so easily? Most GER
tAinly mott"
"Joe Cullane, if you march in that
parade you need not bother TO cail
here again, for will not even speak
to YOU"
Don't talk that way, Suzeote, dear.
You surely love me too much to let
a parade more or-less come hetweerl
us, don't you? / have marched in
every St. Patrick's day parade since
/ have been big enough, and now
when they have chosen me standard
bearer do you think l will be faithless
to the old sod? It's about all we can do
for Ireland, you know-just show he'
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 l mean it. 0, Joe
why are you so obstinate?'
"Obstinate. is it?' and Joe laughed
rather mirthlessly. II thought, Suzette
that you would be proud OF your boy
and ] had arranged for a fine seat fol-
you to watch the parade and then fol-
the ball at night. We would nave mao
such a fine time
II won't go; and if you loved me you
wouldn't go either. You must choose
"Choose? When it comes to choosing
between ones country and some ones
prejudices, there's only one thing for a
man to do" Joe strobe from the house
The matter was not so easily decided
as that, after all. Joe loved Suzette
fully and sincerely. and that means as
much to an Irishnan as to any one
alse-if not more! The thought of los