The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-29
I'd faced and not knowing whether


to be angry or merry, they looked
at each other and broke into laughter
Faith, and ! never thought OF it at
all. at ALL Katie" said Norah. ad-
justing her disarranged belt I'm
sorry | was so generous with my bou-
quet."
Its nothing at all" retorted Katie,
but | saw Pat Deasy and Michael
OFlanagin 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. Per
haps, the thought now, he thinks
am after getting the flowers from
Tom"
At least. whether the two SWANS
took the wearing of the yellow flow
ers as a personal insult or whether
they had other reasons for ignoring
their hitherto adored ones, Norah
and Katie heard the opening strains
! of Come Back to Erin waited from
the orchestra without noticing the
J approach of their usual partners.
Never long alone at a ball, Norah
was soon whirling about the room in
! the arms of another admirer. And
from the way in which her soft Irish
laugh rippled in response to bits of
witty blarney her partner whispered
in her ear she was conscious of NO
/ other man in the room. She was
possessed of the inherent Irish quail
ty of being all things to all people
for the time being
The ball waXed merry and waltzes
and jigs and two-steps and barn
dances were called off one after an
other, but Pat Deasy never once
sought Norah as his partner; and she
did not know that his eyes followed
her through every turn of the dance
If, as he believed, she had deliberate
~ worn tlowers-and yellow flower:
at that-scnt her by his hated rival
she must indeed have forgotten al
that he believed had been between
them
1t was late in the evening that al
Irish reel was proposed and the OF
chestra struck up the merry must
to which the feet OF no true son q
the verdant land can remain quiet
Norah, d nrwfound admircr in he
wake, was taking her place. lie
hair had become tumbled, her cheek
were as rosy as apples and her blacl
dashed bluc eyes sparkled like di;
monds Ii her heart was heavy sh
did not lot il bangle on her sleeve S
that all who passed might see it
In the intricacics of the reel, Moral
by counting ahead, could see that b.
fore many moments she must elias
hands with Pat nousy, and her heal
| thumred cXyitt dly at the prospcc
Would he recognize her? Would /
n press her tiugCrs-neVor so slightly
| 1t Was her turn and she put he
| hand in the great one Pat extende
| Yes: he held it closely, more close
| than any other partner would dal
| to hold it, Quick as a flash, Nora
/ detached the green shamrock p
| from her belt and. when next she m
| Pat in the dance. slipped ii into h
| palm Across the petals was write
| in gilt letters. Come Back to Erin.
| When the reel was over and Il
| dancers stood about the refreshme
| table or sat in cool corners, p
| sought out Norah. the message of Il
pin having been too much for him
resist. And, perhaps, after all,
had been mistaken.
| "Norah, is it all over between us
J he asked, his color rising to the roo
of his wellbrushed black hair.
An why should it be-" asked {
/. girl. saucily.
:, Sure you wore the yellow tlowc
:, to the ball and who but that hatei
:, Tom Horton could have given the
= to you-to spite me-" he asked
] It's a silly Mick you are, Pa
II she retorted, making room for Ii
;, beside her on the bench. 1T vase l
II lady who gave them to me off h
own table to wear to the ball
!. charm you with Oh, Pat"
- And, on the way home. Pat a
- Norah decided to visit the priest
80 fore another st. Patrick's ball sho,
a. take place, But so busy were tn
in their own affairs that they
not see Katie and her beau decidi
the same thing in the other end of
elevated coach