The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-03-30
IRISH EYES
BY IzoLA FORESTER. s

Il would not be going If 1t wasn'
for Nora" Patsy said with a toss o
her head. She stood before the bu
reau in the little front bedroom of tn,
nat, pinning band of black velve
around her hair as a final touch O
artistry.
And the family admired and mar
veled likewise. Not a single st. Pat
rick's day dance had Patsy gone Il
in three years. Some said 1t was or
account Of Terry O'More.
Terry had been born two years pre-
vious to the time when Patsy herself
had arrived. The mothers of both
had hung over friendly iron railIngs
and chatted back and forth of a sum
mer evening, tending their wee ones
and later the two had gone to the
same public school, and had danced
around street corners to the same
tunes.
But as he grew older Terry devel.
oped rowing disposition. At seven
teen he shipped on a coast steamer,
and piled up and down as a cabin
boy.
Go on with you, Terry" she told
him. I'm not be having you jaunt
this way and that If you've mind to
keep along steady with me. You can
go your own way"
And I'd not be marrying a girl
that wouldn't be proud of my seeing
the world" said Terry valiantly.
But Patsy had felt hurt and sick at
heart. She was twenty now, and her
neighborhood wondered why Terry
and she didn't marry and settle down.
So there had come st. Patrick's
day, and he was to have taken her to
dance that evening. During the
whole day she had waited for him to
show up. Then, when evening came
and 1t was too late, she had laughed
and gone to the dance with big Danny
Sullivan.
Patsy never forgot Terry's face
when he came into the hall and saw
her in Danny's arms, foxtrotting The
next day he enlisted for three years
in the army, and went away without
a word to her, his best girl for five
years.
She had heard OF him from his sis
ter. He was sent to the Philippines.
Sometimes Molly told her they had re-
ceived a box OF things from him.
He never sent anything to her.
Once, at Halloween party, he
had found a silver ring in his slice of
cake, and had slipped 1t ON her fin
ger behind the hall door as they were
all going home. Patsy got it out and
put it on.
But tonight it really was for Nora's
sake that she was going up to the
dance. Nora was only seventeen and
wanted to go, and she wouldn't be
letting girl like that trip off alone,
and who was the man fit to escort
Nora?
They were little late, but still in
time for the grand march. Someone
on the reception committee caught
Nora away to introduce her, and Patsy
found herself handed over to a swift
ly-procured partner.
Here you are, Terry, my boy" said
genial old Donovan, the floor chair
man. Take your places now quick
over there"
The hand that Terry took was cold.
1t seemed year before the march was
over and he had her by herself.
And won't you say word to me,
Fatsy?" he asked. aren't you glad
to see me?" /
IF I'd been waiting with welcome
for you all this time, it might have
grown a bit cold by now" said Patsy,
with the old toss of her head and flash
OF her eyes at him. did you like the
Mr.. O'M6re?"
Terry groaned in spirit, and bit
too. He leaned one hand on
the wall just above her, and put the
other on his hip.
I've thought of you and dreamed
OF you every day for three years." he
said, fervently. "And you haven't
a bit, Patsy. My heart
dropped in my boots and flew up to the
stars when / saw you come into the
hail."
It's quite lively, isn't it?" laughed
Patsy. Have you brought it back in
Dieces?"
You should be knowing, Patsy. I
eft it with you. Didn't you break it
dancing with that wall-eyed
Dan Sullivan right under my nose in
his very hall? Didn't he tell me him
'elf he'd marry you in a month, and
le knew you'd have him? Didn't you
ell him was rolling stone?"
Patsy's eyes twinkled at the mem
'ry.
4 did, she said happily, "and more
Il it. But he never ma rried me in a
month, or year, either. Don't you
hink Nora's beauty?'s
I'm not looking her way Just now"
aid Terry. I've serv ed my time. and
m in the reserves no'F, and I'm going
settle down. I've had enough see
ng things. You'll find me changed.
'atsy. I'm a quiet family man now