The Washburn leader., 1916-08-04
On St. Patrick S
Night
b. EUNIcE BLAKE

b. EUNlCE BLAKE
! Mora O'Rourke," said the postman
f, on the morning Of st. Patrick's day,
handing a maid who answered his
whistle two letters. ANY such person
hereT"
THAT'S myself" said the girl, tax
ing the mail. The postman went on,
and she returned to the kitchen. One
Of the missives bore a black border
and foreign stamp. She tore on the
envelope and read the contents. from
her sister In Ireland:
Dear Moral have to tell you some bad
news. Our uncle Patrick, who has been
in the grocery business in Dublin. is dead.
But there's some good news too. He
made lot Of money, and, not having any
wife or children, he has left 1t all to you
and me- We will have about s20O0 apiece.
Your loving sister. BRIDGET.
The bad part Of the news had little
effect on Nora, for she had never seen
her uncle, and the legacy Of $4,000
was matter Of great delight. She
was so interested in the latter that
she forgot for some time to open her
other letter; then she turned her at
tention to the other letter. It was from
Patrick Doolan, asking her to go with
him to the ball to be given on the
night of St. Patrick's day. and he
hoped that she would give him an an
swer to a question that he would ask
her.
She knew very we'll what that ques-
tion would be. but was in doubt as to
her answer. She held in her hand the
letter advising her Of her legacy and
her lovers note, turning from one to
the other back and forth. Pat D0Olan
was money maker, owning num-
ber of teams, with which he did haul
ing. Nora's poverty had constrained
her to consider his proposition of mar
riage, remembering that he would be
able to keep the wolf from his and her
door. But inclinations rather led her
to favor young Michael O'COnnor,
who was bright and active, but had
not the faculty of holding on to what
he made. She knew that both Pat and
Mike would be at the ball on st. Pat
rick's evening. and she laid plan to
assist her in the matter between them.
During the afternoon she went to see
her friend, Kathleen Clancy, and said
to her:
"Kath. I'm going to say something
tonight to Pat Doolan that may make
him get sweet on you"
"What are you going to tell him?"
"That your uncle in Ireland is dead
and has left you $4,000"
"But I haven't any uncle in Ireland
"Never mind that. Likely Pat won't
mention the matter to you. If he does
don't tell him the truth till tomorrow.
and I'll give you something pretty"
Nora went to the ball with Pat and
on the way told him that she knew a
girl who that morning had received
legacy of $1,000 by the death Of an un-
Gle in Ireland. Pat asked who was
the girl, and Nora gave him to under
stand that she was Kathleen Clancy.
During the evening Pat did not re-
fer to the answer to his proposition.
Kathleen, not being a very pretty girl,
was something Of q wall flower.
I'm sorry for the poor GIRL" said
Pat, 'sittin' around with no one to ask
her to dance. I'm minded to go and
ask her myself"
That's right" said Nora. "She'll ap-
preciate the attention"
Pat asked Kathleen to dance and,
having danced with her once. he con-
cluded to ask her again. Meanwhile
Mike O'Connor danced with Miss
O'Rourke. He asked her to dance with
him again, but she declined, To do so
would not have accorded with her plan.
. When Pat and Nora were going home
from the ball, instead Of pressing her
for an answer to his proposal. he said
to her:
mora, 1 don't like your dancing with
that miserable fellow, O'Connor."
81 only danced with him once"
"That's enough. You shouldn't have
danced with him at all"
I'm sorry" said Nora, with appar-
ent penitence.
When Pat left her at the door she
said to him:
II suppose you don't want the an
swer you said you were lookin' for?"
mot tonight. I'm thinkin' about
your dancing with that spalpeen O'Con-
nor. Maybe I'll get over it in time"
'That won't do you any good. for I
won't get over what you've done this
night. It's not Kathleen. whose uncle
in Ireland has died and left her $4,000.
but my own uncle has left that money
to me. told you it was Kathleen to
see II you could be switched of by
bait Of legacy. and I've found that
you don't value me so much as the
fortune. Good night and goodby."
"Nora''-he began in a supplicating
tone. but he got no further, for she
shut the door in his face.
When Nora and Kathleen met again
Nora learned that Pat had not men
toned the legacy, but he had asked
Kathleen to go to ball with him to
come OF a week later. Then Nora told
her friend that inasmuch as she had
helped her to find out that the man she
had thought Of marrvino cou1d ~ 80