The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-10-22
A Leap Year Incident.


vanas elevated from our lips, looking around
through The cloud ofsmoke, | esped the even
ing paper lying on the table, which Tom in his
usual quiet manner had deposited there without
in the least disturbing our dreamy cogitations.
I picked itup, and began languidly todoze over
its columns, when my eye lighted on the follow
ing paragraph, which, old bachelor Ike |, felt
enough interest in to read aloud to my COM
panion: 5a &2 7I5 stt5 E5# sas@
z.'TAkE THE LoT.-The young ladies of Au
rora, Illinois, have resolved that if they didn't
get married this year-leap year-,somebody
will be to blame, the senior class in Williams
college have sent a communication to the Au-
rora paper, offering to take the lot. They say
that now, having been four years under college
discipline, exiled from almost all intercourse
with the fac SMILES of Adam rib, we think with
Shakespeare, that there is a TIED in the affairs
of men, and that the time for that KNOT has
come to us.' a#4
No sooner had finished when Albert, with
a merry .chuckle--nobody else can chuckle like
him--When he chuckles, hechuckles all over
tapped me on the shoulder, and exclaimed:
by Jupiter, Seth, thereby hangs tale!'
'sAh, ha!'' said I. & aa.
would you like to hear it?'' ..,.s ..sg ....
seOf course, ifthere is any end to it, and any
point to the end.''
4.Well, there are both according TO my own
way of thinking. Anyhow, with permission,
III tell the yarn. Of course you know where
Aurora ls---one of the smartest towns in all the
west? 1t lies just below Geneva, on the Fox
river, and is in Kane county. Whether the
county was named after or for the North Pole
Kane, and the town called Aurora because the
Aurora Borealls shines brighter there than any
where else, is a question that some nomencla
tors may discuss; but one little item you may
bet your life on, they raise the pretest girls
there that ever made fellows mouth water"
elbow do you know" .. -e-s@ .. If
''How do know? Wasn't | at Geneva this
last winter one whole month on business? and
was | not out at Aurora every other day to see
our old friend, Jack Spaulding, who has just
hung out his shingle there, and gone into the
practice of the law--or, rather, intends to when
he gets his case? OF course was and as Jack
is death among the women, he toted me all
around: All, Seth, you ought to go to Auro
ra-you ought" 'tS''f= ''. ~
~"But the tale.' a " 1# .."
"Why, you see, one afternoon, when it was
just cold enough out of doors to make it COM
Portable by Jacks old Franklin, while he was
doing away over-somebody, forgot who
no matter-on contracts, and engaged in my
usual occupation, reading Dickens and smoking,
''suddenly there came tapping, as Of some
one gently rapping at the office door," Jack
while visions of a fair client who wanted to get
divorce or get sid Of testy guardian, filled
his mind, cried ''come in!'' and in walked two
special constables of CuDid." ..... ......
Zone was a noble looking girl-eyes as dark
as the future of fellow who does not know
where his next meal is coming from, and checks
as deeply red as a Cambridge professor. All,
Seth, she was perfect goddess; the other
well, won't say anything about the other, for
she hasn't much to do with my story"
But how came they there?''
''Why, up the stairs and through the door,
to be sure!-but their obiect?''
"Yes-their object ..: ""
"Why, that was to invite us-yes, Jack and
me-to leap year ride-ball- all-supper-an
all of that
"You?''
'Yes, me; and she of the black eyes, too was
the Identical one who would be very happy to
have our company on a little sleigh ride to &C.
neva, to wind up with little warm flip, hop
at 5, and ride home by star light"
"Did you go?'
'Did 60? Jack went, and could back out9
'besides, it isn't every day a man gets such an
offer. .At 5, P. NJ, we started, one of the mer-
rlest crews that ever. went anywhere; thirty
single sleighs-they do not 90 in for your great
double arks there. With a hip and hurrah
off we speed, and over the road we skinned
ike ometdashing along the milky way The
girls were excellent whips, and my black-eyed
Kate was "Genesee Mills, extra super6ne."
She had selected her steed with admirable
taste--'' F '.' 80 q ..
GAS we'll as her beau-'' '-.
''Get out! His neck arched like the Thames
Tunnel, and his broad breast marked his noble
strength, while his slender legs told you vol
umes for his swiftness which were backed up
by the very example We went by them all
we did-and Kate led the procession, prouder,
dare say, than any Julius ever was of any
Roman triumph ........
"What did you talk of on the road?"
"Of the weather, the delightful sleighing,
the difference in horses, &c. After supper
came the hop-well, now it was hop-none
Of your tame paror dances, through which the
parties 60 with the same regular precision that
two chess players move who have played draw
games for over half century-uo, sir! it was
regular western hop-but if you want it de-
scribed any further, you must do it yourself,
words can't express tit was action, action,
sublime, godlike action" that's what it was
But, like everything else, it had an end, and
we were off on the road again. .'".F
F"And here must confess that had been
somewhat coquettsh during the evening, and
had, with no little satisfaction, seen those black
eyes still on me wherever | moved, with whom
soever danced, and on whomsoeyer | smiled
Was wrong to enjoy it? How often had
been served the same way. And when it came
to 60, of course, couldn't find my. overcoat
and my hat was missing; 50 | called to my aid
lbalf dozen misses, who sort of half hunted
Tor them and half not, and under the shawl Of
one Of whom I at last discovered the one, and
under that Of another the other-Kate all the
while standing by, and looking as demure as
have done thousand times under similar cir
cumstances. And then ! got into the wrong
sleigh, of course. by accident, as you will no
no doubt, when tell you ] slapped the naugh-