Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-06-12

SOiAAS) AOuI, Sdlu, you
mustn't get own-hearted Never say
die, you know, while there's shot in
the lockerp"
Tom shook his head desparingly, as
if conscious that the locker had been
completely emptied the night before -
L cheered him up as best [ could, and
then left him.
Fanny" 1 said, when I got home,
''we must manage this business for
Tom. The poor fellow is getting worse
and worse. An idea struck me on the
way home. This is leap gear; you know.
Now, don't you think you could per-
suade Julia to pop the question:"
Fanny was excessively shocked at the
idea at first, <bHb when [ had exhibited
it in its most favorable light, she ad-
mitted the propriety of the plan and we
consulted how it could best be carried
out. 1t was finally arranged that Fanny
should go and tell Julia all about it,
show Toms letters on the subject, and
tell about his consultation with me
that, as Tom was to be there, that Julia
should watch her opportunity, and, in
an off hand manner, ask him to see that
cottage on the watch face again-that
when Tom expressed himself unable to
satisfy production" Julia should say
''Never mind, Tom, we can get one just
like it for ourselves, can't we? This is
leap year, you know, so [ suppose we
shoulder something to that effect
And feltA sure, from the mischevious
expression of Julia's eyes, that she was
just the one to do it, though it were
for nothing but the fun of the thing.
Accordingly, Fanny set out for Royal
Circus, and | expected to hear nothing
more of it till her return; but just as l
was sitting down to tea, a cab pulled up
at the door, the bell rang furiously, and
in the twikling of an eye Tom burst into
the room in perfect transport of de-
light, with his head more like mop
than the day told him it was, and a
hat far to small for him-Colonel Pur-
dies it must have been-stuck on the
very back of his head,
"Shake my hand, old fellow" cried
Tom, stumbling over the cat, and nearly
overturning the tea things; ''shake away,
it's all rights all settled
"What's right?''
"Julia, of course. What year is this?
the year-be quick, man! Confound it!
don't you know what year it is?'' and
Tom in his impatience accompanied each
word with fresh poke of his knuckles.
"Why, 1860"
"Leap.year!" cried Tom, giving me
a frightful dig in the ribs that sent me
staggering against the wall "Leap-
year, you old fool, and Julia popped
the question. Ha? ha!''
"You don't mean it?'
cts fact, [ assure you She asked
for a look Of the cottage-on your watch
you knOW-anu rtrougttU, w1raU a
splendid chance if I had it. But, of
course, hadn't. Never mind, said Julia,
getting very red in the face and bending
down to pick up something off the car
pet, this is leap-year, you know; so I
propose that we get cottage just like
it for ourselves She did, Dick, upon
my word. Did you ever hear Of any
thing so extraordinary? The very thing
you know, that I was to have said
Well, L felt something jump right up
into my throat, and not word could [
utter, but [ ran over and-'
Tom could say no more for chuckling,
but he made violent demonstration OF
clasping some one in his arms, which
was sufficiently expressive; and then, in
the exuberance of his JOY, began to beat
a devils tattoo on Colonel Purdie's hat
and to execute dance, shade or two
wilder than the Highland fling, round
and round the table.
To which exhilerating exercise ]
shall leave him, to advise all young la,
dies who have beaux like Tom Pidgel
to CLEAN the moral from my story, and
not forget the date.