The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-07-18
A LEAP-YEAR PLOT.

"A A1A4 A444O 41O4s
It was leap-year, the - day oi
June, 1853, and Tom Rathborn sat in
his Office, deep in the complexities OF
q difficult case, for Tom was thriving
young lawyer, who held monopoly
of nearly all the important law busi-
ness in the town of W.
4 handsome fellow was Tom, and q
clever one, too, and enough of catch
to keep in continual palpitation the
hearts of some twenty or thirty sus-
ceptiDie young ladies, and the heads
of their maneuvering nammas, to say
nothing of brothers, who liked infiu-
enee, and male parents with an eye to
the main chance and Tom bore his
honors mcekly, did his duty by all,
and would have acted LoihariO to
perfection, were it not. that, however
he attempted TO conceal it, every one
was pretty sure that his heart had
been given away some two or three
years previous, and one person kne,c
il, and that was lovely Mary Field,
who held the gift in fee. ia .aeiftis
Alb, but poor Mary! 1t was doubts
full if, after all, the gift was worth the
having, for it was that troublesome
nature that, the moment it came into
her possession, her peace of mind
went away, and at the time of which
we speak, her patience was nearly
gone, too. alsassGaz sla51-
> Along engagement is a weary thing,
particularly long engagement kept
secret, and more particularly still,
when no earthly reason exists why
that engagement should not find a
speedy end in matrimony. liza
: But Tom hadn't quite settled yet"
and so g wanted to be better able to
keep Mary like a lovely lady as she
was,o and SO forth, and so on, ad inf
itassa In fact, though Tom was aw-
fully in love, he liked dallying, and
had, an instructive horror of house
keeping and babies. And so matters
went on, and poor Mary was talked
about and wondered at, and specula-
ted upon, aud kept denying soft i'm
peachmehts, until The Accumulated
Pelien of fibs she had piled upon the
Osea. of her conscience bid fair TO
g o'ertop the skyish head Of the blue
Olympus" and that before long, too.
So affairs stood on the day of which
we write, when Tom sat in his office,
studying out his difficult case, aud
Mary sat ut home. perhaps - who
knows ?-trying to study out Tom.
But other business equally urgent,
was being carried on, if we might
Judge from the excited and determine
ed countenances of a certain triumVi.
rate, which was holding n solemn and
important conclave in the little back
parlor of Miss Minerva Williams,
dear, good, though somewhat Vehe-
ment soul of forty summers. Miss
Betsy Parkins, her. contemporary in
years, held the chair; and Mrs. Mercy
Moulson-widow Moulson as she was
called--completed the distin2 n2uished
trio. yiaa aI4 sGTggi9 -oMa al-
The proceedings were carried on
with much mystery and considerable
emphatic talking, and after some two
hours debate, terminated by supdry
a-cups full OF warm consolation, the
meeting adjourned, and the parties
separated, mischief sparkling in the
brilliant eyes of the fair widow, tram
quill compiaceDcy holding her throne
In Miss Betsy's face, and high aud
stern resolve distinguished the un.
compromising features of the warlike
Minerva. fst @
Not a very long time had passed
when there came knock at Toms
Office door, aud the prompt answer
was .9a
"Come in!"
In walked Mrs. Mercy Moulton.
Our hero's politeness was excessive,
and amid much bowling. speechifying,
and SO forth, the fair widow was COM
fortably installed in a chair, and Tom
waited, all attention, for the disclosure
of her business. e ne9I s..
!" You are, perhaps, surprised at
seeing me, Mr.. Rathborn ?"
aOh, dear, no, replied the gallant
Tom. /" Lawyers are never surprised
only too happy 7setc. > asi
a|tein," said the widow, 81 real
6ssReassure yourself, my dear madam,
take time," said Tom, considerably,
perfectly sure that the lady had come
| to Intrrist him with law business of a
delicate and lucrative nature. +" If
you say SO, 1 will continue for a
while" - diiia al ia79
"Oh, no; it is best to have it over,
A--a--excnse me, but--thls is very
embarrassing" ue -a:la
"Oh, no. said Tom, soothingly,
ssnot it at all. ! am the recipient, of so
many condolences, you need not mind
it ali. Is there anything can do for
your" ia
-3"iYes. / have come-or, rather, nc
and yet-oh, how dreadful it is to
be lonely, unprotected woman
+ ss All, it is, indeed" A consolatory
sigh from Tom.1 80 asb
j !. For one who has been-been 9TH
erwise," and the widow buried hel
face ina cambria handkerchief=7H the
tho daily sadness of-of-I may say
etrospect-musing in tears and soli-
.tudc over--over. MIR. ItathbOrn, nev
{ ser having been widow yourself, vol
don't know what dolcful creature
t widow is.' 'qf i8c1 hag -iiAaaai
Eiis" Ah, know" said Tom, quite pre-
pared in the cxuberance of his sym
pathy 10 declare himself a widow, o
hauytling else that might be satisfacto
bFy.qa" If can serye yQp "=Shpre b
prcssed her hand-9 command NO.
80" You remember my deceased hus
baiids" inquired tho lady, trcmuious
Z 5B'eI do, Madame iiaoda aiaH 81
u "Now we are coming to it--som
question of q will" said Tom, to hin