Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1874-11-05
A LEAP YEAR PLOT.

III was leap-Vear, tne-day OF June
1868, and Tom Rathburn sat in hi
Office, deep in the complexities OF I
difficult case, for Tom was thrivin!
young hwyer, who held a monopoly
OF nearly all the important law-busi
ness in the town Of W.
\ handsome fellow was Tom. anC
a clever one, too, and enough of {
catch to keep in continual palpitatior
the hearts OF some twenty or thirty
susceptible young ladies, and tn,
heads of their man@Uvring mammals
to say nothing Of brothers who lkeC
influence, and male parents with al
eve to The main chance; and Ton
bore his hopors meekiy, did his duty
by all, and would have .c.aI I.othari,
10 perfection were it nos that, how
even he attempted 10 conceal it, every
one was pretty sure that his heart had
been given away some two or three
wears previous, and one person kaGt
it, and that was lovely Mary Field
who held the gift in fee.
Ah, but, poor Mary it was doubt
ful il, after all, the gift was worth
the having, for it was that trouble
some AZURE that, from the moment
it came into her possession, her peace
Of mind went away, and at the tine
Of which We speak, her patience wa:
nearly gone, TOO.
4 long engagement is q weary
thing, particularly Il long engage
menJ kcp secret, and more particu
iariv still when no earthly reasoa
exists Why that engagement should
not find speedy end in matrimony.
But jom hadn't quite settled yet,
and he wanted to be hetter able IL
keep Mary like lovely lady, as she
was, ana MARY was only nineteen
fan yomg Yet" aud so forth, and Sc
ON, ad Ig;n1um. ia foot, thocgf
lom was aWtOily III love, ne liked
daI!ying, and had an instructive hor
ror OF housekeeping and babies. Ans
so matters went on, and poor Mary
NaS talked about, and wondered al
ana speculated upon, ana kept deny
ing soiC inipeacnments. until the nc
cumuiated peiion Of fihs she had
piiei upon tIr Os.a OF acr conscience
oii tar to "l'ertop the skyi>h head 81
,ue Olympus and that before yer!
long, too.
30 affair. stood en- thc day Of which
We write, when Tom -1t IN his Office,
Studying out his difficult case, and
Mary sat Il, nome, pcrhaps-whc
knows ?-trying to study out Tom.
But other br mess, equally urgent,
was b ing earned on, If We might
Judge from the excited and dctcrmin
rd countenance Of Il certain triumvir.
ate, which was holding a solemn and
important conclave in the little back
palor OF Miss Minerva Williams. a
dear, good, though somewhat vehe
ment soul OF forty Summers, Mis-,
Betsy Parkins, her contemporarv in
years, held the chair: and Mrs. Mer
e. MoulNon-Widow Moulson, as she
was cailed--compieted the distinguish
al trio.
The proceedings were carried or
with much mystery, and considerable
emphatic tai.l1c, and after some twC
hoar-' debate. terminated by sundr,
ten cap, fui. Of warm consolation. tn,
meeting adjourned. and the pariie,
>cp Fa'ed, mischief sparkling IN th,
bri.,aa- eyes OF the iair widow, tran
quiz c.mpIacency holding her throne
in Miss Betsy's face, and high anC
Stern resolve distinguishing the un
compromising ieaturts ci the war-likt
Minerva.
Not very long time had passeC
when there came knock at 'Fomi
Office door, and the prompt answer
/ was