Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-03-02
a LEAP YEAR PROPOSAL,
How Heay Jones Got a Husband Before she
Knew 10.

hHCN
Tnere ea- the su4z est sort Of 8
fire IN The parlor o. tia farm mousse OF
farmer moe wha lived many miles
away from tbs city The lights Of
the sperm candles on the center table
burned dimly, and Het,ie sat deeply
imbcdded in luxurious rocking
chair reading ali about the doings OF
some noble courtier and bis galiantrY
10 beautiful lady.
Hottie Jones was a,ghteen. Pert
and pretty, golden curly hair, large
blue eyes, httle dimpied hends, and
a head filed with roman tic ideas.
Her great and only fear was thai
she wOult never get husband.
fGis was from two fact~ First, she
" as too pert, snucy, dignified and
come people said caucelted) and
that's why the young mn were shy
and gave her wide berth then,
again, she bad been 70 a boarding
school and had assumed too macy
CITY airs that the tai mers' sons in h /
neighborh cd felt so much out Of
place 10 her society that they rather
avoided than sought her.
Heuce il was that the Young men
were shy. At the quiet country
church on Sunday they scarcely nod
ded some smiled, and i f. " ventured
word or two.
Hettie was tina best dressed young
lady at all the meetings She hated
those horrid, conceited city your z
meu. They were, at beat, set OF
COCOON o., society lutte, flies, aud too
ot wines late snppers and no SLEEP.
She aeVer toll many people Of this.
More folks might have imagined il
had they but considered the fact,
that she preferred country life and
manners, and had not visited The
city bus once IN six mOnths, neither
had she many callers, AID no person
had ever ven,ured that Hettie had .
bes1, or that she correspondent with
anybody bat ladies
SUI, the young men IN that rich
valler dared no: venture too nigh
IL spite - The many Invitations
extended, they did not trust them,
selves undor ihe FIRE Of her littl3,
busy, chatting tongue. They knew
-he was rich, handsome, Iady-like, q
thorough scholtr, and plenty Of them
had seen her atw0rk in thebay- field (,
at the wash-tub, in the dairy and at
aewing. And then He tie WAS accom-
/ ,rz
/ Every since -be was 10 years OF
age she loved Harry Helms. living on
The adjoining farm. they never
eorresponded notwithstanding the
fact that they had been fast friends
+ before she went ID school Her
three years Of seminary iifo turned
/ her little head some what, and she
i forgot all about writing to any one.
And when she came home the first
time she was 50 Frenchified that she
hardly knew her old friends
Harry Helms had grown up to De
3 handsome, athletic young man.
lie was a tower Of strength in the
neigbborhood, and the idol of all the
girls Even he vas shy, however,
Of Hsttie, his dear friend since chli-
hood He bad frequently called on
her, but only for short time. Ia
fact. be vas about the only visitor at
the Pine Hill farm
Ga tho night in question Hettie
sal reading and wondering whether
Harry Helms wouli get tack from
be city il time TO call. He had
oeen away three m0aths, and bad
promised II en- - her 81 the night
of his return Mt promised 10 call
exactly, bus promised 10 bring several
altiel. she had asked him 20 pur-
chase tor Der, AMI that she wanted
them Just a. soon as he got home.
That young man wouldn't have
missed that engagement fcr half the
world, hut not another soul knew il
but him II. Hettie Jones never
woul1 have dreamed il IL urged
his horses up bill aud down, and
when the sun faded in the twilight
and the shadows deepened into da' k.
ness Re reached home that very
/. night
Ooe hoar atterwards be wss knock
ing At the front door Of the Jone.
iarm house Two minutes after.
wards Hettie was inspecting tbs
articles purchased, and for whil,
the pa,l3r table looked Ike a pedd,
ler's pack
"Bsaudfulr she ex elaimed Il
! coull no, haze made better selection.
myself"
Absfbauc later tua visitor waute6
TO leave. but he was prevailed upot
I 70 remain.
"Wby 10 you always hurry away
from me-" sha asked, deeply 10 earn
est. 1T does seem As i you bad for
: gotten that We we're once very gooC
! friends. Mr. II ms"
: Yes, once Then you nevei
callsd me mister and YOU were !
: uitferent person then. Now We arr
very different was the young mana
rel Is. a. he drew bis chair q ser t
the 4 AMI farther away from tn,
cherry checked gnl.
4 thouss@d odd tarcies 4 ttec
i, through her brain Al that time. Sh,
knew sho deeply loved him aud ye
! she was not understood. Probably