The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-07
A SLEIGH-BELLE.

Harold Browns sleigh dashed mer-
rily into Harold Browns door, and
at that moment (she was the soul of
punctuality) out came Harold Browns
only sister-a little woman wrapped in
shawls and wells and worsted things
from head to foot.
"Come along, sis" he shouts; and
then, without waiting for her to
''come along" he jumps from the
sleigh, reaches the top of the stoop IN
three strldes-he's tall, broad.shoul.
dered, dark skinned, blue-eyed young
fellow-catches her up in his arms as
though she were only a bundle. and
in the twinkling of an eye she is
snugly slowed away among the butfa.
lo-robes.
Crack goes the whip. "G'lang,
Ned!'' cries Harold. ''Ned" losses
his head and paws the ground an in.
slant to set the sleigh bells ringing
properly, and off they go.
care you warm :" asked Harold of
the bundle at his side.
"Almost smothered," answers the
bundle, in an indistinct voice with a
slight lisp.
''That's right, my darling" says the
brother. who adores his pretty young
sister-the only one left him of four.
IL should tear my hair in wild de-
spair if you caught cold. Mind you
don't. for if you but sneeze once, be it
the tiniest sneeze that ever was, home
you co.
''Never fear, Har," rejoins the ODE.
dent small woman. Il promise,
upon my word and honor, not to
sneeze, I'll choke first. All! here
we are," she continues, as they turn
into Fifth Avenue and take their
place at the end of line of sleighs,
big and little, the largest of which
stands unoccupied before the hand.
some and brilliantly.lighted house of
Albert Lee, merchant and million
aire.
eyes. and here are all the rest"
says Harold. adding, with a slight in.
Fiction of scorn, "excepting the Lee
people. OF course it's the Princess
Alberta who is keeping us all waiting"
forgetting, in the most manlike
manner, that he had only that moment
arrived himself. ''She never was ready
when she was little girl, and I sup
pose she hasn't reformed in that par.
ticular, now she's big one,''
"Big!' repeats the voice from the
mufflers: sswhy she isn't a bit larger
than am
swell. she's a year older, anyhow,
and ought to know better,' replies
Harold; ':but haven't the slightest
doubt she's stopping to flirt with some
one, or two, or half a dozen of her
numerous admirers, utterly regardless
of the fact that THAT is, you-to
say nothing of forty or fifty others,
more or less intimate friends, are
freezing outside. Dan Van Rensselaer,
is buttoning on her gloves, or Will
West is fastening the straps of her
overshoes, or some COMPOUNDED non
sense or other. Cora, it's my opinion
that girl flirted in her cradle, made
faces at her old loves and smiled on
the new. sAlberta!'-and she won't
let any, one soften it to sBerta,''' he
went on, apparently warming with his
subject what a ridiculous name for
such mite! for mite she is, and mite
she will continue to be, for all her
scornful looks and naughty ways.''
"Oh, Harold!'' exclaims the yelled
voice, with as much Indignation as is
possible under the circumstances,
GLOW unjust you are! She's not
haughty-she's not scornful-she's
lovely! She came to me herself yester.
day afternoon-and happen to know
all the others had written invitations
and begged we would join her sleigh.
ing party. IT'S to be a real old-fash.
toned affair." she said, and want nv
real old.fashioned friends to come"
Extremely condescending!' inter.
polates Harold.
"And as for her name, she had
nothing to say about that, as you, if
you have one grain of common sense.
must be aware-n0 more than you did
about yours. And she'd rather be
called BERTHE, a great deal; only her
papa insists upon Alberta and conse.
quently, like a good daughter, she ill.,
sists upon alberta too. He wanted a
boy when she was born, to be called
'Albert'-that's his own name, YOU
know and when a girl came instead,
he said no girl should interfere with
his plans, and he named her Alberta
which is almost the same thing. And
it's just as we'll he did, for he never
had another child, girl or boy
"Pity there hadn't been a bow"
grumbles Harold. 49,.
For shame, brother - exclaims the
the little woman, partly unfolding the
vail that hides her dimpled chin and
rosy mouth, that she may speak with
greater effect. ''How can you wish
that there was a great, stupid young
man instead of that dear, sweet girl,
though you, I can't for the life of me
see why-neither can Fred-choose to