The Cecil Whig., 1877-03-03
4 SLEIGH.BELLE.

up to Harold Browns door, and at that
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 strides-he's tall
broad -Shouldered, dark-skinned, blue eyed
young fellow catches her up in his arms
as though she were only bundle, and il
the twinkling of an eye she is snugly slowed
away among the buffalo robes.
"Crack goes the whip. G'lang. Ned
cries Harold Ned - tosses his head and
paws the ground an instant to set the sleigh,
bells ringing properly, and off they 90.
care you warm 9'' asks Harold of the
bundle at his side
almost smothered," answers the bun
die, in an indistinct voice with a slight lisp.
"That's right, my darling" says the
brother, who adores his pretty young sis
ter-the only one left him of -four. 81
should tear my hair in wild despair if You
but sneeze once, be it the tiniest sneeze
that ever was, home you go"
"Never fear, Har,' reioins the obedient
small woman. Il promise, upon my word
and honor, not to sneeze. I'll choke first.
EIa. here we are" she confines, as they
turn into Fifth Avenue and take their place
at the end of line of sleighs. big and lit
tie, the largest of which stands unoccupied
before the handsome and brilliantly lighted
house of Albert Lee, merchant and million
aire.
"Yes. and here are all the rest says
Harold, adding, with a slight infection of
scorn, excepting the Lee people OF
course it's the Princess Alberta who is
! keeping us all waiting g''-forgetting, in the
most man-like manner, that he had only
that moment arrived himself "She never
was ready when she was little girl. and l
suppose she hasn't reformed in that par
tcular now she's big one.
/ Big" repeats the voice from the muf-
/ tlers: "why, she isn't bit larger than
am
"Well, she's a year older, anyhow, and
/ ought to know BETTER" replies Harold;
"but l haven't the slightest doubt she's
stopping to tiirt with some one, or two, or
half 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 VIII West is
fastening the straps of her overshoeS, or
some confounded nonsense or other. Cora,
it's my opinion that girl liirted in her era
die, made faces at her old loves, and smiled
on the new 'Alberta.'- she won't
let any one soften it to Berta, - he went
on, apparently warming with his subject
'swhat a ridiculous name for such a mite
for mite she is, and mite she will continue
to be, for all her scornful looks and naughty
ways.
"Oh, Haroldn' exclaims the veiled voice,
with as much Indignation as is possible
( under the circumstances. " How unjust
you are. She's not haughty-she's not
scornful-she's lovely. She came to me
herself yesterday afternoon-and ! happen
to know ali the others had written invita-
tions-and begged we would join her sleigh
ing party It's to be real old fashioned
affair, she said, 'and want my real old,
fashioned friends to come.
Extremely condescending, interpolate
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
no more than you did about yours And
she d rather be called Berthe, a great deal;
only her papa insists upon Alberta. and
consequently, like good daughter, she in
sists upon Alberta too. He wanted a
boy when she was born. to be called AL
bert 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 the boy hadn't come,' grumbles
Harold.
"For shame brother,' excaims the lit.
tie woman, partly unfolding the veil that
hides her dimpled chin and rosy mouth,
that she may speak with greater effect
How can you wish that there was a greai
stupid young man instead of that dear sweet
girl? for she is a dear sweet giIl, though
you ! can't for the life of me see why
choose to be angry with her
81 didn't wish for "a great stupid young
man in her place., explains Harold, will
a short laugh. THAT he would necessar
ily have been great and stupid only femi
nine logic can prove: it's beyond me. Bu
if Albert lad come first, and Alberta, 10y
some other name, second, she wouldn
have been an only child, as she is now
petted and INDUCED in every whim ant
} fancy, until she imagines herself queer
, and all the world her slaves
"Iou said a princess few moment
ago." says Cora, demurely.
"And perhaps she wouldn't be smiling
on that grinning idiot, Dan Van Rensselae
they say she's going to marry him, hi
fortune equaling her own, and his great
great great great grandfather having beel
one of the very first Dutchmen that LANDED
on these shores and turning away from
the fellow she has known from her infancy
and who has Whoa, Ned, keep still
Why the deuce don't She and her train max
their appearance ?"