The Republican journal., 1877-03-01
A Sleigh-Be1le.

up to 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 strides-he's a tall,
broad-shouldered, dark skinned, blue-eyed
Young tellow-catches her up in his arms
as though she were only n bundle and in
the twinkling of an eye she is 5nugly
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-hells ringing properly. and off they
go.
care You warm ?" ask Harold of the
bundle at his side
almost smothered, answers the bun
die, in an indistinct voice with slight
| lisp,
That's right, my darling,n says the
brother, who adores his pretty young sister
the only one left him of four. 81 should
tear my hair in wild despair if you caught
cold. Mind You don't, for il you but sneeGe
once, be it the tinest sneeEe that ever was,
home you 90"
"Never tear, Ilar," reioins the obedient
small woman. IL promise upon my word
and honor, not to sneeZe, Ill choke first.
All! here we are," she continues az they
turn into Fifth Avenue and take their
place at the end Of line of sleighs, big
and little, the largest OF which stands un-
occupied before the handsome and bril-
lantIy lighted house Of Albert Lee, mer-
chant and millionaire.
~ es, and here are all the rest, " says
Harold, adding, with slight infection Of
scorn. 'exccpting the Lee people. OF
course It's the Princess Alberta who is
keeping us all waiting" - 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 suppose she hasn't reformed in
thai particular, now she's big one"
"Big !" repeats the voice from the muf-
llers; "Why, she isn't q bit larger than
am"
well, she's a year older, anyhow, and
ought to know BETTER replies Harold !;
but | haven't the slightest doubt she's
stopping to ilirt with some one. or two, or
half Il 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 confounded nonsense or other Cora,
is my opinion that girl tlrted in her
cradle, made faces at her old loves and
smiled on the new. alberta n-and she
won't let any one soften it to 'Berta," he
went on, apparently warming with his
subject - "What ridiculous name tor
such a mite for mite she is, and mite she
will continue to be, for all her scorntul
looks and naughty ways
"Oh, Harold!" exclaims the veiled voice,
with as much indignation as is possible
under the circumstances. "IIow unjust
you are. She's not haughty-she's not
scornful-she's lovely She came to me
her$eJ yesterday afternoon-and | happen
to know all the others had written invita-
tions-and begged we would Join her
sleighing party. It's to be real old
fashioned affair she said, 'and want my
real old-tashioned friends to come"
"Extremely condcscending, interpo-
lates Harold
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
deal; only her papa insists upon Alberta ,
and consequently, like a good daug hter.
she insists upon Alberta too. He wanted
4 boy when she was born, to be called
Albert, that's his own name, you know :;
and when girl came instead, he said no
girl should interfere with his plan, and he
named her Alberta which is almost the
same thing. Aud it's just as well he did,
for he never had another Child, girl or
boy"
Pity the boy hadn't come" gr,mbes
Harold
For shame, brother!" exclaimed the
little woman, partly unfolding the veil
that hides her dimpled chm and rosy
mouth, that she may speak with greater
effect. "Elow can you wish that there
was Il great stupid young man instead Of
that dear. sweet girl? for she is q dear,
sweet girl, though you, can't for the life
of me see why-neither can Fred-choos Sc
TO be angry with her"
81 didn't wish for "a great stupid young
man in her place." explains Harold, with
a short laugh. THAT he would necessar-
ly have been great and stupid only femi-
nine logic can prove it's beyond me. But
if Albert had come first and Alberta, by
some other name, second. she wouldn't
have been an only child, as she is now,
petted and indulged in every whim and
fancy, until she imagnes herself a queen
and ali the world her slaves"
"lou said 81 princess few moments
ago" says Cora, demurely.
and perhaps she wouldn't be smiling
on that grinning idiot, Dan Van Rens-
selaer--they say she's going to marry
him, his fortune equalling her own and
his great great-great- grandfather having
been one OF the very first Dutchmen that
landed on these shores--and turning away
from the fellow she had known fiom her
infancy, and who has--Whoa, Ned, keep
still! Why in the deuce don't she and her
train make their appearance ?"
They don't make their appearance. and
Cora begins to talk again.
"llarold, you wrong Alberta; indeed
you DO 1t is yOn that are foOlishly proud
not she. When she went abroad, she lett
us rich; when she came back, she found
us poor; and yet she had only been at
h"i'io oWo ustyS WHtH SIG Sought us OUT
And how did you receive her? In the
coolest manner and then raved and swore
when she was gone-you needn't contra
diet me; distinctly remember two very
wicked words you said-because she didn't
rush into your arms and kiss You at meet
ing. as she did at parting, three years be-
fore. Can't you understand, you horrid,
splendid old boy that what is just allow
able in a girl of fifteen would be highly
improper in a young lady of eighteen
And you've only called upon her once
since her return-once in six long months;
and pray what did your lordship do on
that occasion? Scowled and growled and
snapped at Louis Vance in such fero-
cious manner that he told my Fred-poor
Fred what a pity they're taking count Of
stock to-night-he actually thought, with
little chuckle, "you were losing your
senses. And what is more, Mr.. Harold
Brown''-and the dimpled chin is thrust
forward detantly-''I think, and so does
Fred, that it's your duty to apologize for
the Way YOU behaved that evening And