Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-03-30
A SLEIGH BELLE.

old Browns only sister-a little wo
man wrapped in shawls and wells
and worsted things from head to
loot.
"Come along sis" he shouts; and
then without waiting for her to
"come along" lie jumps from the
sleigh, reaches the top of the stoop
in three stridcs-he's tall, broad
shouldered, dark skinned, blue-eyed,
young tellow-catches her up in his
arms as though she were only bum
die, and in twinkling of al eye she
is snugly slowed away among the
buffalo robes.
Crack goes the whip. "G'lang
Nedw cried Harold. Ned tosses
his head and paws the ground an in-
stant to set the sleigh,bells ringing
properly, and off they go.
"Are you warm?' asks Ha,ol of
the bundle 1T his side.
"Almost smothered," answers the
bundle, in an indistinct voice with u
single lisp.
That's right my darling," says
the brother, who adores his pretty
young siS,er-the only one left of
four. 81 should tear my hair i'll wild
despair if you caught cold. Mind
you don't, for if YOU but sneeze
once, be it the tiniest sneeze ever
was, home you 60"
"Never fear, Har," rejoins the
obedient small woman. IL promise
on my word and hnnor,not to sneeze.
III choke first. All! here we are" )"
she continues, as they turn into Fifth
Avenue and take their place at the
end of IL line of sleighs, big and lit
tie, the largest Of which stands un-
occupied before the handsome and
brilliantly lighted house OF Alber,
Lee, mel chant and millionaire.
"Yes, and here are all the rest"
says Harold, adding with Il slight in
hection of scorn, excepting the Lee
people. OF course it's the Princess
Alberta who is keeping us all wait
ing"-torgetting, i'll the most mail
like manner, that he had only that
moment arrived himself. ''She
never was ready when she was Il lit.
tie girl, and | suppose she hasn't re-
formed in that particular, now she's
Il big one"
Big" repeated the voice from
the muftler, "why she isn't 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 tlirt with
some one, or two, or half dozen of
her admirers, utterly regardless OF
the fact that that is you-to say
nothing Of forty or fifty others, more
or less intimate friends ara freezing
out side. Dan Van Rensselaer, is
but,oning on her gloves, or Will
West is fastening the straps Of her
oveishoes, or some confounded non
st nse or other. Cora, it's my opin
ion that girl flirted in the cradle,
made faces at her old lovers, and
smiled Oh the new. 'Alberta!-and
she won't let any one soften 1t TO
'Berta,'" he went on, apparently
warming with his suhject-"what a
ridiculous name for such a mite! for
mite she is, and mite she will con
tinue to be, for all her scorntul looks
and naughty ways"
"Oh, .laroldn' exclaims the yelled
voice, with as much Indignation us
is possible under the circumstances.
"ilow unjust you are! She's not
haughty-she's not scorntul-she's
lovely. She came to me herself yes
terday atternoon-and l happen TO
know all the others had written in
Wit .tions-and begged we would JON
her slcighing party. Its to be al
old-tashioned affair." she said, 'and
l want my real old-tashioned friends
to come.
Extremely condescending," inter
polates Harold.
''And rs for her name, she had
nothing to say about that, rs you, IT
YOU have one grain of common sense
must be aware--no more than you
did about yours. And she had rath
er be called Berthe 4 great deal bet
ter, only her papa insists upon Al
ber,a,' and consequently like good
daughter, she insists upon alberta
too. lie wanted boy when she
was born, u be called 'Albcrt'-tllat
is his own name, you know; and
when Il girl came instead, he said that
no glrl should interte with his
plans, and he named her Alberta,
which is almost the same thing
And it's just as we'll he did, tor he
never had another child. girl Or
boy"
"Pity the boy hadn't come" grum-
bles Harold.
"For shame brother!" exclaims
the little woman, partly unfolding
the veil that hid her dlmplej chin
and rosy mouth, that she may speak
with greater effect. slow can you
wish that there was great stupid
young man instead of that dear,
sweet girl? for she is dear, sweet
girl, though you, can't tor the life
of me see why-neither can Fred
choose to BIZ angry with her."
Il don't wish for Il great stupid
young man in her place." excIalms
Harold, with Il short laugh. Chat
he would necessarily have been
great and stupid only feminine log
,c can prove; 1t is beyond me. But
if Albert had come first, and AL
ber,a by some other name, second,
she wouldn't have been al only child
as she is now, petted and INDUCED
in every whim and fancy, until she
in,agines herself Il queen aud all the
world her slaves"
"You sail "a princess few mo
ments ago." says Cora delnurely.
"And perhaps she wouldn't be
smiling On that grinning idiot, Dan
Van kenssealaer-they say she's go
ing to marry him, his fortune equal
ing her own, and his great-great-
great-yrandfather having been one OF
the very first Du,chman that landed
on these shores-and turning away
from the fellow she has known from