The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-03-02
A SLEIGH.BELLE.

Harold Browns sleigh dashed merrily
UP to Harold Browns door, and mt that
moment (she was the soul of punctuality)
out came Harold Browns only sister-a
little woman wrapped in shawls, and
worsted things, from head to foot.
"COme along, sis" he shouts, and
then, without waiting for her to "come
aloug," he jumps from the sleigh, reaches
the top of the stoop in three strides-he g
a tall, broad-shouldered, 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
buffalo-robes.
Crack goes the whip. "G'lang, Ned p
cries Harold. "Ned losses his head
and paws the ground an instant to set the
sleigh-bells ringing properly, and off
they go.
q Are you warm ?" asks Harold of the
bundle at his side.
''Almost smothered," answers the bun
die in an indistinct voice, with slight
lisp.
"Thats right, my darling" says the
brother, who adores his pretty young
sister-the only one left him of four. a" l
should tear my hair in wild despair if
you caught cold. Mind you don't, for if
you but sneeZe once, be it the tiniest
sneeze that ever was, home you go.
Never fear, Har," rejoins the ODE
dent small woman. 81 promise, upon
my word and honor, not to sneeze. I'll
choke first All here we are," she
continues, as they turn into Fifth ave-
nue. and take their place Mt the end of a
line of sleighs, big and little, the largest
of which stands unoccupied before the
handsome and brilliantly lighted house
of Albert Lee, merchant and millionaire.
" Yes, and here are all the rest, says
Harold, adding, with slight infection
OF scorn, excepting 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 L suppose she hasn't reformed
in that particular, now she's big one.
Big !" repeats the voice from the
muffiers "why, she isn't bit larger
than am. !"
"Well, she's year older, anyhow,
and ought to know better" replies Har-
old "but | haven't the slightest doubt
she's stopping to fiirt 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 OF fifty others, more or less intimate
efrinds, are freezing outside. Dan Van
Rensselaer, is buttoning on her gloves, or
VIII West is fastening the straps of her
overshoes, or some COMPOUNDED nonsense
OF other. Cora, it's my opinion that girl
hirted in her cradle, made faces at her
old loves, and smiled on the new. AL
berta land she mt let any one soften
1t to Berta, he went on, apparently
warming with Lis subject" what a ride
uious name for such mite for mite she
is, and mite she will continue TO be, for
all her scornful looks and naughty ways. 3"
Oh, Harold r exclaimed the yelled
voice, with as much indignation as is pos
sibie under the circumstances. "How
unjust you are She's not naughty
she's not scornful-shes lovely She
came to me herself yesterday afternoon
and happen to know all the others
had written Invitations and begged we
would join her sleighing party. It's to
be u real old-fashioned affair, she said.
and L want my real old-fashioned friends
to come.
Extremely condescending," interpo-
ilates Harold.
And as for her name, she had moth
ing 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, great deal only her papa
insists upon Alberta, and consequently,
like good daughter, she insists upon
Alberta too. He wanted 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 plans, and he
named her Alberta, which is almost the
same thing. And it's Just as well he did,
for he never had another child, girl or
boy"
PITY the boy hadn't come, " grumbles
Harold.
For shame, brother p exslaims the
aittle woman, partly unfolding the veil
That hides her dimpled chin and rosy
mouth, that she may speak with greater
erect. How can you wish that there
was great stupid young man instead of
rthat dear, sweet girl2 for she is a dear
sweet girl, though you, can't for the life
oil me see why-neither can Fred-choose
to he angry with her"
II didn't wish for "a great stupid
young man in her place" explains
Harold, with a short laugh. "That he
would necessarily have been great and