The Portland daily press., 1878-11-16
[From Harper's Weekly ]
A Sleigh-Belle.

haioiu D1owu siclgu udsucu IuerrlIy up 10
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
hings, 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
shoudered dark-skinned, blue eyed fellow
catches her up in his arms as though she
were only bundle, and in the twinklipg of
an eye she is snugly slowed away among the
bufalo-robes.
Crack goes the whip. "G'lang, Ned,n cries
Harold NED losses his head and paws
the ground an instant to set the sleigh bells
ringing properly, and off they 60.
4 Are you warmp" asks Harold of the bum
die at his side.
~. almost smothered," answers the bundle
III In an lndlstinct voice, with a slight lisp.
inats right, my daring," says the broth.
Ejer, VINO adores bis pretty young sister-the
tfoniy one lett him of four. II should tear my
hhair Id Wild despair if you caught cold. Mind
Uyou don Z, Tor II you but sneeze once, be it
go." $500 '0N
Hs"Never fear, Har," rejoins the obedient
Msmal woman. 81 promise, upon nv word
Eand honor, not to sneeze. Phi choke first.
An! here we are" she continues, as they
Hturn into Fifth avenue and take their place
aS the end OF line of sleighs, big and little,
Ethe largest of which stands unoccupied before
Ethe handsome and brilliantly lighted house of
EAlbert Lee, merchant and millionaire,
III es, ana here are all the rest," says Har
4 old, adding with slight infection OF scorn,
y "exceptlng The Lee people. OF course it's the
frlncess Alberta who Is keeping us all wait
Hins"-forgetting in the most man like man
ner, that he had only that moment arrived
himself. M
| was little girl, and suppose she hasn't re-
formed IN that particular, now she's big
| one."
II "Big!' repeats the voice from the muffiers !;
i why, she isn't bit larger than 1 am.''
H." Wen, she's year older, anyhow, and
ought to know BETTER" replies Harold shut
haven'G the slightest doubt she's stopping
to hirt with some one, or two, or half dozen
OF her numerous admirers, utterly regardless
OF the fact that THAT is, you-to say moth
ing OF forty or fifty others, more or less inti-
mate friends, are freezing outside, Dan Van
RENSSELAER, Is buttonirg on her gloves or Will
West is fastening the straps of her overshoes.
or SONS confounded nonsense or other. Co
"a, It's my opinion that girl flirted in her era
die, made faces at her old loves, and smiled
on the new. 'Albertar-and she won't lei
anyone soften it to 'Berta.'" he went on.
apparently warming with his subiect-"what
ridiculous name for such mite! for mite
she Is, and mite she will continue to be. for
all her scornful looks and naughty ways,o
"Oh, Harold" exclaims the yelled voice.
with as much indignation as is possible under
the circumstances. "How unjust Won are
Sues not haughty-she's not scornful-she's
lovely! She came to me herself yesterday af-
ternoon-and happen to know all the others
mad written invitations-and begged we would
JOIN her sleighDg party. Its to be a real
old-fashloned affair." she said, fand / want nv
real oId-fashioned friends to Gomez,
Extremely condescending," interpolates
Harold.
''And as for her name, she had nothing to
say ABOUT That, as you, if you have one grain
oi common sense must be aWare-no more
imam you did about yours. And she'd rather
pc called Berthe great deal only her papa
insists upon Alberta and consequently. like
a good daughter, she insists upon sAiberta,
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
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 bow. d
"Pitg the boy hadn't come" grumbles Har-
old.
'For shame, brotherr exclaims the little
woman, partly unfolding the veil that hides
her dlmpled chin and rosy mouth, that she
can
you wish that there was great stupid yonne
man instead of that dear sweet girl? for she
Is dear sweet girl, though you, can't for
the life of me see why,-neither can Fred
choose to be angry with herr
II didn't wish for "a great stupid young
man in her place." explains Harold, with a
short laugh. THAT be would necessarily
have been great and stupid only feminine
logic can prove; it's beyond me. But if sAI-
bert had come first, and Alberta, by some
other name, second, she wouldn't be an only
child, as she is now, petted and INDUCED in
every whim and fancy, until she imagines
herself Queen and all the world her slaves"
You said a Princess few moments ago,'
says Cora, demurely.
Sand perhaps she wouldn't be smiling on
that grinning idiot, Dan Van Rensselaer, -
they say she's going to marry him, his for
tune equaling her own, and his great-great-
great-great-grandfather having been 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 make their appearance ?'
They don't make their appearance. and
Cora begins to talk again.
"Harold, you wrong Alberta; indeed YOU
do. 1t is you that are foolishly proud, not
she. When she went abroad, she left us
rich; when she came back, she found us poor !:
and yet she had only been home two DAYS
when she sought us out. And how did gou
receive her? In the coolest manner; and
then raved and swore when she was gone
you needn't contradict me; 1 distinctly re-
member two very wicked words you said-be-
cause she didn't rush into your arms and kiss
You al meeting, as she did at parting. three
years before. Can't you understand, YOU hor-
rid. splendid old boy, that what Is aowabIs
in girl OF 10 would be highly improper in
young lady OF IS? And you've only called
upon her once since her return-once ia six
long months; and pray what did your lord.
ship do on that occasion? Scowed and
growled and snapped at Louis Vance 10 such
fert cious manner that he told nv Fred
poor Fred! what pity they're taking count
of stock tonight! he actually thought"
with little chuckle, ''you were losing your
Senses. And what's more, Mr.. Harold
Brown"-and the dmpled chin is thrust for
ward defantly 81 think, and SO does Fred.
that it's your duty to apologize for the way
you behaved that evening. And don't be-.
lieve she's engaged to Dan Van Rensselaer, at
all. That was only rumor that foated over
here from Paris, and see no reason why YOU
should accept it for the blessed truth any
more than you do the thousand and one idle
reports that are always floating about. And
tell her so? Fred told me the moment he
found out. But there! / sha'n't talk any
more it's no use."
at is not" declares Harold with emphasis !:
"tor unless by some unforeseen turn in the
wheel of fortune, she becomes as poor as nv
self, and don't believe the wheel contem-
plates any such turn, l shall never speak of
love to Miss Alberta Lee"
'.Rude, obstinate, wretched boyw scolded
the little sister; II wash my hands of you. Ii
you insist uron being unhappy, be so. Not
another word do you hear from me tonight
for my breath is all frozen on my veil making
it stiff and uncomfortable, and I've reason
to think, notwithstanding my promise to the
sneeze."
''My darling" cries the big brother, fun
bling in lis greatcoat pockets, 'Pve another
skv, or moon,or cloud or whatever you call it
here.-bought it as l came along for fear"
"Har," interrupts Cora solemny, s'if you
wrap another thing around even if it be of
the finest gossamer, Il shall cease to breathe:''
and she twines the veil she had unfoded,
cI4,,t NLnI