The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-09-23
Nellie's Leap : Year Proposal

"Rcally, Catharlne, do not wonder at
Mary's surprise at your behavior. You
forget that you are Franks widow. You
are too forward" - l..
hestated a moment, really anxious to
keep my temper; for was Franks widow,
and the speaker was his mother.
''Forward |" cried Mary. sIndcctl, you
would have been shocked, last night,
mother. There was Mr. Vance urging her
to sing, and she hanging back, as If she
were young, bashful girl and acting as
If Herbert Halstead was her old friend,
when 1t was only as a married woman"
Yes, interrupted Julia, 81 think,
mother, If you can't make Kate realize that
she is married woman, with daughter
nearly six years of age, you had bcttcr--"
'Send me away l broke in, unable
longer to control myself, s'its not the first
time that hint has been thrown out; and, if
1t were not for little Nellie, poor child |
would go away to earn my living at once.
You drive me desperate. declare l will
marry again, and get rid of all this"
and then l burst into tears. ?.
MARRY again How will you do it !?
On, yes A good joke!' cried Julia, with
it's leap year |" and she laughed, derisively.
"Who'll you ask 2" sncered Mary. "Hcr-
bert Halstead2 Julia, you'd better look
out!"
"You may sneer," cried, checking my
tears | was now thoroughly angry. 'sBut
tell you, if no one would ask me to marry
him, | believe l should ask NIr. Halstead,
and-he'd have mol"
l had fairly taken up their own weapons
of personalities, which 1 scorncd. The
moment after, ashamed of myself, I ran to
my room, to put Oh my bonnet and get out
of the house. looked in the glass, as 1
put the Grape bonnet, with its Widows cap
and heavy voil, on my head. saw face
to which black was certainly becoming,
though it was not remarkably pretty face.
1t looked not more than twenty-five, some
said not more than twenty: but I was,
really, little over twenty four. Married
at eighteen to Frank Stevens, had been a
pettcd wife for four years, and now a
widow for two. The thought of the happi
ness of the four, and the loneliness of the
two, as looked at the face surrounded by
Grape, made the tears come again; but I
brushed them away, resolutcly, and went,
out, knowing that brisk walk would do
me more good than anything else. 1 went
out without my darling, my inseparable
companion, my little baby girl, Nellie.
This alone showed how troubled I was.
Truth to tell, was too angry to trust my
self with the little one, who might have
asked to have our conversation explained,
for she had been in the room at the time.
could only hope that, at five years old,
child did not understand me.
Soon after left, my mothcr-in-law and
her daughters went out for drive. They
invited Nellie to go; but she, feeling, per-
haps that they had not treated mamma
well, refused. Soon the front door bell
rang, and, like all children, Nellie must
needs run to see who was there. She man
aged to open tile door herself and there
stood her prime favoritc among the gentle
men that visited the house, Mr. Halstead,
or, as she had called him, since her baby
haod, Uncle Herbert He had been her
fathers chum and dearest friend, and loved
the child for Franks sake.
sLadles home, Nell2"
'T'm home," she said, ''and dess nam.
ma III be in soon."
every well. Let's go in the parlor, and
have chat"
Nellie sat in his lap discussing the mer-
it's of cocoanut cakes and sugar almonds
little while; but suddenly, dropping her
candies In her lap, she asked, "What's leap
-leap-I fordet. Do you know what's
it,"
'Ieap2 Leap froga Leap year Is that
the word e.
eyes. What Is 2"
''Why, it's year when you ladies can
ask tho gentlemen to marry you. But you
see, Nellie, you're too young-or, wouldn't
you ask me 2" @
ooh, no Iwouldn't ask you. Mann
mas going to ask you. " }t
The young man nearly dropped tic child,
and then folded her close to him, lest (pcr-
liaps) he should forget her again; iS teWhat
do you mean, darling ~ he asked. 4 'tNow
think, Nellie, but don't tell Uncle Herbert
anything make up" eosTl3
ooh, no Really, truly, bless me, sure's
alive--lsn't that what you say whom you'se
true Well l"--the little tot gave q long
sigh, and paused, Herbert not daring to in
terrupt her, lest she should see his anxiety,
and, miniature woman that she was,
should refuse to satisfy him.
"Welll" she repeated, "you sec, they
does scold my mamma, 80 they does. To-
& day. morning, they NAKED mamma cry, and
Tomorrow morning" (she would call yes
tcrday to-morrow), s'they scolded her
the thSy yss said she was fordard What's ford
forward, indeed ~ calculated Herbert,
( under his breath. eff It had been some
others now. But Nellie, how about leap
year2" s. s s. 81 81 .'5.;4 .,i,.
ooh, yes I most fordot, didn't II
Well, you soc, mamma said but, OH Un-
IDLE Herbert, ] never showed you my two
4 weenie, new, little kittens They's only
little sings, Wivort eyes IS Come out to the
81 r)inZZa.s and I'll show vO,l ~