The Osceola times., 1880-04-03
NELLIE'S LEAP-lEAR PROPOSAL.

Kary's surprise at your behavior. You
t)rret that YOU are Franks widow. You
are too forward"
| hcsitatcd a moment, really anxious
10 keep my temper; for was Frank 5
widow and the speaker was his mother
Forward cried Mary, "Indeed you
would have been shocked last night,
mother There was Mr. Vance urging
her TO sing, and acting as if Herbert
Ilalstcad was her only friend, when it
was only as Il married woman ="
"Yes,n interrupted Julia. 81 think,
mother, if you can't make Kate realize
that She Is married, with daughter
nearly six years of age, you had bet
ter -"
''Send me away" | broke in, unable
longer to control myself, its not the
first time that hint has been thrown out,
and if it were not for Nellie. poor
child, would 90 away to earn my liv-
ing at once. You drive me desperate,
declare | will marry again, and get rid
of all this" and then | burst into
tears.
Marry aganl How will you do it?
Oh, yosl good joker cried Julia, with u
shug at my tears. Don't you see,
Mary. its leap-year!" and she laughed
derisyely.
"Wholl you ask?" sneered Mary,
"Ilcrbert Elalstead? Julia you'd better
look out"
"lou may sneer," | cried, checking
my Tears, | was now thoroughly angery
But tell you, il no one would ask me
TO marry him, | believe | should ask Mr.
IIalstcad, and-he'd have mel"
had fairly taken up their own wea-
pOns OF personalities which | scorned.
The moment AFTER ashamed OF myself, |
ran to my room TO put on my bonnet
and get out of the house. | looked in
the glass, as put on my Grape bonnet,
with its widows cap and heavy veil on
my head, | saw face TO which black
was very becoming, though it was not
remarkably petty face. 1t looked not
more than twenty-five, some say not
more than twenty; but / was really
over twenty-iour. Married at eighteen
to Frank Stevens, | had been petted
wife for four years, and now a widow of
Two. The thought Of the happiness OF
the four and the loneliness OF the two,
rs / looked 10 The face surrounded by
Grape, made the tears come again; but
| brushed them away resolutely, and
went out, knowing that brisk walk
Mbltii w nv llblt EppAl IMAM
else. went out without my darling,
my inseparable companion, my little
baby girl Nellie. This alone showed how
troubled | was. Truth to tell, was too
angry to trust myself with the little one,
who might have asked to have our con-
versation explained, for she had been in
the room at the time. | could only hope
that al five years old child did not un-
derstand me.
Soon after left, my mother-in-law and
her daughters went out for drive. They
invited Nellie to 90, but she feeling, per
haps, that they had not treated mamma
we'll, refused. Soon the front door bell
rang, and like all children, Nellie must
run to see who was there. She managed
10 open the door herself, and there stood
her prime flvoritc among the gentlemen
that visited the house, Mr.. Hastead, or
n She had called him since her baby
hood, Uncle Herbert. He had been her
fathers chum and dearest friend and
loved the child for Franks sake.
Ladies home, Nell?"
Pm home" she said "and Gess na-
mall be in soon"
Very well. Let's go in the parlor and
nave chat"
Nellie sat in his lap discussing the
merits of cocoanut cakes and sugar al
mOnds a little while; but suddenly drop
ping her candies in her lap, she asked:
whats leap--leap-leap, | fordet.
DO you know what's it?"
Leap? leIp-irog? leap-year? Is that
it,"
Yes. What is it,"
Why, it's year when you ladies can
ask the gentlemen to marry you. But
you see, Nellie, you're too younger
wouldn't you ask me?'
ooh, mol ! wouldn't ask you. Mammals
going to ask you"
The young man nearly dropped the
child, and then folded her close to him,
lest perhaps he should forget her again.
"What do you mean, darling?" he ask
ed. "Now think, Nellie but don't tell
Uncle Herbert anything of your own
make up"
"Oh. mol really, truly, bless me, she's
aliyc-isnt that what YOU say when you
are true? WelIr'-the little tot gave
long sigh and paused, Herbert not dar
ing TO interrupt her lest she should see
his anxiety, and, miniature woman that
she was, should refuse to satisfy him.
"Well," she repeated, 'you see they
does scold mamma, so they does. To-day
morning they naked mamma cry, to-
morrow (she would yesterday to-mor-
row. they scolded her again because she
wouldn't sing, and then they said she
iordard What's fordardP"
"Fordard, indeed" calculated Her
bert under his breath. "If it had been
some others now. But Nellie, how about
leap year?'
"Oh, yes! | most fordot, didn't II
Well, you see, mamma said-but, oh,
Uncle Herbert, never showed you my
two vicente new little kittens? They's
only little sings, widout eyes. Come
ont to the piazza and I'll show you"
1t was no use to be impatient. The
young man knew the child too well for
that, and So they went out and inspected
the kittens. Then he tried TO coax Nell
lie back TO the subject.
"Oh, | iordot" she said. only they
made mamma say"
What did they say, darling? I'll give
you big doll"
with real hair?"
"Ies, yesl Real hair and eyes, and
oh, nothing. But did they say / wanted
to marry"
'They said mamma wasn't girl, and
she was Old; and mamma said-oh,
there's mamma. Mamma, didn't you
ask Uncle Herbert TO marry you? He