Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-06-24
Nellie's Leap-Year Proposal

"REALLY, Catharine, / don't wonder
at Mary's surprise at your behavior
You forgot that you are Franks wild
ow. You are too forward"
hesitated moment, really anxious
to keep my temper; for was Franks
widow, and the speaker was his mother.
"Forwardr' cried Mary. Indeed,
YOU wo'd have been shocked last night,
mother. There was Mr.. Vance urging
her to sing, and acting as if Herbert
Halstead was her only friend when it
was only married woman"
"Yes," interrupted Julia. II think,
mother, if you can't make Kate realize
that she is married, with a daughter
nearly six years of age, you had bet
ter"
"Send me away" broke in, unable
longer to control myself, tits not the
first time that hint has been thrown
out, and if it were not for little Nellie,
poor child, l would go away to earn my
living at once You drive me desper-
ate, declare 1 will marry again, and
get rid of all this" and then burst
into tears.
"Marry again! How will you do it?
Oh, yes! a good joker cried Julia, with
a shrug at my tears. "Do you not see,
May, it's leap year~ and she laughed
derisively.
who'll you askT' sneered Mary
"Herbert Halstead? Julia, you'd bet
ter look outp'
"You may sneer," I cried, checking
my tears. was now thoroughly angry.
"But l tell you, if no one would ask me
to marry him, I believe l should ask
Mr.. Halstead, and-he'd have mer'
had fairly taken up their own weap-
ons of personalities which l scorned.
The moment after, ashamed of myself,
ran to my room to put on my bonnet
and get out of the house. l locked in
the glass, as put the Grape bonnet,
with it's widows cap and heavy veil on
my head. saw face to which black
was very becoming, though it was not
a remarkably pretty face. 1t looked
not more than twenty-five, some say not
more than twenty; but l was really over
twenty-four. Married at eighteen to
Frank Stevens, l had been a petted
wife for four years, now a widow of
two. The thought of the happiness of
the four years and the loneliness of the
two, as l looked at the face surrounded
by Grape, made the tears come again;
but l brushed them away resolutely
and went out, knowing that brisk
walk would do me mole good than any
thing else. / went out without my dar
ling, my inseparable companion, my lit
tie baby girl, Nellie. This alone show
ed how troubled was. Truth to tell,
was too angry to trust myself with
the little one, vino might have asked to
have our conversation explained, for
she was in the room at the time. l cod
only hope that at five years old child
did not understand me.
Soon after l left, my mother-in- n-law
and her daughters went out for ride
They invited Nellie to 60, but she feel
ing, perhaps, that they had not treated
mamma well, refused. Soon the front
door bell rang, and like all children,
Nellie must run to see who is there
She managed to open the door herself
and there stood her prime favorite
among the gentlemen that visited the
house, Mr.. Halstead, or as she had call
ed him since her baby hood, Uncle Her
bert. He had been her fathers chum
and dearest friend and loved the child
for Franks sake.
0I o6iae q + homo NallS'
"Pm home," she said, "and l guess
n1amma'll be in soon."
"Very well Let's 60 in the parlor
and have a chat"
Nellie sat in his lap, discussing the
merits of cocoanut cakes and sugar al
monds little while; but suddenly
dropping her candies In her lap, she
asked:
"What's leap-leap, fordet. Do you
you know what's it?'
"Leap2 leap frog? leap year? Is
that it2''
"Yes. What is it2'
"Why, it's year wheE you ladies
can ask the gentlemen to marry you.
But you see, Nellie, you're too young
or wouldn't you ask me?"
''Oh, no! l wouldn't ask you. Nam
mas going to ask you.''
The young man nearly dropped the
child, and then folded her close to him,