The Russellville Democrat., 1880-03-25
NELLIE'S LEAP-YEAR PROPOSAL.

"Really, Catherine, l don't wonder at N.arvs surprise at your behavior. You forget that you are Franks widow. You are too forward"
 I hesitated a moment, really anxious 10 keep my temper; for l was Franks widow and the speaker was his mother
 Forward" cried Mary, "Indeed you would have been shocked last night, mother. There was MT. Vance urging her to sing, and acting as if Herbert Halstead was her only friend, when it was only as married woman -"
 "Yes," interrupted Julia. "I think, mother if you can't make Kate realize that she is married, with a daughter nearly six years of age, you had bet
 "Send me away" l 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 go away to earn my liv- ing at once. You drive me desperate, I declare l will marry again, and get rid of all this-" and then 1 burst into tears.
 Marry again! How will you do it? Oh, yes! good joker cried Julia, with shrug at my tears. Don't you see, Mary, it's leap-yearl" and she laughed derisively,
 Who'll you ask?" sneered Mary, Herbert Halstead? Julia you'd better look out"
 "You may sneer," I cried, checking my tears, was now thoroughly angery. "But l tell you, if no one would ask me to marry him, believe 1 should ask MT. Halstead, and-he'd have mel"
 I had fairly taken up their own wea- pons Of personalities which l scorned. The moment after, ashamed Of myself, 1 ran to my room to put on my bonnet and get out of the house. 1 looked in the glass, as put on my crape bonnet, with its widows cap and heavy veil on my head, saw face to which black was very becoming, though it was not remarkably pi etty face. It 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, I had been petted wife for four years, and now a widow of two. The thought of the happiness of the four and the loneliness ot the two, as 1 looked at the face surrounded by crape, made the tears come again; but l brushed them away resolutely, and went out, knowing that a brisk walk would do me more good than anything else. l went out without my darling, my measurable companion, my little baby girl, Nellie. This alone showed how troubled I was. Truth to tell, l was too angry to trust myself with the little one, wh9 might have asked to have our con- versation explained, for she had been in the room at the time. could only hope that at 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 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 run to see who was there. She managed to open the door herself, and there stood her prime favorite among the gentlemen that visited the house, MT. Halstead, or as 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?'
 I'm home," she said land dess ma mall be in soon."
 "Very well. Let's go 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 drop ping her candies in her lap, she asked:
 "What's leap-leap-leap, I fordet. Do you know what's it?"
 Leap? leap-frog? 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 young-or wouldn't you ask meP'
 "Oh, no! l wouldn't ask you. Mammals gong 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 aliye-isn't that what you say when you are true? Wellw-the little tot gave q long sigh and paused, Herbert not dar' ing to interrupt her lest she should sec 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 dy, to- morrow (she would yesterday to-mor row. they seolded her again because sh6 wouldn't sing, and then they said she fordard. Whats fordard?"
 "Fordard, indeedl" ejaculated Her bert under his breath. If it had beer some others now. But Nellie, how abou leap year?"
 "Oh, yesl l most fordot, didn't I Well, you see, mamma said-but, oh Uncle Herbert, 1 never showed you m, two weenie new little kittens? They only little sings, widout eyes. Com, out to the piazza and I'll show you" 1t was no use to be impatient. Tn, young man knew the child too well fo that, and so they went out and inspected the kittens. Then he tried to coax Nel lie back to the subject
 'Oh, fordot!" she said. "Only the, made mamma say"
 What did they say, darling? I'll glv you big doll-"
 With real hair2"
 "Yes, yes! Real hair and eyes, and oh, nothing But did they say l wante' 10 marry"