The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-04-14
Nellie's Leap Year Proposal.

Nellie'S Leap Year Proposal.
From an Exchange.
"Really, Catherine, l don't wonder
at Mary's surprise at your behavior
You forget that you are Franks
widow. You are too forward"
hesitated a moment, really anx-
ious to keep my temper; for / was
Franks 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 Halstead was her only
friend, when it was only as a married
woman"
eyes, interrupted Julia. IL think,
mother, it you can't make Kate real
ize that she is married with daughter
nearly six years of age, you had bet.
ter"
"Send me away" | broke in, un-
able longer to control myself, cts
not the first time that hint has been
thrown out, and if it were not for lit.
tie Nellie, poor child, l would go
away to earn my living at once.
You drive me desperate, / declare
will marry again, and get rid Of this
-" and then | burst into tears.
marry again ! How will you do it:
Oh, yes a good joke p cried Julia
with shrug at my tears. Don't
you see, Mary, it's leap year p and
she laughed derisively.
"Wno'TfI you ask ?" sneered Mary.
"Herbert Halstead =? Julia, YOU'D
better look outw
"You may sneer," l cried, checking
my tears. 1 was now thoroughly
angry. "But tell you, if no one
would ask me TO marry him, believe
should ask Mr.. Halstead, and-he'd
have me p
l had fairly taken up their own
weapons 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 the Grape bonnet, with it's wild.
owls cap and heavy veil, on my head
saw face to which black was verv
becoming, though it was not a re
markably pretty face. 1t looked not
more than twenty-five, some say not
more than twenty; but l was over
tweuty-four. Married at eighteen 10
Frank Stevens, had been a petted
wife for four years, and now widow
OF two. The thought OF the happi.
ness OF the four and the loneliness OF
the two as | looked at the face sur.
rounded by Grape, made the tears
come again; but | brushed them
away resolutely and Went out, know.
ing that brisk walk would do me
more good than anything else. l
went out without my darling, my in.
separable companion, my little baby
girl, Nellie. This alone showed how
troubled l was. Truth to tell l was
too angry to trust myself with the
little one, who might have asked to
have our conversation explained, for
she had been in the room at the
same time. Icould only hope that at
five years a child did not understand
me.
Soon after l left, my mother law
and her daughters went out for a
drive. They invited Nellie to go,
but she feeling, 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 was there. She managed to
open the door herself, and there stood
her prime favorite among the gentle
men that visited the house, Mr.. Hal
stead, or as she had called him since
her babyhood, Uncle Herbert. He
had been her fathers chum and dear
est friend and loved the child for
Franks sake.
0T a6iaS bona NIL 81