The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-03-13
NELLIES LEAP-YEAR PROPOSAL

"Really, Catharine, don't wonder at
Mary's surprise at your behavior. You for
get that you are Franks widow. You are
too forward"
/ hesitated a moment, really anxious 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
only friend, when it was only as married
wOman-
"Yes," interrupted Julia. 81 think, mo-
ther, if you can't make Kate realize that she
is married, with daughter nearly six years
of age you had better"
s'Send me away" broke in, unable longer
To control myself ''it's not the first time that
hint has been thrown out, and if it were not
for little Nellie. poor child, would go away
10 earn my living at once. You drive me
desperate, declare / will marry again, and
get rid of all this" and then burst into
tears.
Marry againl How will you do it? On,
yesi good joker cried Julia, with shrug
at my tears "Dont YOU see, Mary it's leap
yearl" and she laughed derisively.
Who'll you ask?" sneered Mary. "Her-
bert Halstead? Julia, you'd better look
outp
"You may sneer," / cried, checking my
tears. l was now thoroughly angry. "But
tell you if no one would ask me to marry
him, believe l should ask Mr.. Halstead
and-he'd have mel'
L had fairly taken up their own weapons
of personalities which scorned. The mo-
ment after, ashamed of myself, ran to my
room to put on my bonnet and get out Of the
house. / looked into the glass, as put the
Grape bonnet, with its widows cap and heavy
veil, on my head. l saw q face to which
black was very becoming, though 1t was not
remarkably pretty face. 1t looked not more
than Is, some say not more than 20; but /
was really over "a. Married at Is to Frank
Stevens, had been a petted wife for four
years, and now a widow of two. The thought
of the happiness of the four and the lonliness
of the two, rs | looked at the face surrounded
by Grape, made the tears come again; but /
brushed them away resolutely and went out,
knowing that a brisk walk would do me
more good than anything else. / went out
without my darling, my insep erable
companion, my little baby girl, Nellie. This
alone showed how troubled L was Truth to
tell, 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 time. 1 could only hope
that at five years child did not understand
me.
Soon after left, my mother-in-law and
her daughters went out for 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
ike all children, Nellie must run TO see
who was there. She managed to open the
I0or baroalf and 4bara otood bar g.,
tie among the gentlemen that visited the
house, Mr.. Halstead, or as she had called him
since her babyhood, 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, sand I dess man,
mall be in soon.'
"very well. Let's go in the parlor and
have chat"
Nellie sat in his lap. discussing the merits
of cocoanut cakes and sugar almonds "a little
while; but suddenly dropping her candies in
her lap, she asked: whats leap-leap-leap
Il forget. Do you know what it ISL
Leap leap frog? leap year? is that
eyes. What's It'll"
"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?"
'.Oh. mol wouldn't ask you. Mamma
going TO ask you"
The young man nearly dropped the child
and then folded her close to him. "What do
you mean, dsrling7" he asked. "Now think
Nellie, but don't tell Uncle Herbert anything
of your own make up"
"Oh, mol really. truly, bless me, she's alive
isn't that what you say when you are truei
Welll"-the little tot gave long sigh and
paused, Herbert not daring to interrupt her
lest she should see his anxiety, and miniature
woman that she was, should refuse TO satisfy
him.
"WellT' she repeated, ''you see they doe.
scold mamma, so they does. To-day morn
ing they NAKED mamma cry, tomorrow (shs
would call yesterday tomorrow they scod
ed her again because she wouldn't ring, anc
then they said she war fordard. What
fordard2"
Forward indeed" calculated Herbert un
der his breath. "If it had been some other
now. But Nellie, how about leap year.
ooh, yesl / most fordot, didn't /? Well
you see, mamma said-but, oh, Uncle Her
bert, never showed my two vicente new lit
tie kittensl They's only little sings, wivou
eyes. Come out on the piazza and I'll shoy
you"
1t was no use to beimpstient. The youn
man knew the child too we'll for that, and 8
they went out and inspected the kitten
Then he tried to coax Nellie back to the sub
ject.
Oh, fordotp she said. "Only the
made mamma say"
What did they say darlingf I'll Civ
you big doll"
"With real hair7"