News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-07-10
A LEAP-YEAR EPISODE.

81 culdn't marry John Marryatt not
for a thousand pounds ~ said Avice
Mere.
And she said it, too, exactly as if she
meant it, with Redeemed cheeks, eyes
full of hazel fire. and two small dimpled
fists clenched tightly.
''My dear,'' said Penelope Paxton, one
of those jovial old maids who ale pri9i-
legged to say anything, ''you remind me
of a famous historical character.
'sI2" said AYice, momentarily off her
guard.
"Yes," said Penelope. "Miss Betty
Baxter, who refused Capt. Jones before
he axed her y
''Oh, it isn't hat y protested Avice,
roster than ever. "Of course Mr.. Mar
ryatt has no idea of asking me; why
should he have? And if he did,
shouldn't accept him"
''Miss Betty Baxter" monotonously
chanted Penelope, "who refused
penny, do be quiet!' said Avice,
stamping her foot in genuine annoyance.
''You know what I mean p
s'No, DON'T" said Penny. "Aud L
don't believe you know yourself"
''He said it was Leap Year, pleaded
indignant Avice.
$50 it is" said Penny, "get the
almanac, and look for yourself. -Four
into eighteen hundred and eighty-four
goes
penelope, can't you talk common
sense %
''To be sure I can, if you will set me
the example p grayely responded Miss
Paxton.
'And he told DIR. Darien he wasn't
coming to our party tomorrow night,
because he didn't want TO be married
against his will. "
"Well, after all, there's something in
that" said Penelope refectively. 81
never was a man myself; but l can
imagine that, under the circumstances,
cold shiver would go ali through me-"
s'Penny," said Avice solemnly, ''do
you really, seriously think that one of us
girls ever thought of marrying John
Marryatt ?"
''That is a question which I am not
prepared to answer" said Miss Paxton.
And Avice ran out of tho room, and
was surprised TO find herself crying over
the clove-scented blossoms of her favor
ite carnations IN the bath room window.
''I'm sure I don't know why, " sobbed
she, 81 hate John Marryatt, and think
it was horrid of DR.. Darien to go and re-
peat what was said to him in confidence
And if John Marryatt really believed
that-that There, won't think of it
any more !"
''Leap Year, indeed Why do people
talk such a string of nonsense because
the month of February happens to have
twenty-nine days in it instead of twenty
eight?"
In the meantime Mr.. Marryatt had
packed his valise and gone off to visit an
old uncle who was at the point of death.
'It won't be a very cheerful visit, "
said he to himself, ''but it will be better
than state of siege, for have been
told, on good authority, that every one
Of those girls means to get engaged at
the leap-year party.
SIT will be the old story of the Sabines
over again, with the sexes reversed.
And when 1 marry-if Imarry-I intend
to have at least the privilege of choice.
So I'll just go up to Uncle Origen's."
Uncle Origen's farm house was on the
top of a bleak hill, where few dwarfed
cherry trees shook and shuddered in the
yintry blasts and the cows huddled in
the shelter of the hayricks to keep from
being blown away.
81 think we're going to have storm, "
said Mr.. Marryatt. 81 am quite certain
that 1 smell snow in the air. And there
are more cheerful places during north
east wind than Uncle Origen's house p
In fact he was almost disposed to be
sorry that he had come, when he stood
there knocking and humping with the
handle of his umbrella at the shrunken
panels of the front door.
Pretty soon a crooked old man, with
his garments fastened with tow strings,
instead of buttons, came shuffiing to the
door and peeped suspiciously around it.
"Eh % said he, with one hand back
of his poor old purple ear. "'Pears to
me I heard somebody knocking,
didn't II"
Eyes, it's me- said our hero--"John
Marryatt, don't you know?"
''Married?" squeaked the old man.
''To whom ?"
"John-Mar-ry- !" distinctly re-
peated the visitor. Chow is my Uncle
Origen?"
The crooked old man sheltered his
candle-f flame with one hand and stared
as if he were gradually being trans
formed into one huge eye. >,
'Land sakes alive % said he. 'Did
you not know? He was buried yester-
day.
Here was a cheerful welcome for
city visitor
''But what can do2" said Marryatt,
with helpless gaze down the darkening
hillside. I came to visit him. 1 had
not heard"
''Walk in, walk in, said the old man,
holding the faring candle high above
his head, and fattening himself against
the whitewashed wall "It's pretty
lonesome here; but there's the de-
eeased's chamber you can sleep in, and
I trapped a rabbit in the pine-wood
this morning that Isabella's just stewing
up, and"
Isabella p repeated John Marryatt.
'fShe's the old woman IN chalgo-my
sister" explained the ancient warder of
the castle. ''Ain't much to lock at, but
a proper good cook"
''But," said Mr.. Marryatt, '1 don't
think care about sleeping in the room
where Uncle OriPeD died"
The old man stared at him with dull,
CLASSY eyes.
ftEh p said he. ''Why not? You
don't b'ieYe in sperritooalism, do
you ?"
Nonsense r cried Mar yatl.
'Then why amt one room as good as
..14ba~ og nsI,a1 Eba old roep s4oIidIv