Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-07-19
"SECH DECEPTION
a Pretty Leap-Year Business
Sure Enough.

''Do you believe it?'' ,
Eyes. What?'
why. that Belle Houston is going
to marry youth barely out of his
teens, and she about leaving her TWEEN
ties. It's in everybody's mouth, and
they say you started the report, Miss
Newsmore, so | ask
Il don't believe, but know it. Mrs.
Littledo. Cousin Kate lives at Fair
bay, and yesterday got letter from
her that says It's a match between
your Miss Houston and our Mr.. Weld
that boy! And Peregrine is tickled
TO death. We suspicioned Them says
Kate, while the lady was spending
vacation here. She went to Washing
ton for the holidays. and he made a
trip there, and It has just come out
that they will be married this spring."
Amazing! She's had half dozen
suitable offers. He better spell his
name Pere-g-r-ee-n, for 'verdant he
must be.
''Oh! It's leap year. you know, and
she evidently began to fear she was
Overstanding her market. Weld only
graduated last summer. When / Wis
tied Kate year ago, we went to Sun
day-schOOl. and, after we came out, |
inquired who the assistant librarian
was-a slender young man with eye
glasses. 'Peregrine Weld she said,
and remembered the name"
us it true that he's a fisherman's
son?'
Indeed t is. Folks nowadays are
ambitious about their children's edu-
catiOn-our washerwoman's daughter
expects to make a music teacher, and
there's a fisherman's son been through
college. Well, he's making it pay al
ready-its given him hoist to where
he will marry some money, and get a
start in life. But how ridiculous it is
for both of themr' ..
This is sample of the note and COM
ment that ran through the village where
for three or four years Miss Arabella
Houston had led an Independent kind
of life, maintaining an establishment
when she did not choose to shut it up
for the time and take an outing. Though
understood not to be very rich, she was
benevolent, she had a prepossessing
person and agreeable manners, and
from the first enjoyed the esteem of the
towns people.
But they said now: Alas for poor
human nature! The best have their
weak points. Many doubted if she
would have the face to bring her boy
bridegroom home; more likely they
would travel till his beard was grown
and the neighbors had got used to the
absurdity of the situation.
1t soon appeared that the lady was
more proud than ashamed of her matri-
monial speculation. Miss Newsmore
one day followed her into a florists, to
zee what she could see. Miss Houston
took off her glove to arrange bouquet,
and if she did not take pains to display
Ter engagement ring, an elegant dia-
mond affair, at least she did not try to
hide it.
The curious spectator carried the
news to Mrs. Littledo and the rest, and
gossip and guessing put on more color.
Certainly the elect laddie would not
have change in his pocket for the pur-
chase of diamonds. Did the other, in !
the exercise of leap year privileges,
provide for both? Or. perhaps now,
suggested wittier one. the old fisher
man has hooked a fish that. like the |
New Testament one, had gold within. |
Ere the nine days wonder began to |
subside, Miss Houston's young man
boldly appeared on the scene He was |
recognized from Miss Newsmore's de-
scriptions as he left the train on Sat- |
urday afternoon, and was followed by |
curious eyes every step of the way up
the street to the ornate cottage. At |
the foot of the steps its mistress well
coined him with extended hand. The |
neighbors all it,
Later, the oddly-matched pair were |
seen promenading on the piazza till the
chill of the evening made it wise for
them TO take their tender plants of love
inside. A lively tinkling of the piano
succeeded-scarcely a proper prelude
for Sunday-and more than one in the ]
village could testify that it was well |
on the midnight when Miss Houston's |
parlor lights were extinguished.
Not since the long-to-be-remembered |
funeral of Deacon Dey and his wife, |
who were asphyxiated one night by
coal gas, had there been so large an |
attendance at church, as on that Sum
day when Miss Houston's intended was
expected to exhibit himself to his fu-
ture townsmen. All the congregation
seemed looking anxiously out of the
back of their heads when. just as the
choir rose to sing the first hymn, the
couple entered. A minute more and
the universal gaze was conferred on
Miss Houston's pew, where they took
their places side by side, standing
through hymn and prayer as unoon.
cerned as statues.
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