Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-06-23
LEAP YEAR LESSONS.

For the leap year party was mtenueo Aoa something more than fun. although of course there was to be great deal of fun, but pr1- marily, fundamentally and indHputably, the leap year party was to furnish particularly effective lever for the higher education of young men, in the matter of society be- havior. The average young lady was, or she would call in her carriage; but it was decided that three or four should go as ''club men" These without special partners were pledged to drop in upon the scene very late insthe evening, and then, with persistent nonchalance, not to dance, but to stand idly in the doorwaya They were to gaze care iessly and with very conspicuous lack Of all interest at the scene, and occasionally, just as young gentleman had very evidently accepted another partner, they were to rush toward him with sudden inspiration and un- usual animation and urgently request the honor." On learning that the dance had just been promised they were to retreat, murmur- ing with ineffable regret, "Aw. really, Mir. Trevor, that is too cruelT It was decided that to make this lesson more effective. these 'club men" should be the picked girls of Lakeville, the loveliest dancers the rich' est heiresses, the favorite belles: those for whose entrance the linen" would be watch ing with the most eager interest, and whose persistent lack of any interest in the dancing would be the most aggravating deprivation. If any cynic should be inclined to remark on the probable confusion in the conclave when it came to the young ladies voting for each other as to who were the favorites, can only say that he Is very ignorant of one of the loveGest traits in girl nature: the whole hearted hero worship of each other which rarely fails to delight in another girls popu larity. Finally, it was suggested that the point would be still more conspicuous if only one girl went as "club man." and the vote was unanimous that Helen Colgate should be the one. If again any cynic should feel in- clined to mention that the power of depriving nn acknowledged belle of her privileges for one entire evening might have tempered the difficulty of thus acknowledging her to be the belle, can only say again that he evi- dently does not know Helen Colgate, or the bevy of girl friends who delight in her wit and glory in her beauty. Yes, of course, Helen was unmistakably the one to teach the young men this particular lesson. The only question was, would Helen be able to hold out against the bewildering strains of her favorite waltzes and the mute glances of inn ploring adoration from her hopeless admir- | ersi 'Remember. Helen, you must not dance more than three times the whole even- | ing" was the parting injunction of the con- spirators.
 That there could possibly be any counter | conspiracy in the camp of the enemy had not entered into the calculations of the fair con- testants. But the young men had not failed to appreciate their own opportunity, and were quite as well organized for the fray as their gentle opponents. It was decided that the most important thing to impress upon the fair feminine mind was the desirableness of chaperons. The long suffering youths had acquired a positive hatred of certain agree able partners, who might have been found charming had they been provided with a chaperon to whom they could be led back after the pleasant dance. They were de termined to avenge themselves for the extra hours of tedious promenade with the un- 1 chaperoned young ladies who could not be dropped unceremoniously in the middle of the floor and who had no mamma to be taken to. All were agreed as to the necessity for impressine this lesson; but there were diff ferences of opinion as to the way of impress ing it. Some voted for all to have chap erons, that the young ladies might discover | for themselves how great the advantage was. They could certainly be trusted to find out how much more likely they were to be liked if they thus made themselves easy to dispose
 of before weariness set in. Others voted on the contrary for none to have chaperons,
 that the fair offenders might in this way dis cover the mistaken policy in not having any.
 Finally, by curious coincidence, the gentle
 men hit on the same device as the ladies, and
 decided that the most effective way would b'
 to have one left unchaperoned, with all ths
 rest provided for.
 All the girls but one, therefore, found, on
 running lightly up the steps to call for their
 partners, portly father, a burly uncle, and | In lfof1
 hooded, wrapped, and with divine patience stamped upon his brow in advance, ready te accompany the youthful Tom, the impres sionable Dick and the frivolous Harry, te
 the dangerous scene of the festivities.
 Lily Gowan, however, whose fate was Jacl
 Tottenham for the evening, found him wait ing for her with, indeed, the desirable chap eron in attendance; but on reaching the car
 riage, Jack exclaimed suddenly and lightly ''So sorry, dear papai but there doesn't seen to be room for both you and my corsage bou quet and can't leave my corsage bouque {; at home; don't sit up for mew and the car F riage door was shut on Lily and Jack and th
 huge bouquet, of dimensions that nearly hit
 even the broad and manly breast of MT Tottenham. Lily and her coadjutors wer,
 not long in discovering that this had bee,
 premeditated.
 After the first dance every other youni
 gentleman would duly say, "And now, i
 you please, will you take me back to papa2
 and be duly parted with, either with regre
 or relief, but certainly with gratitude fo the open chance to be independent again. . . All but Lilyl poor Lily, with her unchap eroned Jack, who smiled, and clung to he
 arm, and chatted, and whispered with mos c fascinating effort, but who, if he had bee, , Helen of Troy herself, would have become
 bore at last in the enforced companionshil
 Round and round walked poor Lily with he
 helpless Jack; more and more simpered Jac Il with inane satisfaction at the success of hi ?. transparent ruse; and more and moro diff ,s cult did it become for the other young ger e tlemen not to betray outwardly their enjoy ,e ment of the situation. But if Jack Tottenhar re and the gilded youth of Lakeville general
 thought they were going to get the better C Lily Gowans wit they learned that evenin ! lesson in discomfture Lily promenade
 patiently with her one partner till the situs n tion had become plainly evident to the yer ze simplest intellect in the room; then, seizin n her chance, when she was passing a partic, ,e larly attentive group of young men wh
 were watching her every movement. sh
 gave-deicately, lightly, but unmistakabl
 "a very distinct and expressive wink wit
 her right eye to a young lady on the watc