Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-06-08
LEAP-YEAR love ,,
OR,
why She Proposed.

Ellen Vernon was an heiress and
beautiful woman, and it was
only natural that her cousin, Hen
ry Moreland, should fall in love
with her, as they were thrown a
great deal together. But Henry
was poor, and hesitated about de.
cIaring his passion, lest his motives
might be misconstrued. The life
he led ander the circumstances was
anything but a happy one, for he
was Jealous of every lover who paid
her attention and tOrmented with
many doubts and fears.
Ellen for her part loved her cOus.
in dearly, and would have gladly
given up wealth and position to be
his wife, but months passed by and
still the laggard in love held his
i
peace.
She saw that the only way to
bring him to terms was through
jealousy, and fortune favored her a
few days later. She received an
offer of marriage from a wealthy
nobleman in the neighborhood one
morning, and was reading the let
ter as Henry passed by her. He
noticed that she seemed worried
and perplexed. "Why are you so
agitated p he asked, visibly con-
cerned.
"Read this" she replied, hand
ing him the letter.
The letter was, in fact, an excel
lently well written but formal prop.
osition for her hand, and as the
writer was not ten years the lady's
senior, though of a cold and pom.
pOus disposition, there could not
be any very serious obstacle IN the
way. 1t was to Henry Moreland
like the receiving of a death blow /;
a sense of duty, of propriety, of
manlIness came to his aid, and with
desperate effort he said, "I-I-
congratulate you, Miss Vernon"
81 wont be congratulated" broke
IN Ellen, "and you are not in earn.
est when you say so; and l wont
be called Miss Yernon-you may as
we'll say Lady Beazley, of Beazley
Hall, at Once-it's odious--lt's
shameful y and she walked impa.
tiently about him. There was q
pause on his part, for he knew not
what to say.
"Why don't you speak to me,
Henry p begun Ellen. "Have you
no feelingP
"You have proposal" /" said Hen
ry, "that many lady in the coun-
try would envy. 1 should wish
you welded to a man you love ;
for whatever you may think of me,
l cannot forget that we have been
children together, and your happi-
ness has always been the object Of
my thOughts.'
"Thank you, Henry thank you y
and with frank, unconscious and
unspeakably tender manner, she
laid both hands upon his shoulders
and bent her deep, beautiful eyes
upon his face.
1t was next to impossible for any
one to resist the fascination of that
glance, and Henry, attracted with
out the power Of resisting, took heI
face in his hands and kissed hei
forehead.
1t recalled him to himself, and
the sudden reYulsion was absolute
torture.
81 cannot pretend to advise you
In this matter, my sweet cousin,
he began, "but if you entertain the
thought trust you will be happy
81 detest the man p cried Ellen
! alnging away his hand angrily.-
turuedQuld think that all were
"Do not beiis98ss-p., beiiiss98ss-H
gravely..: "And as this rfIs.S rfI."iy
. the last interview
"The last 7" echoed Ellen.
"That we may have for years I
come, let us not part with a misur
/, derstanding. Had my own pros
: poets been different, l should hav
found my self IN a condition tot
advise you better"
"In what way, Henry 7" aske'
Ellen, in an arch smile.
~ cannot tell you now. Let
suffice TO say that my inability +
do aught prevents me from ssyinI
r what | would. Poor and depen
dent as am, with debt of graft