Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-10-22
A LEAP YEAR STORY.

you ask my real opinion OF your
story, Dexter, honor bright?"
Honest Injun; yes"
'Then, in a nutshell, eXcellent-ex-
eept for your heroine. She's atrocious.
A wooden doll on stilts-dry as the leaf
that fell last year. Have you no sweet
heart, man? Cannot you evolve any
thing at all from inner consciousness"
"Would you have her like old Sal
lust's Fulvia, 'one who can crack joke,
sing and dance beyond what Is ex-
pected of a good woman"
mo, Dexter, would have flesh and
blood article you would be proud to
own as sister or sweetheart yourself.
Have you no personal experience into
which you might dip your pen?'
"That's what's the matter. Love has
never taken me in"
"Dexter, L pity you! But it's not too
late. You are not over 40, are your
"Forty, indeed! am barely turned
30. What are you thinking of? Forty,
indeed"
mo offense, assure you. Who is that
rosebud of a girl see with your people
so much? 1 was thinking of her. Dip
your pen into her"
"Why, that is Daisy; my sister-in-
laws sister Daisy, fresh from convent.
never thought of Daisy"
But after his friend left, Dexter
straightway began thinking it not half
bad a scheme to substitute something
young and girlish for his lady on stills.
Daisy was an unknown quantity to
him, as with his mind upon other af-
fairs he had never yet looked her square
in the face. He had seen her tying
flowers around the neck of a pet lamb
and feeding some chickens and he could
have seen her with ten-year-old Freddie
wading in a creek; only he turned his
head and would not look. He had con-
cluded her to be utterly childish and ir-
responsible.
However, with self-interest as the
governing motive, he proceeded to put
on fresh necktie; took q careful
scrutiny of his middle-aged face and
brushed the hair over the bald spot on
his head, before presenting himself in
his sister-in-law's drawing-room.
Enthroned in wicker chair lnotted
with blue ribbons, sat the freshest,
womanliest, busiest little person he had
ever seen.
Daisy, in blue dress and ruffled apron
with pockets, hemming white ruffie,
When Dexter walked straight toward
her and seated himself by her side she
gave sucn a surprised start that the
spools went spinning over the floor
Shs blushed a rosy red blush of evi,
dent pleasure. Dexter didn't know they
could really blush in these days like
that.
"Oh, have you come at last?" she al
most whispered.
"Come? Why, I've been in the house
q week." he replied.
"Ah, but you've never seen me before
Imean to notice me-and was so afraid
you never would"
Dexter almost blushed himself at this
He said: 81 mean to see great deal OF
you now, if you'll let me-"
''Oh, I'm perfectly delighted" said
Daisy, holding out the prettiest white
hand in the world. Dexter shook it
thimble and all. Nov we are to bt
great friends, aren't we? You know
couldn't make the first advances, coult
~"
1.-THE very BEST" said Dexter, smiling
'and / want you to begin by telling ms
your ideas of this wicked world and the
inhabitants thereof"
Daisy laughed and lifted her eyes tx
his; blue they were, and bright. TheI
she changed color, slowly, and grace
fully pinked up to the temples, and an
swered:
''The world! What do l know Of tn,
world? The sisters teach us that mel
are deceivers ever, and that there is
terrible thing called love, which we mus
not dare to think of. But what do
know? We are no more than little in
nocent babies in the convent. Fathc
Laurent and Brother Ned are all III
men have seen until with radian
emile-"now. ! know you Mr.. Dexter
and you are no deceiver, are youT"
Dexter's conscience gave twinge, bu
he also was delighted to be so noticed
and his eyes laughed shyly as we DIRE,
her on.
SHOW could you know me SO quickly +?
he asked.
my sister Hetty has told me all abou
you. That you are clever and fine ant
chivalric, and she says you can teach m
all want TO know"
sand what may that be?"
Daisy blushed again. She looked Int