Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-04-11
A Leap Year Proposal.
BY ". J. LAMPrON.


True, she had been one 50 long
would seem that she should have he
come accustomed 10 it but by SOM
strange fatality women that is, tn
majority OF women, never accep, thei
lot in this form with that calm resig
nation and beautiful Christian spiri
which has won for them the endearin.
title nf the gentler sex.
And Susanna Morton had put M
with it just a. long rs she was goin.
10.
Four leap years had passed her by
and she had submitted gracefully, bu
each year less gracefully than she ha,
done the year previously, amt ther,
were moments IN the last of the fou
when she became almost desperate
Now that fifth had come, her mine
was made up She would take III,
reirs Of Cupid in her own hands an,
drive that harum scarim little rasca
in manner to suit herself She knew
her good points, one Of which was tha
she was thirty five years old or there
ahouts, and possessed poise aud bal
ance no man who was looking for ;
real sensible woman ms wife coult
afford to disregard. In addition {,
this she had-what men seldom di>rc
gard-a comfortable fortune
1t was this fortune that had been
the real stumbling block in the matri
monial path of Susanna, and not an,
lack of attractive qualities in her pos
session, for she was not homelv mol
was anything but charming. Tn,
fortune, however. which Was her.
from her sixteenth birthday. had de
veloped in her fear that men sough
her for her money and not for herself
and never having fallen in love Will
any of her couriiers, she did not fine
it difficult TO resi.t advances, believ
ing, as she did, that men were mer
cenaiy wreicheS as Il rule. and thai
some day the one man in all the worlc
for her would appear and claim her II,
his own.
However. he did not appear, and he
continued not 10 appear, until Susanna
had reached an age and iirmness OF
character, TO put it mildly, when her
fortune would have To he at least
double to make her rs attractive a,
she was at twenty.
This knowledge had come 10 heI
gradually, bu; Was none the les. force.
ful on that account, and she deter.
mined not to let this leap year pas,
withou. results ot' lasting character.
OF the men in her train there were
perhaps half dozen who were eligi-
bic, and any one OF whom would have
made a husband any woman could be
proud OF. Bat they were merely
friends not man jack OF them had
every suggested such thing a> matri-
mony TO her, and, possibly, this was
why she liked them. So preverse i,
the nature of woman.
Among this half dozen was one who
found the greatest favor in Susanna
eyes. the others taking their positions
after him in regular graduation. and
this one Susanna selected as her vie.
tim for leap year, resolving 10 try all
the others in case OF failure in the first
instance.
Truly, Susanna was de>pcrat,
spinster.
And no less spry, for in the course
of his first call in the new yeai she he
gan her operations Bat il was II
dreadful task, and the evening passed
without Il single step taken forward
The effort had been made. however
and courage always comes with effort.
When he came again, she was st
wrought up over the work before her
that her eyes sparkled and her cheek
glowed in rosy color.
"Why, bless my soul, Miss Susanna,
he said, chow pretty You look thi.
evening"
He was ten years older than she
and always assumed that bless-my.
soul style affected by elderly men
ooh, thank You, Mr.. Culver" sh,
twittered. I'm sure YOU only thinl;
50. | look just rs | ALWAYS look"
"Of course, Miss Susanna, only
slightly more So, he smiled, hut ther,
was that in the tone which had the
ring Of insincerity, or at least superb
cial and society sincerity, which is
very nearly the same thing, and which
made Susanna despi>e the hattery ot
men that SO far had meant to her ne
dissolution OF the continuity of hen
spinsterhood.
She was good naturcd about IT. how
ever, and let Mr.. Culver 90 ON witt
whatever he had to say, for if lher,
was anv man who could make hatter,
any moie palatable 10 her than any
other man, that man was Mr. Culver
But it was soon over, and when h,
had fixed himself comfortably il AZ
(0DSulnDti0Il