The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-10-24
A LEAP YEAR STORY.

"You ask my real opinion of your
story, Dexter, honor bright?"
Honest Injun; yes"
"Then, in a nutshell, eXcellent-eX-
cept for your heroine. She's atrocious.
= 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
1ust's Fulyia, 'one who can crack a joke,
sing and dance beyond what is ex-
pected of a good woman?'"
NO, Dexter, 1 would have a flesh and
blood article you would be proud to
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, [ pity you! But it's not too
late. You are not over 40, are you?"
Forty, indeed! 1 am barely turned
80. What are you thinking of? Forty,
indeed"
No o~ffense, I assure you. Who is that
rosebud of Il girl l see with your people
so much? L vas thinking of her. Dip
your pen into her"
why, that is Daisy; my sister-;n-
Jaws sister Daisy, fresh from convent.
Inever 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 - 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 n creek; only he turned his
head and would not look. He had con-
cluded her to be utterly childish and ir-
responsible.
However, with se~lf-interest as the
governing motive, he proceeded to put
on Il eesh necktie; took a careful
scrutiny of his middle-aged face and
brushed the hair over the bald spot on
his head, before presenting himself in
Ills SlStCi- lll-ll > III "N ing AOp1A"
E%nthroned in a wicker chair knotted
with blue ribbons, sat the freshest,
womanlicst, busiest little person he had
ever seen.
Daisy, nabluedres and rufled apron
with pockets, hemming a white ruffle.
When Dexter walked straight toward
her and seated himself by her side she
1900 .,,oI d, e,,rDrira1 S+nr+ +hDt fhn
spools went spinning over the floor.
She blushed a rosy red blush of evil
dent pleasure. Dexter didn't know they
could really blush in these days like
that.
"Oh, have ycu come at last 2" she al
most whispered.
Come? Why, I've been in the house
a week." he replied.
"Ah, but you've never seen me before.
Imean to notice me-and l was so afraid
O never would"
Dexter almost blushed himself at this.
He said: 81 mean to see a great deal of
you now, if you'll let me-"
"Oh, I'm perfectly delighted" said
Daisy, holding put the prettiest white
hand in the world. Dexter shook it,
thimble and all. "Now we are to be
great friends, aren't we? You know 1
couldn't make the first advances, could
~"
1.-THE very best" said Dexter, smiling,
land 1 want you to begin by telling me
your ideas of this wicked world and the
inhabitants thereof"
Daisy laughed and lifted Der eyes to
his; blue they were, and bright. Then
she changed color, slowly, and grace
fully pinked up to the temples, and an
swered:
THE world! What do 1 know of the
world? The sisters teach us that men
are deceivers ever, and that there is a
terrible thing called love, which we must
lot dare to think of. But what do |
know? We are no more than little in
nocent babies in the convent. Father
Laurent and Brother Ned are all the
men [ have seer until with a radiant
smile-"now. I know you Mr.. Dexter,
and you are no deceiver, are you:'
DeXter's conscience gave n twinge, but
he also was delighted to be so noticed,
and his eyes laughed shyly as he drew
her on.
How could you know me so quickly"
he asked.
MY sister Hetty has told me all about
you. That you are clever and fine and
chivalric, and she says you can teach me
all 1 want to know"
"And what may that be?"
Daisy blushed again. She looked into