The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-07-28
4 LEAP YEAR
PRIVILEGE

! foot ana sewing rag carpets at the ag
of thirty-sevcn without having beel
spoken for.
Cynthia Ann Jones, it's got to conn
about" she finally said to hersel
aloud. This is leap year, and there!
privilege goes with it."
Having got that far, her thoughts
naturally turned to possible candidates
There was Deacon Hungerford, but h
was past fifty and had three children
and he had once asked her to look the
other way while he drove hog past
her gate. There was Joel Marsh, own
er of the sawmill, but he had a stiff
neck and stiff knee and had been an
old bachelor so long that he would
| probably object to gray patches on q
black groundwork. There was Squire
Cummings, whose wife had died three
years before, but he had a bOssy way
about him and had always held his
wife down to one third of bar Of soap
to a washing.
The three men mentioned exhaust
ed the list as far as Cynthia could
place them, but hope did not die out of
| her heart There was such u thing as
Providence, and if Providence had
| saved the two churches in the village
from being struck by lightning for the
last fifteen years why couldn't and
shouldn't it provide her with a hus-
band?
Not week had gone by after she
had made up her mind, and she had
not yet decided whether she wanted a
man with milk white eyes or red hair
when there came a timid knock on the
front door. The hour was 2 o'clock in
the afternoon, and Cynthia was just
finishing the last of the carpet rags.
She opened the door to find short,
timid looking, rolly poly man on the
steps and to be told that he was can
wasting for subscribers for new mag
pZine.
Cynthia's first idea Of him was that
he was too short to reach up to the
ceiling with a whltewash brush and
too timid to accompany her to prayer
meeting without lantern, but she re-
membered that she was depending up
on Providence and that Providence had
probably sent along the best it had in
the shop that day. She therefore sim
pered little and giggled a little and
invited Mr.. Totten in.
Mr.. Totten evinced desire to retreat
instead, but probably reflected that it
was as dangerous to run as to enter
At any rate. he took seat in the par
lor and began to talk up his magazine.
Cynthia replied Eyes" and mo" half
dozen times, and then lost all interest
In literary matters and gave MI. Tot
ten sizing up He wasn't bad to look
at, and she wouldn't be ashamed of
him at donation parties and camp meet
ings. He didn't look to be a man of
opinions, and he therefore would sub
NIT to being bossed He had weak,
piping voice, but that was also all
right. In case of any family dispute
the neighbors couldn't hear his side of
the case. At the end of a quarter Of
an hour the spinster had made up her
mind about things, and she said:
Mr., Totten, are you aware of the
fact that this Is leap yearT'
Bless me, but I'd forgotten it," he
replied, with a start that betrayed
guilt
1T is leap year, Mr.. TOtten, and may
l ask If you recall that leap year car
ries with it privilege for my sex"
Gracious, but so it does--so it doesr'
Il do not know that this privilege is
generally taken advantage of, but yet
cannot see why not. If have fallen
In love with you, Mr.. Totem
Don't! Oh, don't"
-"if l have fallen in love with you
and desire to ask for your heart and
hand, why should it not be perfectly
proper for me to do soF'
Eyes, but-but''- he stammered as
he wiggled around on his chair and
blushed like a schoolgirl
Mr.. Totten," continued Cynthia as
she laid her hand on her heart, 81 fell |
in love with you the minute | opened |
the door. Providence sent you here. |
Providence has planned to unite u.s."
''Oh, gracious mer'
"And | therefore ask you, Mr.. Tot
ten-I therefore take advantage of the
special privilege accorded my sex once
in four years-four long and dreary
years-to ask you if you will be mine"
Dear me! Dear me" gasped Mr.. /
TOtten as he rubbed the palms of his
hands together and bobbed about,
1T may seem to you little sudden,
Mr.. Totten-indeed, it is little sudden
but who can Withstand the voice of
lover Say that you viii be mine and
make me happy. am not rich, and 1
am not worthy of you, but will do my
best to make you happy"
"I-I-couldn't do itp' announced Mr..
Eotten, as he arose and looked for his
nat.
"Is 1t possible that you are mar
led man and have come here to toy
With my maidenly hearth If so, SIR
NO, no, no! It's just that don't
lon't''-
"Totten, are you engaged to anoth.
ri"
mo, nor
''Then you sit right down and stay
o dinner Providence sent you here,
md If you think am going to let you
'et away you are mistaken"
But he lodged her and reached the
Ioor and flew out and down the path c
nd up the street, and an hour later, as
he stood at her gate and wondered
low Providence had come to skip a
og, the old man Taylor came along to a
ay; t
Curious kind o. thing, wasn't it." .
"WhatY' 5