Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1908-07-10
"A Leap Year
a Round Robin.
Goriginal.l

monv and many things TO induce hin
to remain single. Housekeeping il
style is expensive, while there are mag
nificent clubhouses in which a bachelor
may spend his leisure.
At a social gathering of young ladies
the indisposition of eligible men te
marry was under discussion. Miss
Markham declared that it was the
fault of the girls that they did not use
the sex's privilege to snare the bach.
elors. Nov, there's Guy Harrison"
she said. He's entirely eligible in
every respect. He's president, vice
president and director of no end of
companies. and everything he touches
turns to money. He's thirty-five, well
educated, refined and intellectual. Why
hasn't some girl appropriated him?
Men don't think of marrying, or II
they do they consider it In the remote
future till they are shared"
Very WELL" said Miss Boyd. a spin
ster of thirty, consider yourself ap-
pointed to snare Mr.. Harrison"
THANK you for the honor conferred
upon me, but | am not inclined to do
all the work myself. l will, however.
join In a round robin with the others
present with a view to accomplishing
the purpose. Let US each write a leap
year letter to Mr.. Harrison proposing
marriage. This will arrest his attention
and force him either to choose one of
US or appear ungallant."
"Bravo!" shouted every girl present.
'How delightful! Come; let us begin"
Letters were written by five young
ladies, each n of whom signed an as
sumed name to her epistle. Miss Boyd
refrained on the ground that at her
age it would be highly improper to
offer herself. To this the others as
scented. She was surely passe, though
a very attractive m She wrote
Mr.. Harrison that she would be pleas
ed to have him send his reply to her
and call upon her for information CON-
corning the writer's. Then all the letters
were put into the postofice at one
time, that they might be received to-
gether. Miss Boyd promised as soon
as a reply was received to call the can
didates to her house to hear 1t read.
A week passed, and, not hearing from
their medium, the young ladies became
impatient. Then after consultation
they resolved to go to her house and
ask II a reply had not been received.
Miss Boyd received them, somewhat
embarrassed and with a faint color In
her cheeks. She admitted that she had
received a reply and handed 1t to Miss
Markham to read:
Dear Miss Boyd-I heartily approve of
the leap year plan adopted by certain
young ladies. but ~disapprove of any lady
who was present Sinking her part In It
l shall withhold my selection until satisz
NED that sy raS,S gs@sa PA aeat n sAe; -,
in her proposal.
The girls all looked at each other.
Miss Boyd proved equal to the occa-
sion. ut is evidently a ruse," she
said, ito gain time. To accommodate
you l will take measures to bring him
to a decision by writing a proposal. II
will be a mere form. My identity will
be the only one he will know. He will
then plan for further delay by asking
for the names of the others. But do not
despair: some of you will bring him
down yet" This view of the case sat
isfied the candidates, and the young
ladies went away. All admitted that a
middle aged nan would be sure to
choose, If at all, from among the young
est candidates.
Another week passed without word
from Miss Boyd. The young ladies,
growing impatient, went again In a
body to her house. Again she received
them with embarrassment and this
time refused to show a reply she had
received. Attacked front, TANKS and
"a she at last yielded. The reply was
this:
p Miss Boyd-I return certain anon
YIN letters received by me recently,
none of which interests me. You prop
osition will be considered and a reply
sent you later.
There was a blank stare on the faces
of the candidates. Then Miss Boyd, re-
covering her equanimity, said:
"Our plan has failed. 1t has been
evident from the first that Mr.. Harri-
son is sufficiently adroit to get out of
the trap without appearing ungallant."
"Ungallant" cried one of the girls.
"Is it gallant to say to a woman who
proposes that her reply will be sent
later, with a view not to sending 1t at
all?"
This remark gave the impression
held by the girls, and all took their
departure feeling that the plan had
miscarrted. Indeed. each girl, though
her identity was unknown to the snub-
Der, felt that she had been snubbed.
A month passed, and the episode
was nearly forgotten. Occasionally
Miss Boyd would be asked If anything
more bad come of the matter, to which
she invariably replied:
you silly grill Wasn't 1t plain to
you that Mr.. Harrison was too smart
for you all?"
But one morning each Of the five re-
jected candidates rushed to the other
four, exchiming, "Have you g it?"