New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-05-06
q Leap Year
Round Robin.
IOriginal.l

IN large clues marriages among the |
SO called higher classes are decreas-
ing. A young man even of means has
many things to deter him from matri- [
mony and many things to induce him
to remain single Housekeeping inI
style is expensive, while there are mag
nifcent clubhouses in which bachelor
may spend his leisure
At social gathering of young ladies
the indisposition of eligible men to!
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. Now. 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-hve, we'll
educated. refined and intellectual. Why
hasn't some girl appropriated him !?
Men don't think of marrying. or if
they do they consider it in the remote
future till they are shared.
Every WE'LL said Miss Boyd, spin
ster OF thirty, consider yourself APP
pointed to snare Mr. Harrison
THANK you for the honor conferred
upon me, but am not inclined to do
all the work myself will, however.
join in round robin with the others
present with view to accomplishing
the purpose. Let us each write 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."
.sBrayov' shouted every girl present.
'How delightful! Come; let us begin"
Letters We're. written by five young
ladies, each one 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
sented. She was surely passe, though
a very attractive woman. 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 writers. Then all the letters
were put into the postoffice at one
time, that they might be received to-
gether Miss Boyd promised as soon
as reply was received to call the can
didates to her house to hear it 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 if reply had not been received
Miss Boyd received them, somewhat
| embarrassed and with faint color in
i her cheeks. She admitted that she had
received reply and handed it to Miss
| Markham to read:
Dear Miss Boyd 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.
| I shall withhold my selection until salts
| fed that every woman present at the time
the round robin was decided on has sent
| In her proposal.
The girls all looked at each other
Miss Boyd proved equal to the occa-
sion. 1t is evidently a ruse," she
said, ito gain time. TO accomm odate
you will take measures to bring him
to a decision by writing proposal. 1t
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
isfed the candidates, and the young
ladies went away. All admitted that a
middle aged man 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
rear, she at last yielded. The reply was
| this:
Dear Miss Boyd return certain anon
| ymous letters received by me recently
| none of which interests me. Your prop
| osition will be considered and reply
| sent you later.
There was blank stare on the faces
| of the candidates. Their Miss Boyd, re-
! covering her equanimity, said:
| '.Our plan has failed It has been
| evident from the first that Mr.. Harri-
| son is sufficiently adroit to get out of
the trap without appearing ungallant."
| 'sUngallantw cried one Of the girls
| 'sIs it gallant to say to woman who
| proposes that her reply will be sent
later, with view not to sending it at
alp"
| This remark gave the impression
| held by the girls, and all took their
| departure feeling that the plan had
| miscarried. 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 had come of the matter, to which
she Invariably replied:
.sYou silly girl. Wasn't it plain to
/ you that Mr.. Harrison was too smart
for you alp
L p,,f-