Milford chronicle., 1912-03-08
Her LEAP YEAR PROPOSAL.
BY CLARA AUGUSTA.


!, 1t had been fifteen wears since JosiaI
s. Hawkins had begun coming to see her
Il every Sunday at seven, every Wednesda,
ii night at eight. Martha Richards wa.
h almost discouraged
'l'm Jest ali tired out, Dorothy" she
d. condded to her cat as she was fastening
n mp after Josiah, one Sunday evening in
n August, Jest beat ont with so much dilly
e dallying."
Il It's aggravating enough to try saint
o. let alone poor mortal woman, to have a
n fool of man a dandling along so. Its a
b little better than fifteen years since Josiah
began to pay me attention
I | was just twenty five, and Simon Jor.
e dan was all ready to pop to me, when
q Josiah stepped in and headed him off
tLaw And Simon he's raised seven chill
i dren since that time, and been widower
Y twice. And here that man-critter has
= been-summer and winter. hot or cold,
1wet or dry, Sundays and Wednesdays-
a-ceming here a paying me attention
I'm tired of it Nobody else dassent
: -enme near me because they think I'm
mortgaged to Josiah and 1 shall be a sin
gle woman to my diving day if | don't
take it in hand my self
Martha Richards put out the lights and
think that she hadn't looked in the al. |
manac for a week to see when the moon |
,TOse--a matter upon which she was al |
ways greatly interested, as she believed |
hat the moon had a powerful influence
bn the weather-and she lighted her lamp
10 obtain the necessary information. And
ls her eye fell on the cover of the alma
1ae she saw in large letters, "Bissxtie,
)r Leap Year" "Wall, Wall, " she said,
as she blew ont the light; "if it amt
cap year, and / never thought of it r'
1 IN jest a good mind to do it I've heard
Df folks that has before now. l will do it
by jimmy? But how? Yes that's the
question, how? Martha lay still and de. {
liberated Half the night had passed be. {
lore she decided
There was to he a Sunday school picnic !
n Pinkham's Woods the next Thursday. Z
Why not invite Josiah to go, and pop to '
lim Op the way? Martha considered the T
natter inNall its bearings, and at last hit
ipon a plan. which seemed feasible. She
would hire Captain Bascom's horse and b
ihaise, and drive Josiah over to the pic a
tic in grand style. /
The first thing in the morning she went y
yer to the captains to negotiate for the Y
.OTse II
Inc captain WIS a man VINO was eX- u
hard to bring to terms in any p
Ort of a bargain. 81 dunno" said he g
81 dunno's Sally ought to b
n. You see, Miss Richards, Sally she's le
getting along and besides she's got a n
1ng hone coming, and her teeth ought b
D be filed, and she's liable to have she &C
taggers some and she's likely enough to Il
tumble going down hill She's an awful 10
kettish beast too, she's afraid of an auto "
lobile, and she's some skurit at a bicycle bl
nd a baby kerredge works on her narves nc
nd have known her to be balky What q
on want to 90 to Pinkham's woods after ca
iss Richards. "There's a picnic over tn
lere captain and | hain't had a ride for bo
lite a spell, and l thought mabby I'd tel
ke TO drive over" tn
"Why in the dickens don't you 90 on
Ie cars? th
"Why II thought I'd enjoy a kerredge tn
,tter and besides" a bright idea we
ruck Martha-"l want to call aud see thu
d Miss Herrick that lives on the Pine stu
III road Th
They've got the measles over to Her bu
ks" said the captain, and YOU Jos
,uldn't want to be running into any in
diseases, Miss Richards though Ma
ey do say that elderly people don't take y
n easv. "Now Captain Bascom," said no
irtha Indignantly, 81 amt half so old An
might be, and I've had the measles occ
JOS
saif