The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1912-06-20

by Proxy
tcopyright, 1917, by Associated Literary PresO

| L IN never going 10 get married,
said Kitty to her Aunt Katherine"
Aunt Katherine, who was very
tall and beautiful, and who was al.
ways dressed in sweeping black
gowns, looked at Kitty severely
through her gold lorgnette.
"And you are 20?" she asked.
Men aren't worth bothering
over" said Kitty. "Now, there's Rod.
ney Hodge. He's the only man who
will be at the dance tonight who Is
really worth while, yet | wouldn't be
afraid to say that he'll never pro-
pose"
Aunt Katherine lighted the candles
over the fireplace. II was one of her
fads to spend the evening by candle.
light. Electricity was for the mob,
she said
why should you care?" she asked,
what Rodney Hodge does? You are
not in love with him, are your"
Kitty composed herself Well, you
see, could be in love with him." she
said sagely, If he were not such a
clam. He's $3.50 fine, Aunt Kath-
crime"
Yes. he is fine," said the older
woman.
Kitty's little face was very grave
now, and her little hand was laid in
earnestness on Miss Severances knee.
"And So" Aunt Katherine finished
for her, as she took the little hand
in her firm clasp, land so, my little
Kitty, If you were a man and Rodney
Hodge were a girl, you would ask
Rodney to marry you?"
Yes" Kitty whispered.
"Then-why not ask him - any
how?" said Aunt Katherine.
Kitty gave her a startled glance.
"Why-Aunt Katherine" she STAN
mered, you don't mean"
ITS leap year."
"Oh, l knew you we're joking"
Kitty's voice had a note of relief
in it.
She changed the subject after that,
and Kitty went off to her leap year
dance happily.
Miss Severance sat long by the FIRE,
then she picked up the receiver of
he telephone and gave a number.
When the answer came, she said: "Is
that you, Bronsog? This is Rather
inc Severance. l want to ask you to
come and see me. Yes, tonight.
Yes--it's important. You will? It's
very good Of you. At nine, then?"
She paced the room restlessly, as
she waited, and when her caller came
a gray-haired, stately man, she wei
coined him with a laugh that was
slightly nervous
IT'S about Kitty" she said. She
was seated in a high-backed chair
which gave her a queenly dignity. 81
Il want to make a sort of leap year
proposal by proxy, Bronson"
He looked at her keenly. You
mean Rodney" he asked.
Yes. Kitty likes him and / think
he loves her. He did years ago. But
but he hasn't asked her to marry
him"
"And he will mott" sternly.
why not?"
"He shall not suffer as ! have suf-
fered," was the quiet answer. you
know how | staked all my happiness,
Katherine, on your answer years ago
and you know, too, that ! lost. | will
not have my boy hurt in like
fashion"
''Kitty-is sweeter than l." said
Miss Severance, "and l think she
cares"
mo one could be sweeter than you
were," the old man turned on her
fiercely, until You learned to break
mems hearts"
And to break my own" said
Katherine Severance.
Out of a deep silence he asked:
"Then you, too, have suffered?"
Yes DO you remember a leap
year dance and a girl all in white,
with silver slippers and a rose In her
hair?"
"You," he breathed.
"And she made up her mind that
she would tell the man whom once she
had spurned that she had changed
and-and-that he was the only man
in the world-for her. But she was
proud-and-she could not, for he
gave her no opening-and, after all,
she was a woman-and a woman can
not WOO"
Katherine" he said, and his voice
broke; dear girl, If you had spoken,
how much of happiness life would
have held for us"
And tonight when Kitty went to
her leap year dance, all the past
rolled back on me and wanted her
to be happy with man like you.
II is too late now for us-but surely
they"
He laughed like boy "Too late?
Why, how old are you, Katherine"
Forty"
"And ! am fifty-two. And we're
young, dearest. And the world is be-
tore US. Do you think Kitty and
Rodney are the only ones In the
world who can live and lover"
He took her hands masterfully In