The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-30
LEAP YEAR PROPOSALS
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

tones.
The others glanced at one another
with understanding.
Hope glued her ear to the door of
an anteroom that led to the office.
Hes not here yet, but he couldn't
hear anyway"
"Of whom are you speaking?" in
quired Charity Brown precisely.
Him, of course! The professor"
We'll, what about the professor"
"He has Just inherited a fortune,
girls-a fortune-think OF it, They
say it's nearly million dollars, or it's
in pounds, | believe, for it's English.
and they say there is title that goes
with it. But I'm not sure of that"
The excitement caused by this re-
mark was obvious.
"But how do you know all this is
true?" inquired Genevieve Travis.
Il can't tell that. I'm not permitted,
but his lawyer and my cousin-oh,
girls, can't say any more"
But Hope, why the fiutter? What's
back of it all?" asked Genevieve. You
still have something up your sleeve
or miss my guess. If you don't hurry
up and tell believe you'll burst"
Hope giggled again. "Oh, don't you
see, girls? He's not married." she
whispered dramatically.
Welt" in chorus.
"And it's leap year"
A cIiddou ciIapoa faII 1Ypop tho NOON,
Hope looked triumphantly from one to
another.
Then bell began to ring and they
heard mans voice in the hall. I'VE
must go now" said Hope. ITS up to
you girls to do the rest. But it seems
to me that fifteen young and attractive
women, who pride themselves on hav-
ing brains, would be very foolish to let
a million dollars and a good-looking
man get out of this building single and
unpromised in leap year. Sh! Don't
let another soul know it or it will
spoil our chance. Two months yet,
and let the best man win!" She
opened the door and went out, fol
lowed by fourteen teachers, who smiled
guilty as they passed man standing
by his office door. John Aylmer looked
after them quizzically.
Hope Landing went into No. and
he caught flash of her eyes as the
door closed. There was something
| disturbing in that glance, and he felt
an uneasiness he could not explain.
Il suppose | was bit hateful about
things this morning" he reflected
Really she's about the best teacher
in the building, but didn't need to get
nasty about the spelling. l thought
she'd hit me when tore up those pa
pers! l wish l didn't feel so devilish
in the morning when I've been out to
party the night before.
The door of No. opened to let the
children in and he caught another
flash of Hopes eyes. He had taken
two steps in that direction, but re-
treated hastily. Hanged IL I'll apollo
gize! She's perfectly capable of TAX
ing care of herself. She's pretty when
she's mad, though! By Jove, she's al
ways pretty! She has smile and a
voice that would coax a bird off a
tree"
The school filled and quieted. Doors
closed and a gong rang. The afternoon
work was on.
In the next week, il was wonderful
how head dressings took on waves and
puffs, fiat heels grew inches high and
cheeks bloomed. Smiles were every
where-yet there was certain exclu-
siveness quite apparent among the
teachers, who regarded one another
with suspicious GOODNESS. None of this,
however, reached the puzzled princi
pal, who had never experienced such
overwhelming attention as he was now
receiving. Perplexity turned to wari
ness when Genevieve Travis asked for
private interview, and as delicately
as she could, suggested herself as 9
fitting life mate for him. He refused
her offer as kindly as he could, but
firmly.
The next day Charity Brown, plainly
and without any vanishing, popped
the question. Professor Aylmer re
treated instantly, thinking she had lost
her senses. But in the next fortnight
he had received fourteen perfectly
good proposals of marriage, all OF
which he had humbly and gratefully
declined.
There was one person left. Hope
Landing had not come forth to Offer
her heart and hand This puzzled hin
more than anything else.
One day after four o'clock he was
taking requistion slips to the frs
floor rooms. In No. 4 Hope Landing
was sealing letter at her desk, but
her eyes, instead Of flashing defiance
were full of real tears.
Its my resignation" she said
brokenly. Il can't stand it here any
longer. The whole place is hateful L
| me! I'll never play another practica
joke as Icing as l live" vehemently
Then followed a confession of her plar
to get even with her superior And
: after all, it was only cruel to those
} poor souls here" she went on. I'm
ashamed of Tayself!"
You needn't be-" he declared
"They are a lot Of geese. Hope, dear
love you. Could you take me or
eighteen hundred a year and hear
full of devotiUn?"
Z" She hesitated, then smiled
suddenly. Why. yes, I suppose
could!"
Copyright, 1916 by the Mcclure Newspa
per SyndiCate)