The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-10
LEAP YEAR PROPOSALS
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

of whom are you speaking?" IL
quired Charity Brown precisely. :
Him, OF course! The professori
We'll, what about the professor?
He has Just inherited a fortune
girls-a fortune-think OF it! The,
say it's nearly million dollars, or it,
In pounds, believe, for it's English
and they say there is a title that goe
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 4
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,
back Of it alp" asked Genevieve. "Yo,
still have something up your sleey,
or miss my guess. II 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.
WE'LL" in chorus.
And it's leap year."
A sudden silence fell upon the room
Hope looked triumphantly from one tc
another
Then a bell began to ring and they
heard a mans voice in the hall. eve
must go now" said Hope. ITS I'D 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
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 1t will
spoil our chance Two months vet.
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. 4 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 l 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. thought
she'd hit me when tore up those pa-
persi ] wish didn't feel so deyilish
In the morning when I've been out to
party the night before.
The door Of No. 4 opened to let the
children in and he caught another
Hash Of Hopes eyes. He had taken
two steps in, that direction, but re-
treated hastily. Hanged II I'll apollo
gize! She's perfectly capable Of TAX
ing care of herself. She's pretty when
she's mad, thought BY Jove, she's al
ways pretty! She has q smile and a
voice that would coax a bird of a
tree"
The school filed and Quieted. Doors
closed and 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 a 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
a private interview, and as deIicately
as she could, suggested herself as
hitting 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. Hone
Landing had not come forth to offer
her heart and hand. This puzzled him
more than anything else.
One day after four o'clock he was
taking requisition slips to the first
noor rooms. In No. 1 Hope Landing
was sealing letter at her desk. but
her eyes, instead of flashing defiance.
were full Of real tears.
IT'S my resignation" she said
brokenly. Il can't stand it here any
longer. The whole place is hateful to
mel I'll never play another practical
Joke as long as l live" vehemently.
Then followed confession of her plan
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 myself"
you needn't bel" he declared.
They are lot Of geese. Hope. dear,
l love you. Could you take me on
eighteen hundred a year and heart
full Of devotion?"
r" Sho hesitated, then smiled
suddenly. Why, yes, suppose
couldl"
Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per SyndfcateO