The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-09-25
HOW SHE DID 1T.

| nSV LII
Peter Pennywise was in deep
grief. All the hopes of lifetime
were to be frustrated. The fond
ambition he had so long nursed, his
pet scheme to make the name of
Pennywise the greatest in the land,
was now no more. His only son
Launcelot, was to be married to
plebian-to a girl who had wealth,
but no name, no family, no ancestry,
or no coat of arms on the panel of
the coach.
Could human misery be greater? ?
Could the Ossa of grief piled on the
Pelion of disappointment make
heavier load of sorrow No. The
cup of Prnnywise was full to the
brim, and he must drain it to the
! lees, however bitter the drsnght.
Such was the tenor of old Penny
wise's musings as he paced the vel
vet carpeted floor of his library on
the evening when our story opens.
A conversation his son had with him
as they sat together slipping their
wine after dinner, had been the
cause of all this tumnlt in tine breast
of Peter Pennywise.
LauncelOt was a weak. eyed, thin
skinned youth, with thin yellow hair
which he parted in the center, and
little whisk of saffron whiskers on
each side of his face, the pulling OF
which with his nervous little hand
constituted the principa! employment
OF the scion uf the house of Penny
wise.
"Father," said Launcelot, after
gulping down or three glasses of
wine to give him courage. "Fath-
er."
'Well my son, what do you want ?
| asked the pompOus head Of the
house.
'What do you think of marriage Z?
"What do l think OF what ?" ask
ed the surprised Pennywise.
"Think of marriage" replied
Launcelot. "Matrimopy, you. know
Two hearts with but a single thought,
two souls that beat as one, and all
that"
81 think that every man should
marry, and l would be glad to hear
that you had fixed your affections
on some lady with the proper quail
ications."
"What are the proper qualifica-
tions % induired Launcelot.
"Family," replied the faher,
'family-whatever else you do, be
sure you never disgrace the name OF
Pennywlse by plebian connection"
"Why, is our family such great
one ?" demanded the young man.
GA great one - echoed Penny
wise; "why its the greatest one in
the land !; Study carefully the gen.
ealogical tree that hangs in the hall,
and which cost me FIVE thousand
dollars to have properly traced, and
you will see that the name of Penny
wise was as well known as that of
William at the time of the Norman
| conquest, and that the coat of-arms
is one of the most respectable and
ancient that ever heraldry boasted
Of"
"Well, of course, that's true, faith
er but I've heard some of the fe!-
lows at the club say that grandfather
was pawn"
"I our grandfather was a broker
and banker, as | myself am, and was
FULLY aware OF the responsibility of
being worthy OF his family said Mr..
Pennywise, interrupting his son !;
"therefore he began my education by
impresslng the value of family on
my youthful mind, and SO when |
grew older, and he intimated to me
that ! ought to marry the highly re.
{ spected Miss Poundfoolish, went
to the lady, proposed, and was ex
cepted. Thus | consolidated the
two great families of Pennywise and
Poundtoolish, and you and your two
sisters are the result. But you ask
my opinion of matrimony, and you
think of MARI, ing %
aye es, sir" gasped Launcelot
"And whom do you propose hon
oring with your name ?''
"Miss-a-Miss Petersham," as
swered the youthful Pennywise.
"Petersham-Petersha am | never
heard of Petersham. Who is she P"
demanded the old gentleman with a
darkening brow.
"She is very rich"
And Launce faltered.
'sRiches is very well, but you don't
need them. Your mother left you
all her fortune, and l shall leave YOU
part OF mine if you marry as l wish.
But who is this-tlis Petersham +?
what does her father do ?''
"He keeps large clothing estab.
lishment.
"What!" roared Pennywise ga
tailor? 1t shall never be. The arms
of Penny shall never be married
with needle, or disgraced by a.
a great heavens Ia goose 1t sh all
never be-"
1T must be i" said .Launcelot, going
to the door, because I've popped,
| ana Deen accepted.
The old man mechanically arose,
and walked to his study, where he
began pacing the floor, as we found
him at the commencement of our
story.
A gentle knock on the library
door aroused Mr.. Penny and
bidding the knocker come in, he
seated himself in his easy chair, and
prepared to receive This visitor.
The visitor proved 10 be the gov.
erness of the two Miss Penny wise's,
sged twelve and fourteen-wbose
disorderly conduct and willful dis.
truction of wardrobe and textbooks
occasioned many visit to the libra-
ry after the dinner hour by the gov
erness.
She was neat, pretty little body,
and often attracted the attention and
notice OF the young men who came
to visit Launcelot, but she paid not
the slightest attention either to their
compliments or glances, attending
quietly to her pupils, and seeming
wholly wrapped up in their charge.
In fact Charley Gushingham, who
was falling in love with every girl he
met, once observed of her to Lauuce.
lo::
"Launce, that governess gal
what's her name?-Amy Door ?
amt got any heart. The only thing