The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-09-29
A CENTENNIAL STORY.
BY ANNIE BLoUNT cANTwELL.


l am bound and determined TO go p'
"Oh! 1 felt sure you would go, years
agor'
"Now that is simply exasperating.
You know l haven't the shadow of a
| chancew
"But you just said you were bound
and determined to 90 p"
"And so l will be until the last week
of the centennial"
The speakers were Penelope Theron
and Philip Oswald. They were not
| lovers, but strong, platOnic friends.
1t was Penelope who had expressed
| her determination to go 10 the centen-
niaI, and l overheard the above sentences
as the handsome pair passed under my
window on their way down the village
street.
Late that evening Penelope came
creeping up the dark stairway, calling,
esther! Esther! where are you? l
want to have chat"
"Make a night of it, DEAR" l replied,
''for it will do you a world of good to
fume and fret away some of the surplus
momentum that is hurrying you on to
destruction. Come, off with that tOque,
and slip on one of my wrappers"
"Nonsense" exclaimed Penelope,
with little rasp of tears in her sweet
voice. But she threw the tOque on my
bed, ,donned a buff wrapper, and then
threw herself full length upon the
lounge, in perfect sea of pulsing, fra
grant moonlight.
esther Montcalm, you always rest
me-" she said softly. "Your presence,
your voice, your smile, your movements,
are all like some soothing spell upon my
turbulent soul. And Esther, how
strange l never thought of it before"
"What ?' l asked.
"How perfectly you and your name
fit each other. Esther means "a STAR or
good fortune; and Montcalm means, of
course, calm, peaceful night, place of
repose. 1t suits you quite as well as my
coguOmen fits me. You know" with a
laugh and little sigh, "that Penelope
means, in Greek, weaver, and Theron
in the same language signifies a hunter.
My name. or l myself, was made to
order j am a weaver of the widest
romances, the filmiest gossamer fancies,
the most graceful, tender idyls that
human brain ever revealed in; and |
am a hunter after the unattainable, the
evereluding. All mel"
Such a profound sigh from the hand
some, firm mouth moved me to more
than a spasm of sympathy.
penelope" l said, alittle vehemently,
''yOu are wearing yourself out, and
taking life very hard.
"And you wish to stop me in my mad
careerI' She laughed lictle scornfully.
'No," / replied; nothing any one
can sag will ever stop you. | know the
impetus that is rushing you on. 1t is
merciless and uncompromising.
cit is! it isP' she said in a low voice.
"YOu are right. But how such a cool,
composed, unimpulsive creature as you
can appreciate my feverish condition, l
cannot understand. / feel that l am
driven every hour of my life before a
mysterious force, that is both obstinate
and unrelenting, and permits no terms
of compromise or truce. 1t is dreadful !'
and her large frame quivered its entire
length.
''YOu are superstitious," l answered,
rejoicing that the night concealed the
scorn on my lips.
ooh ofcourse; and why not add aceak
and siJy9"
81 did not think them," replied, my
heart softening again. 'EAll women are
learn to be strong and wise. Strength
and wisdom come not as gifts but as
wages, and hard enough earned, too"
Silence fell between us a moment.
Esther" she said, in a wondering,
calm way, "women who can say such
things, such wise generalities, and in
that sort of way, are as mysterious to
me, as sublime. indeed, as Greek god
desses. You make me feel as if were a
butterfly chasing after sweets, sleeping
and dreaming in the rose and hly-cups,
while you are a spirit in the air above
me, seeking and disclosing eternal
truths"
did not feel hattered understood
her. She was twenty, l thirty. had
been almost exactly like her as she was
then, lying in careless grace on my faded
satin loun re. How old it makes one feel
to have the metamorphosis of ten years
hard experience suddenly and vIvidly
photographed upon the mental retina
"YOu will feel differently some day."
l said to Penelope, rather irrelevantly.
"Come, let's talk of facts, not fancies |
/ hear you are determined to see the big !
show in Philadelphia"
She laughed, genuine, merry music.
$50 | have repeatedly announced, to |
the amusement and contempt of many. |
You know, every one knows, l haven't |
the shadow of a chance of going, unless, |
a Ia Micawber, something turns up, or
l, impelled by the aforesaid mysterious
power, overcome the impOssibilities |
Strategy or magic on can get me there.
Providence interferes not in my hOro- |
scope"
"Hush!"
''Now don't be good. Pm determined"
sounding every letter of the word, "togo |
Make a note of that, Esther, you cold,
passive creature"
at is booked, Pen. Please keep me |
posted regarding your tactics in manag-
ing the resisting powers"
"Oh, certainly. Aren't you thinking |
of going?"
"NO."
Don't you wish to go?"
eyes"
"And are you going to sit with folded |
hands and make no effort to get there?"
eyes"
ooh"
"That' srfght and honest, Pen. Express
YOUR contempt. Your face and voice |
are singularIy and powerfully plastic;
enough so to insure your success as a |
traged dy actress. The stage is your forte, !
Pen"
She grew radiant at this.
80 say all my friends, she answered,
with pretty self-congratulation in her
ringing tones. 81 should be opposed, |
you know but my motto is make or
break: for what is the use of living if
one cannot have ones own dearest way,
and live in the one most important thing
as one pleasesg'
chats an alluring fancy of your
temperamental philosophy" / replied.
rOIlino the nOnderOus words with Slo1y
delight. you impulsive, blissfully-
mad Penelope, l started out in life quite
as determined to hew and carve, fight