The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-03-20
HISS PENELOPE, SENIOR.
81

MISS PENELOPE, SENIOR.
By BARBARA YEoHroN.
DR.. Hardy was Miss Penelope's faith
er, and Miss Penelope was aunt to PEN
elope Hardy. Jr. They had lived near
y all their lives in the same old-fash-
icned house, and Miss Penelope had
' been away from it for one night
YER There had been a large family
OF them, but only Miss Penelope and
the doctor reniained--he peculiar and
somewhat Of q martinez; she, with o
simple, self sacrificing nature and q
strict New England conscience.
At last the doctor grew too feeble
to practice any longer, and, after some
demur, sold ont to DR.. Joel She-burne,
. shrewd, energetic Maine man, who
set up his single q little way off, and
soon extended the business. He was
cheerful rs we'll as skillful, and people
were quick to find it out. Still, he
could not afford to despise DR.. Hardy's
many years OF experience, and was very
glad sometimes to ask the older mans
advice, which gratified him and conse-
quently pleased Miss Penelope. 1t was
such 9 break in the monotony Of their
lives to have this big CHEEKY man to
come in and sit an hour with them,
bringing 3 breath OF the outer world
with him, for his talk WAS not always of
medicine; busy as he was he found lime
to read the magazines, and many q new
idea and pleasant thought found its way
to Miss Penelope's more than half
starved brain.
They made q coy group around the
upen hearth. The doctors talked and
argued to their hearts content, while
Miss Penelope sat on the opposite side
of the hearth and knitted and darned
and listened. She was full OF kindly
impulses, and observing that DR.. Sher-
burne's driving gloves were out at the
fingers, she timidly offered one evening
10 mend them for him, and did so while
he sat there; another time, in some
mysterious way she discovered that there
were great holes in his overcoat pockets,
which also received attention, and
gradually the new doctor began to have
q quiet, friendly feeling for the unob-
trusiye little woman.
Affairs were at this stage when Pene.
dope, Jr., came home. In o fit of graft
tude for having been nursed through a
severe illness, her mother had named
her sitter Miss Penelope; but, q the
gratitude wore away, it was corrupted
to Pansy, % silly, furbishy name" said
her grandfather, who never called her
by it, though every one else did, sven
DR.. Sherburne, although he liked the
old fashihned name best and always
thought of her by it. Her mother had
died years before, and her father was in
California making money, SO the girl
spent her summers with her mothers
people and her winters in the old home
stead.
She was q happy. winsome young
thing, and frightened up the old house
wonderfully. She and DIR. Sherburne
made friends at ono DR.. Joel dropped
in quite often now, and n close observer
would have noticed that he wore his
Sunday clothes almost every evening,
was much more particular in his general
appearance, and always had something
to show or tell Penelope, Jr., in which
that willy little maiden appeared to be
deeply Interested. These days Pene-
lope, ST., did not feel rs cheerful as
usual. 1t did not occur to her to blame
either of them; in fact. she knew of q
little episode in Pansy's life which had
resulted in the pretty ring on her fin.
ger, and she thought the doctor knew
it, and it seemed quite natural that he
would prefer the younger woman's com
pany.
As time wore on the doctors visits
grew very frequent, and he began to
realize, for the first time In his busy
life. that bachelor quarters were bare
and dismal places. Visions of a pleas
ant hearth of his own and a pleasant
face beside the hearth began to haunt
his waking moments, and, after much
cogitation and weighing of pros and
cons, DIR. Sherburne wrote q letter. 1t
was q work Of some time and madita-
Sion, and cost many a sheet of paper
before it was completed; then a patient
unexpectedly stepping into the office,
it was hurriedly addressed to "Miss
Penelope Hardy" and despatched.
During the day it was received.
Pansy took it in, and reading the super
scription, ran up stairs lightly to Miss
Penelope's room with it. Here Miss
Penelope Hardy" she cried g yly hold
ing the letter oyer her head, els a love
letter for you. OH You sly auntie to
be receiving letters from unknown Ito
me-. writer's. Here, read it, and then
confess to ms, DRILL never forgive you"
She ranlaughingly away, and Miss PEN
elope WIS left alone with her letter.
After looking it over on all sides she
cut off the end Of the envelope with her
scissors and drew out the letter, and
this was what she read:
DEAR MISS PENELopE-Perhaps you will be
surprised when You read this letter. / hope
that you have Guessed long ago how dear you
the guidance OF your dear life into my hands.
! NOW thereis q difference in our ages, but
not 80 great, ] hope, that love can not bridge il
over; andI will try my best to shield you from
every trial and care, and to deserve your afec-
ton.
year. and can offer son q very comfortable
home, and you will still be near enough to the
homestead to be able to look after them. ]
know yon must have had other suitors be-
fore me, aud / am plain and old-fashioned, no,
gifted with flowers of speech, but ] shall con.
slider myself . most happy and fortunate mar
II you will consent to be my wife.
Yours sincerely,
JOHN S~HERBuRNE.
p. G.-Pfsase let me hear from yon rs soon