Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-04-17
MISS PENELOPE. sR.

barbara Yechton in Demores's Monthly.l
DR.. Hardy was Ais Penelopss father,
and Hiss Penslois was aunt to
Penelope Hardy, Jr. Thsy bad lived
: nearly all their lives in ths same old
fashioned house, and Miss Penelope bad
never been away from it for enc night even.
There had teen large family Of them. and
Is all the others were quicker and more self-
asserting that Miss Penelope, somehow she
had always been put aside and burdens laid
upon her small shoulders in q fashion that
might have broken down q stronger spirit;
but she never thought about it at arst, and
when she did At last wake up to the fact the
muther had been laid TO rest in the quaint
old church-yard, the brothers and sisters
were married or gone out into the world,
and her own youth was gone Only Miss Pen
| slope and the doctor remained-he peculiar
and somewhat of . martinez; she with q
simple, sslf-sacrifcing nature and . strict
New England conscience which always kept
her keenly sensible Of her own shortcomings.
At last the doctor grew zoo feeble to prac-
tics any longer, and after some demur, sold
out 10 DIR. Joel Sherburne, q shrewd. ener-
getic Maine man. who set up his shingle .
| little way III and soon extended the bust
| ness A. much again Is when he got il He
was cheerful well ss skillful two essen
tials To = popular physicianl, keeping well
up with the times, and people wsre
quick to find it out Still, he
could not afford to despiss Dr.
Hardy's many years Of expert
ence. and was very glad some
4 times to ask the older mans advice which
| gratiiied him and consequently pleased Miss
Penelope. 1t was such . break in the mo-
notony II their humdrum livss to have tins
big CHEEKY man to come III and sit an hour
with them, bringing . breath Of the outer
! world with him, for mis- talk was not always
OF medicine; busy as be was, be found time
to read the magazines. AMI many a new idea
and pleasant thought found it, way 10 Miss
Penelope's more than half-starved brain
They made cosy group around the open
hearth, FOR DIR. Harry was fond Of a roar
ing wood fire Is Charles Dudley Warner
him elf, and looked upon a hole in the floor
es an inv-ntion of tho Evil One.
The two doctors talked and arYusi 10 their
| hearts content, while Miss Penelope at on
the opposite side OF the hearth, and knitted
or darnei and listened. She was full Of
kindly impulses, and observjns that Dr.
Sherhurne's driving gloves were cut at
fingers. she timidly offered, one evening, to
III, nd them for him, ami did while he sat
there; another time in some mysterious
way, she dIs overeI that t1ere were gre {
holes IN his overcoat pocket. which al o re-
ceived attention. and gradually the ne doc
tor began to have a quiet friendly feeling
for the unobstrusvs LITTLE woman.
Now Mis-, Fen slope had never had a beau,
that Is. an out-and ont one Many years To- |
fore, when she wa, in the hey-iay of her |
youth, and round ami pleasant TO look at |
L. \
made two advances. On one occasion |
he had waited at the church door ~ zee her |
hO,ne, and had male 1t point to offer her |
halt his book ia sinsinS-scEool, hut Miss |
Penelope had been too shy Indifferent 10 |
respond, finally he went away. and she |
never hoard anythin. mora Of him. Her |
life had Leen too full OF cares and 70 ,ponsi- |
billties to give any thought 10 love or love
making. so she came to he an unienably Oil |
maid without ever having beel in love.
Affairs were at thi, stage when Penelope,
Jr, came home In . fit Of gratitude for /
having been nursei through a severe iilns $.
her mother had namei her after Miss Pene-
lope, but tho gratitude wore away. 1t
was corrupted to Pansy, "a silly, furbishy
NAME said her grandfather, and never
called her by it, though every one
else did. even DIR. Sherburns, although,
be liked the li-fashioned name best, and
always thought Of her by it Her mother
had died years before, and her father wa, in
California making money. 20 the girl spent
her summer with her mothers people. and
her winters in the old homes,eai
She was u happy, winsorne young thing,
and tris htenei up the old houss wonderfully
She and DR.. Sherburne made friends at once
She playsi on tbs thrsslsySsi Old piano,
.,,l . -. r. |
accompany her on tbs violin Saeh fun as
they hal over ;heir dusts, slch vigorous
and mast.rful beginnings. AMI su h lama
and squeaky endings They we're even
daring enough to attempt Ds Bsriot!
DR.. Joel dropped in quite often now, and
. close observer would have noticed that he
wore his Sunday clothes almost every even
ing. was much mors 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 Thess days Penelope, ST.,
did not feel as cheerful o. usual She found
herself signing and feeling very lonely at
times. and thoss times, strange u say, were
generally whom Pan.y and DR.. joel were
practicing duets together, Or reading out of
the same book or talking over mutual expo
riencss in the outside world. II did not occur
to her 10 blame either of them, in fact sbs
knew of little episode in Psnsy's life whica
had resulted in the pretty ring on hsr finger.
and she thought the doctor know it, and it
seemed quite natural that he would prefer
the younger woman's company. She blamed
no one, nor thought OF analyz ring her own
feelings she only knsw sac was not 50 cheer
ful as usual
As time wore on the doctors visits grew
very frequent. and ne began to rsaliss. for
tho first time in his busy life, that bachelor
quarters we're bare AMI disn-,l places VS.
ions Of pleasant hearth Of his own AMI |
pleasant face beside the hearth, began T.
haunt his waking moments AMI after much
ccgitation and weighing OF pros ami cons,
DR.. Shsrburns wrote . letter Il was Q |
work Of some time and meditation, and 0 st
many q shest OF paper before it was COM
plets i; then, pltent unexpectedly step
ping into tire otiice, II wa Lurrieiiy a.
dressed to Miss Penelope Harry" AMI DIS
patched.
During the day it was received, Pansy
took it in, and reading the uisr>cription,
ran upstairs lightly TO Miss Penelo2s's room
with it. Here. Miss Penelope Hardy. she
cried, gaily holding the letter over her head;
SIS . Iove-letssr for you Oai you sly aunty.
TO 10 receiving l.. ter from unknown Ito me.
N4lter- fiefe, reai IL ana then Confess 10 |
me II II never forgive you She ran
lsughinSly away. ami Miss Penelope wa
LETT alone vita her letter. 1t vas most unu-
sual for her TO receive one, unless from
fansy when She was away, 30 she put on her
spectacles and read the address carefully be-
lore she Incl it. II was certainly for her,
Mo Penelope Hardy in . bold free hand;
all Penelops', letters were sidresssi to
fansy After Looking it over on all ii les.
she cut of the end o. tie envelope with her
.ea.orS and drew cut the letter, and this .
" hat she read:
DIAR MISS fHyRLorI:-Perhaps you will |
IL uIprised When you read this letter. ]
hope that You have guessed long ago how
dear you are 10 me, and that you may b
wiling ~ give the guidance OF your dear
lie into my hands.
Know there is . differences in our ages
but nos - great / hope that love cannot
r.dSs it over: and / will Try my bs,t 70
'hSsli you from every trial aud care and 70
ie erve Your affection
I have prJspe-ed in business during tho
past year, and can offer you . very comfor;
able home, and YOU viii still be near enough
10 the homestead 10 Be able 20 look after
them. | know you must have had other
sutton, before me. ami am plain ami old
not gifted with hJvers Of speech.
but | shall consider myself . most happy
and fortunate man II You viii consent u b.