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

having; now, I am an old woman. Aud
yet he loves me, and will consider him.
self fortunate if I will be his wife.
What have I done to deserve this great
happiness!" Falling on her knees by
her bedside, poor Miss Penelope sobbed
and cried q vail of sorrow for her lost
| youth and more than one tear of Joy.
Here Penelope, Jr., appeared upon the
scene, and hearing the wonderful news
told by Miss Penelope with Us many
bushes as q girl of sixteen, clapped her
hands, and embraced her relative on the
spot, declaring it was no more than she
had expected.
On DIR. Sherburne's table lay two
letters, which he was quick to spy when
he came in. One was postmarked
Boston" and was from his sister; the
other was directed in o small, cramped
hand, the capitals carefully elaborated
as It by one not given to much writing.
Neither Of them seemed to be what lie
expected, SO he read his sisters letter
first. The end of it ran thus:
Do you know any body in that very
far away village of yours by the name
of Pansy Harding? 1 happened to
know (in confidence, of conrse) that
she is engaged to my particular pet.
Archie Johnston. He raves over her q
me, and report says her paternal rela-
tive has no end of money. I am dy.
ing to know all about her. Do make
her acquaintance, and give me ) GU can
did opinion of her. .
Her pretty ring "a friend" to whom
she constantly spoke of writing. and
numberless incidents unnoticed at the
time, rushed to his memory. and a slow
sickening conviction grew upon the
lonely man that youth attracts youth"
and that Archie Johnston's Pansy
would never be his wife. Slowly,
aimlessly, he opened the other letter,
but, after the first line or two, read
rapidly to the end. Miss Penelope
wrote:
l have read your letter, and must say it was
a great surprise to me. never imagined that
you cared SO mnch, or at all, for me. First OF
all, want to tell you some things that you may
not know. You speak Of the difference in our
ages as ~ were a great deal. may look
Younger than l am, but did not think 40. 1
am forty-four, and l heard you tell father you
were fo-ty-nine, so you see there is very little
difference. I%promised mother when she died.
ten years ago, that as long as father lived I
wonid AXE care Of him, sol you took me you
would have to take father too, and not many men
would want an old maid fora wife, and her old ia
Their besides. You are also mistaken about nv
having had suitora. / have never had one in nv
life; you are the only man who has ever cared
enough for me to ask me to marry him, 80 I
know nothing about love affairs, but l do know
that your letter has made me very happy. and
that II it should be the will Of Providence, will
try 70 make YOU a good wife. But 1 would like
you to consider all the obstacles, and do moth
PENELOPE HARDY.
"Whew!" whistled the doctor. sit.
ting upright in his chair. Here's a
duce of a mess! I asked Penelope, Jr.,
AMI Penelope, ST., has accepted mel"
l would not like to say how many
pipes the doctor smoked that night, OF
how many times that letter was read.
Enough that quite early next morning a
small boy brought q note to Miss Pene.
lope containing these words:
The obstacles are not i~nsurmountable. I
shall call to see you this afternoon. J.R
This note threw Miss Penelope into q
state of nervousness very trying to Pene-
lope, Jr., though it must be confessed
that energetic young person did a great
deal in q short .ime-certainly Pene.
lope Hardy, with her hair rolled
loosely at the nape of her neck, instead
OF in a tight knot on the top Of
her head, with a soft bow of pretty
blue fastening the simple linen collar.
and relieving the severely made black
dress, with q pink flush, (born of in
tense ~excitement) on her cheeks, and a
new light in her timid eyes, was a much
pleasanter person to look at than the
Penelope who had sat by the hearth
and darned.
Penelope, Jr., opened the door for
him. Il am very glad" she whisper
ed, heartily pressing his hand in her
eager, girlish fashion, 81 always thought
you would suit each other" And before
he could find words to respond Chat last
remark being rather hard upon him,
considering the circumstances led him
quickly to the barlor, and shutting tho
door softly, went away.
Behold your Ulyssesl" he said, with
o forced gayety, very foreign to his usual
self-possessed manner But as he saw
the small shrinking figure, the thin
face flushed, the hands roughened and
stained with many years of willing
labor for others, twisting each other
nervously, and thought of the constant
se%lf-sacritice and repression she had en-
dured so long and so patiently, q great
wave of pity, very nigh akin to love,
swept over his heart, and he put out
both hands with a protecting gesture to
meet hers, saying earnestly: "Let us
cast u lots together, Penelope, and
try to be good to one another"
This all happened some time ago, and
II would scarcely recognize the staid,
prim, Miss Penelope in the sweet-faced,
placid little lady who rules DIR. Sher-
burne's house.
Travelling Incognito.