, 1885-02-08
MISS PENELOPE, sR.

~
fashioned houss, and Miss Panalopo had
never been away from IL for one night even
There had heen a large family OF them. and
As all the Others were quicker and more self
asserting that Miss Penelope, somehow sho
had always taun put aside and burdens laid
upon her small shoulders In n fashion hat
might Ia We broken down q stronger spirit,
but sho never thought about Il at first, and
when she did at last wnks up to tho fact the
mother had boon laid 10 nest In the quaint
old c~hurch-ynrd. tho brothers and sisters
were married OF gone out into the world.
md her own youth was gonoL Only Miss Pom
clops and tho doctor remnined-he peculiar
and somewhat OF a martinez. she. with n
simple, eelf-ancrihcing nature and n strict
New England conscience which always kept
her kacnly sensible Of her own shortcomings
AZ last Tho doctor grew too feeble 10 prnc-
tfce any longer. and after some dcmur, sold
out 10 DR.. Joel Hhcrburne. q ahrewd. enor-
getic Maine man. who set up his single a
little way on and soon cxfended the buli-
noa as much again a when he got IT. He
was cheerful a. wull rs skillfui two ossen-
tiais 70 q popular physlclanl. keeping well
quick b find il out Still, he
could not afford to dsspiss DR..
Hardy many years Of expert
ence. and was very glad m
times 70 ask the older mans advica, which
Erntihod him and consequently pleased Miss
Ponelopa. II was such n break In tho mo
notony Of thoir humdrum lives to have tins
big CHEEKY man 10 como In and sit an hour
with thom, bringing a breath Of the outer
world with him, for bis talk was not always
OF medicine; busy as he was, he found time
70 read tho magazines, and man n nav idea
and pleasant thought found it, way to Miss
Penelope's more than hn~lf-starved brain.
They made n cosy group around the open
hearth, for DR.. Harry was a. fond OF a roar
ing wood iife a. Charles Dudley Warner
himself. and looked upon "A hole In the floor"
as an invention OF tho EVIL Ono.
Tho two doctors talked and argued 10 their
hearts content, while Miss Penelope bat on
the opposite sido OF the hearth, and knitted
or darned and listoned- She was full OF
kindly impulses, and observing that DR..
sherburnoa driving gloves were out at
fingers she timidly offered, ono evening, 10
mond them for him, and did 30 while no sat
there; another time, In some mysterious
way, she discovered that there wera great
holes In his overcoat pockets. which also TO
cclvod attsntion. and gradually tho new doc
tor began 70 have a quiet friendly feeling
for the unobstruslvo little woman.
Now Miss Pcnslopo had never had a beau,
that Is. m ~out-and-out ona Many yean be-
fore. when she was in the hoy-dny Of her
youth, and round and pleasant 10 look ut,
John Miller, tho shool .mnster'n son, had
made Qua or two advances. On ono occasion
be had waited at the church door to SEQ hsr
home, and had made II a point 10 offer her
half his o In hinging-school. but Miss
Penelope had been too shy or indifferent TO
respond, 30 finally he went away, aud she
never heard anything More u him. Her
IIF. IaI -. -. Nan ~ 49, .,I -.A...
bilities 10 give any thought TO love or love
making, 20 she came to 10 an undoniably oil
maid without ever having been in love.
Affairs were ut this stage when Penelope,
Jr., came home In n nj OF gratitude for
having been nursed through a severe illness,
her mother had named her after Miss Peno-
lor4. but az the gratitude wore away. 1t
wns corrupted TO Pansy, "a silly, furbishy
name said her grandfather, and never
called her by il. though every one
else did. even DIR. Sherburne, although,
he liked tho old fashioned name best, and
always thought Of her by IT Her mother
had died years before, and hor father wa in
California making money, 50 tho girl spent
her summera with her mothers people, and
her winters In tho old homestead.
She was "A happy, winsomo young thing.
and hrlghtenod up the old house wonderfully.
She and DR.. Sherburno made friends at once.
She played on tho threologgod old piano,
and the doctor suddenly discovered he could
accompany her on tho violin. Such fun as
they had oyer their ducts. such vigorous
and masteriul beginnings, and such lnms
and aqucaky endIngk They were even
daring enough 70 attempt Do Bariotl
DR.. Joel dropped In quite often now, and
a close observer would hnve noticed that no
wore his Sunday clothes almost every oven
L.. - ~m..nF 49,. ~-.~8l..I. l.. Nt.-..---f
appearance, and always had Eomothing to
show or tell Penelope, Jr., in which
that willy liplo maiden appeared to be
deeply interested These days Pcnelope, ST.,
did not feel as cheerful a. usual. She found
herself signing and feeling very lonely at
times, and tho4e times, strange 10 say, were
generally when Pansy and DR.. Joel were
practicing ducts together, or reading out Of
the same book or talking over mutual exps-
riencos In the outside world IL AID not occur
to her TO blame either OF than, in fact she
knew OF a little episode in Pansy's life which
had resulted in the pretty ring on her finger,
and she thought the doctor know II. and Il
seemed quite natural that no would prefer
tho younger woman's company. She blamed
no one. nor thought Of analysing her own
feelings. she only knew she was not 90 cheer
full As usual
As time WON on the doctors visits grow
very frequent, and he began TO realiks. for
the first time In his busy life, that bachelor
quarters we're bare nnd dismal places Wis.
ions OF n pleasant hearth OF his own. and a
pleasant face beside the hearth. began ~
haunt his waking moments, and after much
coEitation and Weighing OF pros and cons,
DR.. Sharburne wrote a letter. Il was a
work Of some time and meditation, and cost
many a SHEET Of paper before it was CON.
plsted; then. a patient unexpectedly step
ping into tho Office, il was hurriedly al
dressed to Mis- Penalope Harry" and dis
patched
During the day II was recsivod, Pansy
took Il in, and reading thu supsrscriptlon,
ran up-stais lightly to Mis- Psnelops's room
with H. Herr. Miss Penelops Hardy. " sid
cried. gnly boiling the lettar over her head
is a love-lsttsr for you Obi you sly aunty,
to 10 receiving latter from unknown TO nal
writers Here. Rad H. and then confess u
nj " IN never forgive you" She ran
laughingly away. and Mias Psnolopa va.
left alone with her letter. Il wns mott unu.
sunl for her To recsive ons, unless from
Pnnsy WHEN she was way. 20 she put on heI
spectacies and road the addrcss carefully h.
fore she opened IT, Il was certainty Tor her,
Mis- Penelope Hardy in a bold free hand,
all Renelopes letters wers addrezssi 4
rnnsy. After looking II over on all sidea,
she cut on tho end q the envelope with her
SCISSORS. and drew cut the letter. and this /.
what she rad.
DEAR Miss PEsELoPEs-Perhaps you Will
Be- surprised hen you read this letter.
hops that you ave guessed long ago how
dear you are 10 me. and that you may b
willing 10 givs the guidance o. your dear
LIE int my hands.
NOV lhere Is a difference In our ages
but not - great I hops that love cannot
fridge Il over. and 1 viii Try my best 70
| AhL-m lun lrum nH.rY NIL anl car. Al 4.