Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-03-20
SOLITARY.

to be as old as Mrs. Methusaleh If it
WASH t for the ring on the third finger of
my left hand, and the big frosted cake
with the little sugar cupids on it, and a
pair of mems boots turning out their
toes on the hearth upstairs, [ should GER
tainly think | had been asleep and dream
ing.
How did it all happen? That's an easy
question to ask, but hard one to answer.
Let me try to think, and then, perhaps,
| shall be able to collect my thoughts a
little.
People always used to say, from my girl
hood up, that Penny Lilhaven was born to
be an old maid. | wasn't pretty child.
My eyes were too big and my hair grew
too low on my forehead and there was
sallow look about my skin. And then |
had way of always putting things away
and tidying up rooms after other people,
and my little boxes and bureau drawers
were as neat as wax, and | couldn't bear
to see anything in the way of careessness
or disorder so the people would look at me
and laugh and say:
fate"
| used to cry sometimes, by myself, all
about it; but, bless your heart. no one ever
RoydOn Grey was the most merciless
tease of them all | was always afraid of
him when we went to school together, for
he used to hide behind the doors and
pounce out at me, and dress himself like
red Indian and run out of the woods,
when | went by at twilight, and throw
stones at my kitten and call me names.
and twit me with my pug nose and big
eyes. My unlucky name, too, was a
source of special attention on his part
''You II be an old maid sure, PEN he
would say. Nobody with such name as
Penelope ever gets married.
'0h, Roydon, | returned eagerly, for
the subject was one of vital interest to
me, don't you think could change my
name?'
you couldn't change your nature" he
answered, tauntingly, and away he went,
treading down my pet carnations in his
progress.
| hated Roy Grey, and yet there was
something about the boy couldn't help
liking after ali. | could not forget that
when hau the scarlet fever and lay at
deaths door, Roydon sat under my win
dow for hours and hours, waiting and
listening; and heard him say the first
day sat up in the big easy chair, with
pillow to support my weak little shout
ders:
well, I'm not sorry that she's better.
She's a queer little concern, but | should
have missed her if she had died"
was just fifteen when Roydon Grey
me the night before he sailed that she did
think was the ugliest girl of my age he
had ever seen"
\ b,,rc OF 10 1o,,1o RI
courteous compliment.
II am glad you are going away, Roy"
| cried impetuousy.
80 am l." said Roy, indifferently.
There are donkeys there, and | dare say
they have got faces just like yours. -
That was our parting. Dear me. how
little we fancied then that it would be
thirty long years before we saw each other
again.
| was an old maid in good earnest when
Roy came back from South Africa They
say no woman passes the age of twenty
five without receiving at least one offer of
marriage but | believe | was an exception
to the rule never had an offer. All of
the girls who had grown up at my side
got married, and became blooming wives
and happy mothers; but Pen Lilnaven re-
manned unsought and unwooed. 1t used
to mortify me dreadfully until | got to
be thirty, and then by degrees | left off
caring for it, and made up my mind to be
as happy as | could all by myself So, as
my relations were all dead, and | had a
tolerably snug little sum to fall back upon,
| took pretty cottage and had my neice,
Alice Lonsdale, to live with me, for she
was pretty and helpless, and | fetl as if
Providence meant me to stand in the place
&c tp hot
child.
She was just seventeen and as pretty as
the freshest rose in all my garden bower.
Tall and slim and deep blue eyes; hair like
heavens sunshine, and a deep complexion
all pink and white; you d love to look at
her just as you would love to look at flow
er or statuary or at any other beautiful
thing.
You'll be married some of these days,
Edith | said to her, for you re too
maid and then shall be oh, so busy and
so happy helping you to furnish your
house and to make you pretty wedding
things.
We were sitting in our little porch in
the summer evening twiight-my niece
and when tall straight figure came
up to the walk and looked wonderingly to
see who it was With hair black as a
ravens wing, skin bronzed by years of
tropic and sun exposure, features straig light
and clearly cut and eyes in whose dark and
mirthful glimmer there fingered strange
" familiar light, he stood there smiling
down into my face.
SIS this the Glen Cottage?" he asked
with utmost gravity.
Yes. sir, | answered, but
Don't you remember me. Penny Lii
haven? Don't you remember Roydon
Grey?"
And then sure enough | did remember
the bog who had gone away thirty-odd
years before
Well, he had made his fortune and
come back to enjoy it among his friends
All! to think that there were so few left!
Of course we had great deal to say to
one another, and thousand and one
questions to ask and as l didn't claim
to have anything of the saint in my COM
position, won't deny that it did make
me feel just little hard when l saw him
sit down by Edith Lonsdale, and talk to
her and look into her innocent blue eyes,
before l had half told him what had hap
pened in the village during the dreary
years of his absence. But the feeling did
not last long.