Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-02-15
THE LADY PENELOPE.


living road which eventually conducts to thu
town OF Ivell, YOU see on the right hand an
ivied manor house haniled by battlemented
MOWERS and more than usually distinguished
INV the size of its many mullloned WINDOWS.
Though stu of good capacity, the building Is
much reduced from Its original grand pro-
portions: it has, moreover, been shorn OF the
I. fair estate which once appertained to at, with
the exception of few acres of park land I'M
1nediatelv around the mansion This was
formerly the seat of tho ancient and knighty
family of the Drenghards, or Drenchards
now extinct in the male line, whose name,
ACCORDING to the local chronicles, was IN
ternreted to mean StrenuUS Miles, vel Pota-
tor. though certain members Of the family
were averse to the latter 81 gnitcation, and a
duel was fought by one Of them on that &C
count. as is well known. But this Is BESIDE
the story.
In the early part OF the reign Of the first
King James, there was visiting near this
place of tho DrenghardS, a lady OF nooie
family and extraordinary beauty. She pos
,sessed no great wealth, it was said, but was
sufficiently endowed. Her beauty was so per-
feet and her manner SO enhancing that suit
ors seemed TO spring out OF the ground wher-
ever she wen0-a sufficient cause OF anxiety
to the countess her mother, her only living
parent. OF these there were three in partlc-
l,lar WHOM neither her mothers complaints
of prematurity nor the ready raillery OF the
maiden herself could efFectually put of. The
said qallants were a certain Sir John Gale, a
certain Sir William Hervy and the well
known Sir George Drenghard, one of the
Drenghard family before mentioned.
They had, curiously enough, all been equally
honored with the distinction OF anighthood,
and their schemes for seeing her were mani
fold, each fearing that one of tho Others
would steal @ march over himself. Not content
with calling on every imaginable excuse at
the house Of the relative with whom she So
journed. they interrupted her in rides and
walks: and if any one of them CHANGED to sur
prise another in the act Of paying her marked
attentions the encounter often ended In an
alteration of great violence. So heated and
imprisoned, indeed would they become, that
the lady hardly felt herself safe in their com
pany at such times, notwithstanding that she
was a brave and buxom damsel, not easily
put out, ana with daring spirit Of humor in
her composition, if not Of coquetry.
On one Of these occasions, which had taken
place in her relatives grounds, and was I'M
usually bitter, threatening to result in duel,
she found it necessary to assert herself. Turn
ing haughtily upon the pair Of disputants,
she declared that whichever should be the
first to break the peace between them, what
ever the provocation, that man should never
be admitted to her presence again; and thus
would she effectually stultify the aggressor
by making the promotion of quarrel dis
tinct bar TO its objects.
While the two knights were wearing rather
hon. .,,l
he third, never far off, came upon the scene,
and she repeated her caveat to him also. See
ing, then, how great was the concern of all
at her peremptory mood, the lady's manner
softened, and she said with a rougish smile:
"Have patience, have patience, you foolish
men! Only bide your time quietly; and, in
faith, will marry you all in turnl"
They laughed heartily at this sally, all
three together, as though they were the best
of friends, at which she blushed and showed
some embarrassment, not having realized
that her arch jest would have sounded so
strange when uttered. The meeting which
resulted thus, however, had its good effect in
checking the bitterness of their rivalry; and
they repeated her speech to their relatives
and acquaintance with : hilarious frequency
and publicity that the lady little OWNED, or
she might have blushed and felt more embar-
rassrnept still.
In the course of time the position resolved
itself, and the beauteous Lady Penelope las
she was called made up her mind, her choice
being the eldest of the three knights, Sir
George DrenGha-d, owner of the mansion
aforesaid, which thereupou became her home;
and her husband being pleasant man and
his family, though not so NOBLE, of as good
repute rs her own, all things seemed to show
that she had reckoned wisely In honorine
him with her preference.
But what may lie behind the still and silent
veil of the future none can foreteIl. In the
course of a few Inonths the husband of her
choice died of his convivialitieS las if, indeed
TO bear out his n3me) and the Lady Penelope
was left alone as mistress Of his house. Bv
this time she had apparentlyqUite forgotten
her careless declaration to her lovers col.
lectiveiy; but the lovers themselves had not
forgotten it; and, as she would now be free
to take a second one of them. Sir John Gale
appeared at her door as early in her widow
hood as it was proper and seemly to do so.
She gave him little encouragement: for OF
two remaining her best beloved was Sir Will
lam, of whom, If the truth must be told, she
had often thought during her short married
life But he had not vet reappeared Her.
heart began to beSo much with him now that
she contrived 70 convey TO him by indirect
hints through his friends that she would not
he displeased by renewal of his former at
tentions. Sir William, however. misappre-
hended her gentle signaling. and from ex-
eeient, though mistaken, motives of delcacv,
delayed TO intrude himself upon her for a
dong time Meanwhile Sir John, now created
baronet, was unreIaitting. and she began
to grow somewhat piQued at The backward
ness OF him she secretly desired to be for
ward
Mover mind, ''hsr friends said jestingly to
her, knowing of her humorous remark, as
everybody did, that she would marry them
s,ll three if thoy'would have patience Never
mind; why hesitate upon the order of them!
Take EN- as they come
This vexed her still more, and. regrettinc
deeply, as she had often done, that sucn a
careless speechrshould ever have passed her
lips, she fairly broke down under Sir Johns
importantly and accepted his hand. They
were married on a.iine spring morning. about
the very lime at which the unfortunate Sir
William discovered her preference for him.
and was beginning 10 hasten home from
foreign court to derare his unaltered devotion
70 her. On his arrival in England ne learned
the sad truth.
Ii Sir William suffered at her precipitancy
under what she had deemed his neglect. the
Lady Penelope herself suffered more. She
had not long been the wife of Sir John Gale
before he showed a disposition 70 retaliate
UPON her for the trouble and delay she haS