Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-02-14
THE LADY PENELOPE,

fOwn of lvell, you see on the right hand an
ivied manor house, fianked by battlemented
towers, and more than usually distinguished
by the size of its many mullloned windows.
Though still of good capacity, the building is
much reduced from its original grand pro-
portions; it has, moreover, been shorn of the
fair estate which once appertaned to it, with
the exception of u few acres of park land i'm
mediately around the mansion. This was
formerly the seat of the ancient and knightly
family of the Drenghards or Drenchards,
now extinct in the male line, whose name,
according to the local chronicles, was in.
terpreted to mean Strenuus Miles, vel Pota-
tor, though certain members of the family
were averse to the latter Specification, and
duel was fought by one of them on that ac-
count as is well known. But this is beside
the story.
In the early part of the reign of the fret
King James, there was visiting near this
place of the Drenghards, lady of noble
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
prs seemed to spring ont of the ground wher-
ever She wcnt-a sufficient cause of anxiety
to the countess, her mother, her only living
parent. OF these there were three in partic-
ular whom neither her mothers complaints
of nra,,a+urjtv rn,. tie ready raiilery of the
maiden herself could cfTcctuallv uut off. The
said oollonts were a certain Sir John Gale. n
rertoin Sir William Hervv and the well
known Sir George Drenehard. one of the
Dronpbard family before mentioned
Tbev had curionsIv enouuh MI been ennallv
bonorcd with the distinction of kuiohthood
o,,d +bai, scbc,ros for saainr, her wore mani,
fold each fearinc that one of the others
would steol n march over himself Not content
with c.Ilino NJ, evarv Imaginable evcuso at
tho house Of tha relative with whom She So
iourned thov interrupted her in rides and
walks. and if anv one of them CHANGED to sur
nrisa another in fine act of no wing her marked
attentions tho encounter often ended in an
alteration of GREAT violence. So heated and
;,,,oesiorod indood would tbav become that
tba lady hardly felt herself safe in their COM
rorv af such times notwithstanding that She
vas a brave and buxom damsel not eosilv
mt ont md with DARING spirit Of brmor in
6o,. cor,Dosition if NOT of ronuetrv
IN one Of these occasions which had +al,on
nloce in bor relotive's orounds and was nm
usually hitter tbreotanino to result in y dncl
sho fo,,nd II nocoss,rv to assert herself INN,
inc hougbtilv uoon the mir of disnutoi,i.
cha declared that wbichever shoull he tho
first tn break the neace between them. what
ever the nrovocation that man should never
no admittad to her nrasence AGAIN. aud ,bus
would size efrectuaiIv stultifv tine no..rc.. n,
hv making the promotion of n quarrel n dis.
fine, bor 70 its objects.
Wbila tho two knights ,vora yearip,, r,tbor
n crestfallen apnearance al her rcprimonJ
1bn third never far off. came upon the scene
and She reneoted ber on veot to him also 500.
ing then how oreot was the concern of all
at her nerenntorv mood the ladv's monnor
softened and she soid with a rougish sniIn.
nuavn na+iarca bove natienco Won f,,Ii.b
nenI Only bide your time quietly. and in
faith will marry Won all in turn j,
They l1lphed heartily at this sally. all
+bree tooetber rs though they were the host
of friends Mt which she blushed and showed
some commencement not HAVING realiyod
that ber arch last wopld hava soundod ca
etranga whom ntterad The meetine, which
resulted Tins however. had its good cfrert in
cbacl,ipy the bitterness of their rivalry. and
+bav reneoted bor sneech to their relatives
md acouaintance with n hilarious freouoncv
and nublicity that the lady little OWNED or
she MIGHT have blushed and felt more embar-
rassroent still
Tn the course of time the position resolved
;+eeIf and tha beouteous Todv PonnIorn ,as
abe was colladh made mn hen, mind her rbo;ca
heinz the eldest of the thrao knirhts sir
George Drenchard. ov,>e, of the mansion
aforesaid which tbereuron became her home.
and her husband heinz n nleosant man and
his family +houoh NOT 81 noble of as rood
,enuto rs her own all thinos seerned to snow
that She had reckoned wisely in bonorinp
him with her preference.
Rut what may lie behind the still and silent
veil # the future none can foretel In the
course of q few months tbe husband of her
,ho;co d;ad of his convivial;tias oae If irdoad
70 hear ont his nem0 and the LADY Popelons
was left alone as mistress of his bonse Nv
this time she had apparentlv unite FORGOTTEN
bar, careless decloration TO her loyars COL
1octiveIv. Int tho levers tbemsalves nod not
for,otter II. and os She wonld now ho froa
IN take a second one of them. Sir John Gale
anneared ut her door rs early in her widow
hood as it was proper and seemly TO do so.
! s.ha ,,aya him Iittlo ercorrooamant. for Of
two remaininr her best beloved was Sir viii
lam. of whom, if the truth must be told She
had often thought during her short married
life Rut he had not vet reappeared Her
heart began TO be SO much with him now that
she contriyed to convey to him by indirect