The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-09-12


ness OF their rivalry; and they re-
peated her speech to their relatives
and acquaintance. with a hilarious
frequency nnd:publicity that the lady
little OWNED. or she might hive
blushed und felt more embarrassment
still.
In the course of time the position
resolved itself, and the beauteous
Lady Penelope (ns she was called
made up her mind; her choice being
the eldest OF the three knights, Sir
George Drenghard, owner OF the
mansion aforesaid, which thereupon
became her home; md her husband,
being n pleasant man, and his family,
though not so noble, OF as good re-
pute as her own, MI things seemed to
show that she reckoned wisely in
honoring him with her preference.
But what may lie behind the still and
silent veil OF the future none can fore.
tell. In the course ofa few months the
husband of her choice died Of his con-
vivinlities. Gas il, indeed, to bear out
his name,) and the Lady Penelope
was left alone as mistress his house.
BY this time she had apparently quite
forgotten her careless declaration to
her lovers collectively; but the lovers
themselves had not forgotten it, and,
rs she would now be free to take a
second one of them, Sir John Gale
appeared Mt her door MS early in her
widowhood as it was proper and
seemly to do SO.
She gave him little encouragement
for of the two remaining, her best be-
loved was Sir William, of whom. If
the truth must he told, she had often
thought during her short married
life. But he Ind not yet rcappeared.
Her heart began to be so much with
him now, that she contrived to con-
vey to him by indirect hints through
his friends that she would not be dis
pleased by n renewal OF his former
attentions. Sir William, however,
misapprehended her gentle signaling,
and from excellent, though mistaken,
motives of delicacy, delayed to in
trude himself upon her for long
time. Meanwhile Sir John, now Gre
nted blronet, was unremitting, and
she began to grow somewhat piqued
at the bnckwurdness OF him she Sc
cretly desired to be forward
Never mind" her friends said Jest
ingly to her, knowing of her humor-
GUS remark, rs everybody did, that
she would marry them all three they
would have patience.) "Never mind;
why hesitate upon the order of
them? Take 'em as they come"
This vexed her still more, and re.
GREETING deeply, us she had often
done, that such careless speech
should ever have passed her lips, she
fairly broke down under Sir Johns
Importantly and accepted his hand.
They were married on a fine Spring
morning, about the very time at
which the unfortunate Sir William
discovered her preference for him.
md was beginning to hasten home
from foreign Court to- declare his
unaltered devotion to her. On his
nrrv nj in England he learned the sa d
truth,
IfSir William suffered at her pre-
cipitancy 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 disposition to retalinte
upon her for the trouble and delay
she had put him to in winning her.
With increasing frequency he
would tell her that, as far
rs he could perceive, she was an
article not worth such labor MS he
Ind bestowed in obtaining it, and
such snubbings as it had taken from
his rivals on the same account.
These and other cruel things he re-
peated until he made the lady weep
sOrely, and well-nigh broke her
spirit, though she had formerly been
such II mettlesome dame. BY degrees
it became perceptible to all her friends
that her life was n very unhappy one;
and the fate OF the fair woman seem.
ed harder in that it was her own
sta tely mansion, left to her sole use
by her first husband, which her Sec
ond had entered into and was enjoy
ing, his being but mean and mea-
gre thing.
But such is the fippancy offriends,
that when sh: met them, and secret
~ confided her grief to their ears,
they would say cheerilv: "Never
mind; there's third to come yeti
Mt which inalodroit remark she would
show much Indignation, and tell
them they should know better than
to trife on such n solemn theme.
Yet that the poor lady would have
been only too happy to be the wife
of the third instead OF Sir John,
whom she had taken, was painfully |
obvious, and much she was blamed |
Tor her foolish choice by some people.
Sir William. however, had returned
to foreign cities on learning the news
Of her marriage, and had never been
heard of since.
Two or three years ofsuffering were
passed by Lady Penelope as the de-
spised and chidden wife of this man
Sir John, amid regrets that she had
so greatly mistaken him, and sighs
for one whom she thought never to
see again; till it CHANGED that her
husband fell sick of some slight oil.
ment. One day after this when she
was sitting in his room looking from
the window upon he expnnsei in front.
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