Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-05-19
MISS PENELOPE.

tBy InOmaS ~. Greg, OF Madison, Wis.,
Love can never lose it's own Whit
tier.
I thought I understood Smith better
than any one in the fair city of Madison.
We both came from the same county
in southern Wisconsin, we took the
and boarded in the same house about
two blocks from the university I was
his confidential friend; he unfolded to
me his prospects, and what he did not
tell me was not worth knowing. I knew
him so well that / f1attered myself
that I could tell exactly what Smith
would or would not do under certain
Gil cumstances. But in this respect !
found out that / had indeed reckoned
without my host, for circumstances sud
denly arose which laid low my claims
to infallibility, and upset all my calcu-
lations regarding my friend Smith.
Now if there was one quality above
all others which I admired in Smith
it was his thoroughly practical clear.
headed common sense. He was study
ing with a view to becoming a civil en-
gineer, and was always reading scienti-
fic papers. Mechanics was a hobby OF
his, and he would sooner solve mathe-
NAUTICAL problem than read the most
interesting romance. Love to him was
moonshine and poetry not much more
than humbug, while I myself found it
little difficult to ascend the hill with
out having my attention drawn to fair
lady students, and never passed ladies'
hall without feeling that I ought to
remove my hat, Smith hustled along
with his armful of books quite unin-
terested, and if he ever glanced in
i their direction it was the triangular ap-
pearance of the ladies' hats, rather than
the charms of their wearers, that at
tracted him. Such was Smith at the
time this story opens, strange, I'M
wieldy animal full of scientific aspira-
IONS
One day just after the winter session
opened, as we walked up the hill to-
gether, / noticed a very prepossessing
young lady student coming up from Ia
nh She was tastefully dressed,
/ her face was delicate and refined, and
the clear morning air impaired a ruddy
| glow to her cheeks. She wore glasses
which yelled a pair of wonderfully eX-
pressive blue eyes, and gave her an
intellectual look which added to her
dignity without detracting from her
charms.
| Overtaking a student whom we knew,
[ asked him if he knew her. He took
hasty glance in her direction. THAT
is Miss Penelope-a new arTival-well
to do and very clever-she is all the
rage" His statement, vulgar as it was,
was true. Miss Penelope I found out
was brilliant young lady, full of
original ideas, and noble aspirations.
The only daughter of wealthy parents,
she had been idolized at home, and now
seemed in danger of being idoliZed
abroad 1t was not surprising that she
made q good impression on all with
whom she came in contact, for she had
captivating manner, and her voice
was low and sweet. She was dignified
without being proud, and her unfailing
-, never came into collision with
her seIf-respect. Free and Independent
in her ideas, her originality led her to
advocate woman's rghtf She believed
in equality and womans suffrage, and
to her mind matrimony was woman's
chief wrong. The merry cold maid
who lived life of leisurely independ-
ence combined with unselfish usefulness,
was q beautiful ideal compared to her
who in return for a life of domestic
drudgery and devotion was allowed to
call herself wife.
Two weeks later as we went up the
| hill as usual we-Or rather for she
was no more to Smith than the squir-
Miss Penelope walking ahead Of us. A
strong breeze was blowing, and while
she paused to adjust her books her
! hat blew off and came flying down
| our way. / was not above hoping it
might come my way, but Fate inter
posed and Whirled it to Smiths side of
| the path. In the excitement Of the
moment all his problems, all the cher
ished traditions of his past life were
forgotten. Like a young schoolboy he
rushed after the hat, seized it and came
up with it flushed and breathless, like
great Newfoundland dog, just as
| the fair owner arrived on the scene.
THANK you ever so much,' she said
as Smith thrust the hat into her hands.
And she looked very pretty us she adj
justed her hat with beautiful embar-
rassment
May I ask your name," she asked,
turning to Smith.
''Smith-John Smith, of Rock county"
Indeed! It is a familiar name.
am Miss Penelope-and I am glad to
meet you"
""ile which so embarrassed Smith
that he dropped the half of his books,
she left us.
| From that hour Smith was changed
person. I confess that he rather sunk
in my estimation on that account
had always admired his strength and
solidity-the clearness of his judgment,
his mathematical brain, and mechanical
nerve, and 10! Fate blows a hat in his
direction, and he surrenders at discre-
ton. In the world there is nothing
great but MANN man there is nothing
great but mind, says Sir VIM. Hamilton,
and he might have altered the latter
clause had he known Smith, for could
there be anything great in Smith, when
it could be turned upside down and
almost annihilated by the mere sight
of a hat?
For month later, poor Smith-that
model Of common sense-that clear