Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-05-24

light in it. For with all his repres-
sion the hard-hearted grocer had not
succeeded in crushing out OF his daugn-
/ ter that touch Of romance which is IN
/ the nature of every woman.
But there came a time when there
was more than the romantic secrecy OF
/ the affair to give it charm. The init
macy had ripened into love. The
young man had placed his honest af-
/ lection in the keeping OF the quiet,
demure girl, and she had given her
heart unreseryedly in return.
As the days Went on the stolen meet
/ ings grew sweeter an sweeter to both,
and Phineas Paine measured his pick
les and weighed his pounds in blissful
. ignorance of what was passing. But
the state Of affairs got to the ears OF
Jealous rival of HOlburn and a word to
the unsuspecting grocer brought him
ND standing. The scales fell from. his
eyes. and shortly after the lovers were
surprised 10 see him walk into the
house in the midst of one of their tete-
a-tetes.
OF course there was a scene. The
old man stormed and Penelope wept
but staunch Ned Holburn stood up like
a man and faced the music. He
told the old man that he loved his
daughter. that his love was returned,
and she had promised to wed him, and
the end Of it all was his dismissal
from the house and peremptory COM
mand never to return.
And Phineas Paine was grieved, for
after all these years Of confidence his
system had proved to be at fault. In
spite of all his repression he found his
daughter was not well brought up, and
when she had been put to the test had
fallen signally.
After this the old man was his
daughters shadow. He never allowed
her to leave his side. Necessity check
mated frugality, and he hired a house
girl to take care of his furniture and
get his meals.
harm. You can leave her alone this
one time, and. after all.Ned HOlburn
will be at the meeting, too; he'll want
to see the men initiated" He hest
tated, and was lost, and, after seeing
-enelope securely locked in, he set oil
for his lodge.
But love has won the reputation of
laughing at locksmiths and, embodied
in the person of Ned Holburn, he went
llnockingat Penelope's window. Some
thing in the character of the tap or
some subtle intuition which only love
inspires told her who it was, and she
forgot her timidity enough to raise the
sash. and open the shutter little.
It's me-Ned, said the INGRAM
maticai Holburn, eagerly, and there
was a note of deep pleading in his
voice as he added
1T s our only chance, darling. Get
your hat and climb out OF the window.
/ I've got a chair here for you to get
/ down on.
"You won't refuse me- little one" he
pleaded This will be our last
/ chance. and if we let it slip we shall
be separate forever. You can trust
me, dearest don't hesitate and long
/ err
Penelope went away from the win
dow for a moment, and when she re-
turned she had her hat tied on, and a
/ shawl thrown about her shoulders.
/ Her heart was beating very swiftly as
she steDued out of the window on the
chair and into the arms of her waiting
lover. Holburn was a thorough going
fellow. and he had his buggy waiting
at the fence. They got in, he eXultant
and the girl tremulous, and away they
went across the river to the old minis
terwho was already famous for marry
ing runaway couples from three coun-
ties.
In the meantime, the grocer, not
finding Holburn, who was regular
and devoted attendant at the lodge
meeting, had grown uneasy and sus-
nicious. a vague foreboding. which
. gradually grew into a terrible fear,
filed his mind. When he could en-
dure this suspense no longer, he was
excused and started for home. He
had hardly entered the yard when o
open shutter tapping listlessly on its
hinges arrested his attention and his
heart sank within him. Penelope, he
thought would never leave a shutter
that way under any conditions. The
kew gave forth q hollow lonesome
sound as he turned it in the lock, and
the sound of his footsteps on the floor
were altogether weird and unusual.
Penelope" he called. with a tremb-
ling voice oh Penelope.
But only the echoes answered him.
and the unwelc0me truth forced itself
mon him that Penelope was gone. He
went outside and, sitting down on the
s.eD. bowed his head in his hands
Just then the sound Of wheels fell on
In vain poor HC,burn sought for a
chance to talk with his sweetheart.
She was as efectually shut away from
him as if she had been immured with
in the four walls Of convent. Ned
groanedin spirit. but the grocer chuck
led within himself
But no one state OF affairs can last
forever. least of all such a strained one
at this. II has been said before that