The free press., 1895-07-18
ENVELOPES BLOPEMENT

At thirty one is popularly supposed
i have arrived at years of discretion,
and TO be fairly in possession of ones
houlty of choice. In the case of
very accepted truth, which may have
h,come automatic to the rest of hui
nanity, there are always those who
rsiect. or affect to reject, its teach
ngs
4 very sturdy opponent to the
proposition first set down was Mr..
pbiueas Paine, n hard headed and
uccessful grocer in the town of
Caresvllle. Mr.. Paine, it is true, did
not deny the proposition generally,
bat he signifed his denial by his con-
duct toward his daughter, Penelope.
Who had arrived at the age mentioned
in single blessedness.
II there ever was woman in the
end of the nineteenth century who
had cause for complaint on the score
Of repression it was Penelope Paine.
Her mother had died when she was
1--WE years of age, and her father, pos
assed by the idea that he knew how
10 bring up child right, had imme-
hately begun the systematic course of
npression that made his daughter II
demure, timid little girl, and meek,
qiritless woman.
He had kept down all her youthful
jOyousness by straight-laced rules of
department. Of any natural tendency.
People looking at her would say -
"That girl looks as if she had been
boxed up all her life. And, in a
measure, she had been.
But Penelope, prim as she was,
grew to be fair woman to look at,
and, in spite of the difficulty of ap-
rOach, she had many stealthy admir-
ga The grocer was, in his way, n
social man. That is, he liked to have
Dmeone to listen while he gave his
views and opinious, and at first young
men would affect to be coming to see
him. But the moment they were SO
mprudent as to let it leak out that
Penelope was the real object Of their
dtentions, they were summarily dis
missed.
"ljust won't have it" the old man
would say.
Young folks don't know what's
good for themselves, and they need
Ae guidance of some older head to
ieep EN- out Of mischief.
Penelope never seemed to care much
aOOut her beaux or the loss of them,
al Ned Holborn began going there.
Hekept a feed store and was brother
Vdd Fellow with the grocer, so the
Old man liked him pretty well.
Penelope was clerkiug in the gro
efy, as she had been doing ever since
'le was old enough to tie up pack
Seo OF sugar, but she always left an
a0ur earlier than her father, SO as to
~arhome and get his meals for him,
lf Mr.. Paine's hard hearted frugality
0fOade his keeping "a girl" albeit,
Nwas abundantly able to do SO.
TWAS during these happy inter
as OF time, when Penelope was en-
@ely alone, that Ned Holborn was
'Oat to steal few minutes away from
aS store, and unceremoniously drop
lor short chat. 1t was the first of
"ch pleasure that the girl had ever
'aown, and these stolen moments had
'Vine TO be inexpressibly sweet to her.
one knew that her father would not
ASe approved of this intimacy be-
"een Holborn anl herself, and for
wat reason, at first, she took shy
~l8ht IN it. For with all his re-
PRESTON the hard hearted grocer had
~ succeeded in crushing out of his
''uShter that touch of romance which
~ 'he nature of every womln.
Dut there came a time when there
'aS more than the romantic secrecy of
'us Affair TO give it charm. The inti-
Aacy had ripened into love. The
'0uhs man had placed his honest affec-
~0u IN the keeping of the quiet, de-
sure girl, and she had given her heart
sufeScrvedly in return,