The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-07-03
PENELOPE'S ELOPEMENT

become automatic to the rest of hui
manity, there are always those who
reject, or affect to reject, its teach
ings.
A very sturdy opponent to the
proposition first set down was Mr.
Phineas Paine, hard headed and
successful grocer in the town of
Caresville. Mr.. Paine, it is true, did
not deny the proposition generally,
but he signitied his denial by his con-
duct toward his daughter, Penelope,
who had arrived at the age mentioned
in single blessedness.
If 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
five years of age, and her father, pos
sessed by the idea that he knew how
to bring up child right, had imme-
diately begun the systematic course of
repression that made his daughter a
demure, timid little girl, anu meek,
spiritless woman.
He had kept down all her youthful
joyousness by straight-lac ID rules of
department of any natural tendency.
People looking at her would say
"fhat girl looks as if she had been
boxed up all her life" And, in n
measure, she had been.
But Penelope, prim as she was,
grew TO be fair woman to look Mt,
and, in spite of the difficulty of np.
proach, she had many steulthy admir-
ers, The grocer was, in his way, II
social man. That is, he liked to have
someone 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
imprudent as to let it leak out that
Penelope was the real object of their
attentions, they were summarily dis
missed.
81 Just won't have it" the old man
would say.
young folks don't know what's
good for themselves, and they need
the guidance of some older head to
keep 'em out of mischief.
Penelope never seemed to care much
about her beaux or the loss of them,
till Ned Holborn began going there.
He kept feed store and was a brother
Odd Fellow with the grocer, 50 the
old man liked him pretty WE'LL
Penelope was clerkiug in the gro.
Gerry, as she had been doing ever since
she was old enough to tie up a pack
age of sugar, but she always left an
hour earlier than her father, so as to
be at home and get his meals for him,
Tor Mr.. Paine's hard hearted frugality
forbade his keeping "a girl" albeit,
he was abundantly able to do so.
1t was during these happy inter
walls OF time, when Penelope was en-
tirely alone, that Ned Holborn was
wont TO steal few minutes away from
his store, and unc tremendously DROP
| in for short chat. 1t was the first ot
such pleasure that the girl had evei
| known, and these stolen moments had
come to be inexpressibly sweet to her
She knew that her father would not
have approved of this intimacy be-
tween Holborn AMI herself, and foi
that reason, at first, she took a sh,
delight in it. For with all his re
preston the hard.hearted grocer haC
not succeeded in crushing out of hi
daughter that touch of rom ince whici
is in the nature oi every wom,n.
But there came time when ther,
was more than the romantic secrecy o
the affair to give it charm The init
macy had ripened into love. Tn
young man had placed his honest affec
ton in the keeping of the quiet, de
mure girl, and she had given her hear
unreservedly in return.
AS the days went on the stole
meetings grew sweeter and sweeter t.
both, aud Philip Paine measured hi
pickles and weighed his pounds i
blissful ignorance of what was passing
But the state OF affairs got to the eai
of jealous rival of Holborn, and
word to the unsuspecting groce
brought him up standing. The scale
fell from his eyes, and shortly aft,
J tine lovers we're surprised to see hi