Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-04-15
A DEED OF MERCY.
NJ HARRIET Il. cRocKER.

When Miss Penelope Owens made up
her mind to do thing it was as good
rs done. Few things were surer OF be
ing done, and we'll done, than those to
which she applied her resolution, and
so it happened that because she was sit
ting on the front porch of her pretty,
rose-covered cottage enc hot summer
day, le.surely rocking, and reading from
time TO time bits from 4 current maya
zine, ana because, so sitting, she looked
up the street and saw advancing toward
,Ler q great, solid band of sheep, plan
came into her head which proved an I'M
portant factor in her life
The mass OF woolly, bleatipg things
came sweeping onward, past the pretty
cottage, sending clouds of California
dust over the cypress hedge upon the
beds of scarlet verbenas, and into Ms
.Penelope's very face, but Miss Penelope
never moved. Her soft eyes, full Of com
passion, gazed out upon that patient,
plodding throng of creatures, and q
look of pain swept across her face as
the poor things tried eagerly to catch
a mouthful of the fresh, green grass
which formed Miss Penelopc's well-llePt
border Just outside the path. The
horseback rider urged them on, and on
they hurried, budding their heecy,
,dust-brown backs together till it seemed
rs though one might walk across that
living flood. Behind the great foe,
came the usual accompanimcnt-the
wagon in which the lame ard exhausted
sheep were carried by the herders-
,and as Miss Penelope looked, one fall
tered and fell, rose ieeJly and was
picked up and placed in the wagon with
the others.
When the last cloud of dust had set
tied. Miss Penelope smiled to herself,
On odd little smile. cts queer thing
TO do. maybe, but it's no ones business
hut NY own, and if l choose to do mis-
sionary york in front OF my own house
instead of away off in heather lands.
I'm going 10 10 it."
Miss Penelope took the five o'clock
car into the city and visited certain
place Of business on busting street,
held half hours conference with the
proprietor, looked over numerous cata-
logues, talked prices and then took her
departure. Not for home, however. 10
an uptown Office in a great block she
next made her way, then, as the sum
aner twilight was gathering, sought her
corner and waited for her car.
Miss Pcnelope's life was lonely. Some
thing seemed always lacking to make it
quite complete. She would not admit
#, even to herself, for the owncr OF that
resolute mouth and chin, ard that firm,
independent way, could never confess
that aueht was lacking to make her
comfort complete. She was not rich
only Comfortably fixed" as tie
neighbors said. Her father, dying a
few yeara before, had left her the neat
little cottage and the fruit orchard be-
hind it, which supplied not only her but
many Of the neighbors with choice fruit.
For Miss Penelope was nothing if not
,neighborly, although there was always
a certain dignity and reserve about her
that forbade the approach of the tco-
familiar. People wondered why this
:reSh-faced woman of 4G was still an
old maid She must have had a "disap-
rointment," they said, though Miss Pen
elope looked least likely Of women to
have had romance.
One morning Il great dray, drawn by
four horses, toiled along the dusty road
and pulled tip at tine little white gate
under Miss Penelore's cypress arch.
NeghEors began to wonder and conjec-
ture and to neglect the cooking of their
MONDAY meals, when Miss Penelope's
blue sunbonnet having duly peered over
into the wagon and inspected it's con-
tents, withdrew into The house and the
men who had come with the dray began
to lit and tug at tie queer, long, stone
something in the wagon.
Old Mrs. Green peered through the
blinds Of the next house and called out
excitedly: "4lar;ar, come here this
minute! l DO believe Miss Penclope's
went and had her own coffin made, or a
sarcophQgus or somethin'."
D. 49,. !aa--: - i, crest 2slZ 2ynr
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