Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1897-06-12

the vine-shaded piazza aud looked wlst- .
fully across the summer fields.
Perhaps You could go If Won tried,
mother" said her daughter Penelope.
hopefully. you walked IA far as the
clump OF sumacs, You know, last
week
Mrs. Todd shook her head until her
wiry black riaglets quivered. I've
failed since then. Pears strange 20 me
that You don't see 1t. Penelope. But
there's considerable Todd 10 you; You
don't feel for folks like some"
LA. Leafy. You just spunk ny and
Coi Take the short-handled dipper
and bring home mess OF blackberries
for tea. You'll feel O. sight better for
il. spoke Mrs. Selma Todd. the in
valid's ster-in-law, fat. comfortable
and blunt of speech. as She laid a shin
ing tin dish on the piazza seat at
Leafy's hand and disappeared within
doors after vinking slyiy AZ Penelope,
who sat upon the doorstep.
Penelope did not respond 10 the
wink: instead. the puckcr doepened be-
tween her hroWs--a deeper quicker
than il was pleasant go see between
eighte.n-year-oll brows. Penelope
was dusifal and conscientious. and she
was not SO sure as her Aunt Selma that
nervous prosiraion was. in her MOTH
cr's ease. only ncw-fasMoned sny-
Onym for being sp.eeny.
perhaps you'd better wait till can
90 with YOU. mother, she said. anx-
iously. "Nou \ must go and give lit
Sic Per-is Dowd her music lesson. "
''l'n u.el To- waiting. said the II
valid. with bitter patience. u haven;
any real expectation of getting as far
as :he pasture wall again. That walk
/ took last week came near bringing
on a numb spell; aud felt consider
able as if l was going a. have one JUS
after l got mp this morning
The pretty pink color drifted ont O.
Penelopc's cheeks. Those "uuml
spells" were the terror Of her life. Hei
mother was sure they meant heart dis
ease. and Penelope had thought tina
the doctor had looked grave over them
Penclone Kept watch and ward g
prevent the occurrences which wer.
sure 10 bring them on. such as a visi
from oh Mrs. Polly Nesbit, who toll,
her mother that ''she looked ful
older'n her psotEer did ut her age.
and IF she was pindlin' she oUrh
< not 20 be surprised, for the Piugrees
her mothers folks. want apt to hv
to be more'n forty-dye."
Then there had been n numb spel
alter the call of Penelopa's friends
Sam and Lizzie Mute, from Orinoco
Penelope couldn't understand VIII
these callers should conduce TO mum
spells. but her mother explaine
vaguely that there had been som
trouble about mortgage between 81
Nutes and the Todds, in olden time
aad that with her sensilveness 81
knew she should never be able TO be'
the sight of Mute
Cats FOOT Are you as blind as
bat, Penelope Todd?" was the remaI
which Aunt Selma had made whe
the explanation was repeated 70 he
But Penelope would have felt u
dutiful TO harbor the least compr
hension of what Aunt Selma mean
OF course Sam Mute was not qui
like anybody else, and they hi
thought "A good deal of each Other CIV
since they were children. That W
the way in which Aunt Selma co
nected Sam Mute with the numb spell
Perhaps Aunt Selma was, as Penelop
mother said. a tribe hard, and lacki
in fine feelings.
Penelope went of heavily burden
to little Persis Dowd's music less,
She wished she could have helped
mother, now that the rare impu
was upon her 10 take little WI
that might do her good. Bnt eve
thing depended on her music tea
ing, and she must not neglect pul
The invalid lay back with her e,
closed; then she opened them sulde
and looked again wistfully across
summer fields. She gazed around
furtively no one was in sight.
arose and walked feebly down the ste
Midway she turned and reached b
for the dir per. 81 used to be one .
liked 10 have something to go fo-,"
said TO herself.
1t was pleasant to her ev.n to CT
the stubby field when the grasshopI
were thick, aud the locusts shri
monotonously, and the afternoon
was hot