Middletown transcript., 1897-05-29

j
= Every one she met seemed to be un
der the same impression. All tii
Q boarders concluded at once that tb
1 dear desire of her heart was to secur
this monthly stipend. Some even tool
i it for granted that she had been fight
:. ing for it for the last twenty years
j with the result of having it continual.
, disallowed.
~ don't see how they could havt
kept you out of it SO long auntie, OBJ
served giddy youth as he viewed the
gentle, faded face through his monocle.
I wish that / could draw sun
like that without earning it," said her
next neighbor, a department clerk, 81
have to work hard enough for my pit
tance. %
/ Miss Penelope turned and looked at
him rtflectively. Then her mind few
back TO the sabre on the wall, and she
smiled. IL was peaceful smile, and
it straightway opened every heart to
her entrance.
I Before the week was past she had
recounted all NathaI's battles; offered
to worka "tiger lily" rug for the
pretty young lady who was going TO be
married in the spring, and started a
chest protector for the young man OPP
posite who was in consumption.
Within the month she bad taken the
tour of the public buildings; had
gazed awestruck on the wonders
Of the Capitol and Washing on Monu-
ment, and, grandest treat of all, had
seen the Soldiers Home, with its
corps of feeble veterans, and Arlington
with its seventeen thousand headstones
and its monument to the unknown
dead. Miss Penelope, said nothing as
she strolled slowly along the ranks Of
''bivouacked dead" but her face wore
| look of exaltation when she left the
sacred spot.
Her application had been sent in,
but had not yet been acted upon. At
last the department clerk offered to get
his Congressman to iDtercede for her.
sThat'Il hurry it along" he said,
encouragingly. "There's so much red
tape about such matters; they only
need little pushing"
Miss Penelope thanked him, but
showed no enthusiasm over his proffer
of assistance. In fact she suddenly
became quite serious at the prospect of
success.
Clyde Whiting attributed 1t to un-
easiness as to the outcome, and thought
he was confering great kindness on
the old lady, when he interested Con-
gresham Lane in her behalf and took
him down to the Pension Office to jog
the memory of the dila ory clerks.
"Claim 9,764-Certainly, sir"
aud the obsequious empl6ye began to
examine the files diligently. "Uml Are
you quite sure about the name? There
must be some mistake"
"No, 0,764-Mr. Nathan r. Briggs -
broke in young Whiting impatiently.
"Yes; well, you see, his widow has
been drawing his pension for the last
twenty years. That is the reason the
claim was not acted upon, suppose,
Matilda; widow of Nathan r. What
is the present claimants given manner"
penelope" Clyde answered, in a
crestfallen tone. 81 heard Mrs. Allen
call her Penelope"
The clerk snapped back the files nom
.chaiantly.
81 remember the other case, had not
heard from her husband for years, sup
posed he was dead; then she got trace
of him through the war records, put ip
her claim, giving satisfactory evidence
and it was allowed. 1t isn't anything
new. We have such cases every now
and then. They always get found
out when the pension is DUE"
"What hall / tell her?" faitered
Clyde, when Miss Penelope's claim
was finally set aside, and be and the
Congressman started to retrace their
steps. "From something Mrs. Allen
dropped one day l judged the husband d
WASH u all the old lady cracked him up
to be; but never thought it would be
as bad as this. I can't do 1.-THE
shock would kill berl Won't you help
me out a little," and he turned to the
Congressman pleadingly. ''lt would
not be SO bad coming from stranger.
If you only had heard her talking
about him and seen her facel Why, /
should as soon take Nathan 3 sword
and stab her to her heart. !"
The Hon. Mr.. Lane smiled indul.
gently. The boy was young. When
be had seen as much of the bitter side
Of life as himself, he would become
hardened.
"Well, send her around to me at 2. 80.
OF course, if the man was such
scoundrel, the 500 ner she knows it the
better.v
The Hon. The0philus Lane Thought
he had s.eeled himself against possible
scenes, but when, at the appointed
time, light tap came at his door and
he looked up from his papers to meet
the confding gaze of Miss Penelope's
soft eyes, his task suddenly became
very disagrs cable to him.
''Mr. Whiting, he said you had some
to say to me,n and Miss Pane lope came
forward, refusing the proffered chair
with'a gentle wave of her hand.
''No-I haven't got time ter stop.
l s'pose you want me ter sign them pa
persp" She glanced up at him inter-
negatively, but meeting with no re-
spose, went on in trembling tones.
.Yer see, every one seems Ter think
I'm so dead set after that pension. an