Show I 1 miss penelopep Pen elopes pension 1 I dont see no cause for and why you hov hey a pension miss hiss penelope theres a heap of 0 persons makes out their vouchers ez cz nigh so much just claim ez you miss bliss p penelope e she ile always answered to that t name regardless of being tile the relict of nathan briggs and a widow of good standing made no ans answer Nyel at first arst she was occupied in casting on the heel of a stocking marrying so late in life no one in canaan could get out of the habit of addressing her as miss penelope ao miss liss penelope she remained both before and after marriage she was a faded little old lady with soft eyes and a pathetic droop to the corners of her mouth these anxious curves were accentuated now as she dropped her knitting in her lap and glanced up a little deprecatingly 1 I thought of it she commenced well you jess oughter aughter ough ter broke in her companion volubly its a sin and a shame to let money go to waste as belongs ter iou aou by good rights why theres seth sawyer claimed he hed bed a gunshot in the knee hed a doctors certificate made out an all that but farmer jones aez lie he got it a lien roost lie he was with him when he done it of course he cant come collie forward and testify fur hed be de defamio def amin lamin uv his own character an hannah pratt she that auz a winslow di draws aws lier her stipend though everyone knows stephen pratt never went inter the war tell nigh on over an died in his bed at his allotted time no one can say that of your claim penelope its all open and above board A tender smile wreathed aass pene lopes lips as she lifted her eyes to the opposite wall where a sword and knapsack were suspended yes nathan he fit in three battles shilo sallo magassy and the wilderness he auz took ter the ho spittle arter the last one an the only bit uv information I 1 could scrape up make out e ven even where he auz burled corporal brent he bi ought brought me them things back found era em on the battlefield A tear stole down the wrinkled cheek 11 a grievous loss sister penelope the way 1 I look at it youve give a life to your country an aa now mow it owes you a mrs brackett leaned baek back after this statement and looked at her friend as it defying her to deny the allegation the bereaved widow shifted uneasily under that steady gaze the remarkable flow of 0 language confused her it never seemed factly right she ventured timidly elder little use ter go on awful insurance pears ter me this is bout the same thing elvira drackett brackett sniffed contemptuously sakes alive the quicker you get that notion out yer head the better belter you dont oar no seen sech talk nowadays in the pulpit times hey hev changed besides youve got ter look out fur yer self think uv havin 10 a mouth I 1 sides the arrears uncle sams a good pur vider miss penelope made no rejoinder to this but turned the heel ol of her stocking meditatively perhaps awe of 0 elvira brackett restrained her from an apen ipen expression of her views for mrs Brac brackettt Bracket ketts ls mother was a peterson Po lerson to have emanated from such a stock was a brand of nobility one of the petersons had borne the title of circuit judge all had held offices ot of mrs brackettt Brac ketts sisters husband was a prosperous plumber they lived in the city atty and elvira paid a yearly visit to kIn kinfolks folks returning from each trip in an elevated and instructive irame ol of mind elvira was a born manager so now when she leaned forward with an air of 0 settled determination miss penelope sank back in lier her chali with much the sensation ot of a fly in a spiders web its all very well elivra went on in an emphatic tone of 0 voice to be independent when youre young an spry an can look out for yourself but now with old age staring you in the face its a alighting alight in uv providence what it be we auz it over at the sewing circle last wednesday hannah jewett said she board beard you been to since lost july cause calls you 3 ou a decent pair uv shoes ter wear now miss bliss penelope you know what the bible says bays about hidle yer talents in a napkin et dt hebin a husband thet fit in three battles a talent I 1 dont know what is arguments were not exactly T logical but miss penelope had not the courage coin ago to refute thorn them and so she eho went on 1 I tell you yon now I 1 have nn an idea july ann has sent a pass tin fur me file to come 01 on an isit lier her 1 I cant get off scein its jess Pre preserving servIn tinie time but you might as well take it an go as far as washington july anns sister ln in law keeps heeps a boardinghouse boarding house there an shell take you in ill write lier her to meet you an shell tell you how low to go 90 bout it just tile the nery ery thing ill find someone goin on from North boic ter put you in caro care of an gle you a chance ter see the too loo its a powerful pretty city so they say now mow I 1 guess iye ive got goi you oil all ali fixed and elvira drew her shawl around her and prepared to take her departure dont yer worry about yer things or bothin ill bo be oner oer an all fix em cm for you miss penelope sat at motionless lor for ex a long time after her visitor had left her alio the llio sun still crept down behind the horizon line and tho the stars lit the glimmering tapers one by one A thread of 0 moonlight stole through the parted curta lils and glittered on the shining andirons and irons when she stumbled to her leet feet at last and began to prepare her simple meal there was still a dazed expression on her face nigh on ter seventy two to an coln ter the cap itil I 1 wonder what nathan would say bayt seems ter think its my duty ditty she aha sed bed it auz a sligh tin uv providence even now after nathan had been dead thirty years miss bliss penelope found herself deferring to his opinion as aa she had always tried to do while living riot not that she had ever followed his advice ahr when n given it was simply a form of respect by which she strove to hide the consciousness that nathans judgment was not to be relied upon indeed no ono one but miss penelope had much opinion of nathan briggs to obtain a certificate of i respectability in canaan it was necessary to be familiar with ones family tree nathan had come there a stranger ile he had always been singularly reticent as to his big ancestry and although this had been a source of regret to miss penelopep Pen elopes pride bile had been too loyal to question him all of her friends had openly le ie belled belleci when in addition to her own oin responsibility of making both ends meet she had taken on a slender income upon a alel hertelt elf tile care and maintenance of nathan briggs miss penelope only smiled contentedly 1 I cant say as nathan loves to werk no but then you seo see im sech a driver myself that I 1 lin kin do nough bough lor for ano an ive heard tell how people oughter aughter choose their opposites lor for proc f 0 of which site she would drop her needle and thread and run out to light the kitchen fire rather than disturb him from the perusal ol of the evening paper he a taint fair ter weigh him in the same sel scales lesl ll 11 she bhe would say to herself by way of excuse when she was wondering how she would meet the grocers bill while her husband sat with hla his teet feet on the porch railing discussing the financial state of the country but when tho the war broke out then miss penelopep Pen elopes heart thrilled with pride nathans name had been dratted drafted and he could not very well secure a substitute but she did not know that she only realized that she was giving her all in defense ot of her country and like the spartan mother she rejoiced in the sacrifice it had been her one consolation in her bereavement that nathan had at last clothed his big name with glory and shown himself to be a worthy citizen of canaan no one disabused dis abused her mind of this be belief lief in her soldiers bravery by intimating that her nathan N was generally genera 1 ay in in the roar rear guard on the co contrary Y stray absy endeavored to foster her I 1 loyalty ayal ty by every means possible C corporal orp 0 r al brent went over the old battle seel scenes es again and again and miss fenelo penelo penelopep Pen elopes e s eyes would flash and turn to toward ar t the e saber on the wall while in ima imagination nation she saw her hero storming the barricade climbing the ramparts and facing the fire of the enemy ashes the one that oughter aughter gone lathe war an left nathan home ter wash the dishes corporal brent would say with a stamp of his wooden leg she got precious little satisfaction out lit of him when he auz alive im goin to give her all I 1 kin now hes gone lie he was the first to come around and bid her godspeed on her journey et f you got a claim agin the government no one has briggs id hey hev seen thet you got yer just dues long afore this only I 1 knew your sentiments on the subject im glad youre talan a different view uv the matter I 1 am so it was the same with all the neighbors old and young they took such an interest in her undertaking and E seemed to look upon it with such pronounced approval that miss penelope had not the courage coul ige to intimate that her views had not undergone any re mai kable liable change but that she was belag being propelled to washington by the indefatigable de will power of elvira brackett it was only when she was seated in the train in neatly mended apparel surrounded by various bundles and pac packages keggs the donation of appreciative friends that she realized she was now deprived of that sustaining prop and dependent on oil her own resources ces nigh anter 72 an start ln fur the cap itil NV whatever would nathan say the dear old lady kept I 1 repeating epe atin to herself as she counted her bundles over and over sitting bolt upright tile the prey to many fears and misgivings misgiving these were somewhat dispelled when she he reached the city and saw the genial face of the landlady nodding up at the ear car window there here I 1 knew you the first minute I 1 set eyes on you she said taking the little old lady in her arms with true southern spontaneity july ann described you all right pretty near tired to death I 1 suppose let me take the bundles well get home as soon as we can and then you shall have A good long rest its quite a journey to take at your age now it slit continued when they seated it at last in the carriage but then its worth the trouble it if you got get your pension and I 1 have no doubt that you will EN everyone elyone she met seemed to be under tinder the same impression all the boarders concluded at once that the dear desire of her heair was to amire this monthly stipend some even took it for granted that she had been fighting tor for it for the last twenty years with the result of 0 having it continually disallowed 1 I dont see how they could have kept you out of it so long auntie observed a giddy youth as he viewed the gentle faded face through his monocle 1 I wish that I 1 could draw a sunt sum like that without enning it said her next neighbor a department clerk 1 I have to work hard enough lor for my pittance miss penelope turned and looked at him reflectively then her mind flew back to the saber on the wall and she smiled it was a peaceful smile and it straightway opened every heart to her entrance before the week was past she had recounted all nathans battles offered to work a tiger illy rug for the pretty young lady who was going to be married in the spring and started a chest protector for the young man opposite who was in fit consumption within the month she had taken the tour of the public buildings had gazed awestruck awe struck on the wonders of the cap caal tol and washington monument and grandest treat of all had seen the soldiers home with its corps of 0 feeble veterans and arlington with its headstones and its monument to the unknown dead miss penelope said nothing as she strolled slowly along the ranks of bivouacked bivouac ked dead but her face wore a 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 intercede tor for her huriy huny it along he sald said encouragingly cou theres so much red tape about such matters they only need a little pushing miss penelope Pon elope thanked him but showed no enthusiasm ria over his proffer of 0 assistance in ili tact fact she suddenly became quite serious at the prospect ot of success clyde whiting attributed it to uneasiness as to thi tha outcome and thought he was conferring a groat great kindness on the old lady when he interested congressman lane in her behalf and took him down to the pension office to jog jag the memory ot of the dilatory clerks claim no certa certainly lilly sir and t the he obsequious employed began to examine the flies files diligently um are you quite sure about the name there must be some mistake no 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 noted acted upon I 1 suppose Ha matilda tilda widow of nathan H R what Is the present claimants given name penelope clyde answered in a crestfallen tone 1 I heard mrs allen alien call her penelope the clerk snapped back the files nonchalantly chal antly 1 I remember the other case had not heard from her husband for years supposed he was dead de ad then she got a trace of him through the war records put in her claim giving satisfactory evidence and it was allowed it anything new we have such cases every now and then they always get found out when the pension is due what shall I 1 tell her faltered clyde when miss penelopep Pen elopes claim was finally set aside and he and the congressman gres sinan started to retrace their steps from something mrs allen alien dropped one day I 1 judged the husband all the old lady cracked him up to be but I 1 never thought it would be as bad as this I 1 cant do it the shock would kill her wont you help m me e out a little and lie he turned to the congress rin pleadingly it would not be so bad coming from a stranger it you only had heard her talking about him and seen her face why I 1 should as soon talce nathans sword and stab her to her heart the nie honorable mr lane smiled indulgently dul gently the boy was young when he had seen been as much of the bitter side ot of life as himself he would become hardened well send her around to me at 30 of course it if the man mail was such a scoundrel the sooner she knows it the better the honorable theopilus lane thought he had steeled himself against possible scenes but when at the appointed time lime a light tap came at his door and he looked up tip from his papers to meet the confiding gaze of miss pon pen elopes soft eyes his suddenly became very dib disagreeable agreeable to him mr whiting she said you had something to say to me md and miss bliss penelope came forward refusing tho the proffered chair with a gentle wave of her hand band no I 1 got time ter stop I 1 spose you want mo me ter sign them papers ahe glanced up at him interrogatively rogat ively but meeting with no response e went on in trembling tones yer see sec everyone aeolus ter think lm im so dead set after that pension an it auz all elviry brachetta Brac ketta ketts doings she sod sed it auz my duty duly ana an a slight uv providence au I 1 know but what she auz right all the way in the cars f kep a th think inkin ln what would nathan bayl ay an every day its been the samo I 1 seem to decide yer see sec el der little he allers preached agin insurance su rance be sed how low it aila uz a 11 lege an all somehow I 1 se separate the two it seems ez it 1 I 1 wu wit bein paid fur nathans life alter after I 1 cum here an see the avenon where them troops mar marched clied along with their tattered |