The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1897-01-13

Keys IN nanu, 10 note ner WatcnIui care
for her father in every detail or to hear
her piping child's voice stumbling mu-
sically through chapters Of the Bible.
Mighty few of them knew what hero
ism the reading had entailed. To the
, day of her fathers blindness Rob had
refused to learn even her letters. ~
hate old books. Iwon't learn and be shut
up in school all day." she had said pas
sionately. But when she saw her father
lingering the big Bible and murmuring
snatches of its contents it made her
throat swell, her lips culver. Yet she
said nothing then beyond telling him
breathlessly of the little chickens and
| the teeny new calf. But three Sundays
later she came, saying shyly, IF you
like, pappy, l can read you some Bible
now." And with that she began the
Twenty. third Psalm and went through
it without break.
"Do you like it, pappy? Does it sound
good and help your" she asked very low
when she had done Mr.. McGregor
could not gp' ak He put his arms about
| his child and answered her with q rain
! of kisses.
"Can you read, really?" he asked aft
er awhile. 1T seems too good to be true.
How did you learn?"
II don't know--only that much. Jack
Talbot is teaching me. He comes Sun
days when you are asleep. Imost know
the letters now. but they are hard, and
did not want you to wait so long for
your Bible, so he read this over and over
till knew it all. am glad you like it.
But, oh, pappy, don't cryl Rob will
take care of you until-until we both
can go to the green pastures and the still
waters -
my darling, my precious childr' the
| father groaned, buryinR his face in her
silken hair II think it would be a sig
nal mercy Of God if we might go to him
now"
The mood passed, as such moods do.
In the sunshine of Rob's presence her
father learned to half forget his blind
ness. She grew and strengthened and
became wise beyond her years. With
| love as the incentive nothing came hard.
Though she still forswore school, once
the letter learning was over she grew so
fond Of books that by housing in the
| library she got sufficient if unusual
education. Then, too, she could sew,
knit and look after housewifely affairs,
10 say nothing Of riding, dancing and
shooting to equal perfection.
| Naturally the good folk whose ideal
of young womanly perfection was Miss
Winfield looked half askanoe at poor
| Doh hn phnnfinr xxyht
condemned her, albeit the root of her
reprehensible proficiency was the wish
to keep her father supplied with game
when he craved it. There were frequent
intervals when he relished nothing else.
Mrs. Winfield in such case would have
appealed successfully to the chivalry Of
her neighbors. Rob took up her fathers
gun, as she had taken his other burdens,
without whining or moaning over the
necessity which laid them upon her
shoulders.
Long before she came to 10 she was a
parsonage noted, gossiped over-if the
truth must be told often belied-
throughout the length and breadth Of
Walnut Greek. She was SO bravely, so
unconventionallyt truthful at all points
save one-it was not strange the air was
filled with tales of her social daring.
For example, she said openly she loved
to dance. best of all to waltz. "when
she had Jack Talbot for a partner. {"
Mrs. Winfield found that speech simply
shameless. Dear Alice never went be-
yond the basket cotillon and had scru-
Piles even as to that. Waltz! Not she!
She had been TOO we'll brought up and
knew too en- irely what modest girl
owed to hersclf and society.
Yet-such is the depravity Of the hu.
man mind, even in Walnut Creek
there were not wanting people who said
that Miss Winfold's scruples were a fine
thing for her possible partners. She was
30 springless and wooden they must
needs have carried her. Then, too, con"
trast with Rob might evoke comment to
ruffie even her amiability. Things were
best az they WERE Jack and Rob might
dance their fill together and be none the
worse of it when he was safely married
to Alice Winfield.
Rob went to much less than half the
merrymakings. Though she was GER
tainly more in need Of friendly counte-
pance than was Walnut Creeks para
Ion, in some way nobody took account
of the fact The reason was perhaps
that she was too fine of fiber to bewail
her unprotectedness in the right quar-
ter. Her few outings were all in the
shadow Of Nam Liza's ample person.
Perhaps their very rarity gave Rob's
pleasure "a keener edge.
Usually upon such occasions she
danced the night away with Jack-Jack,
whose height and step suited hers to a
nicely; who was, after her father, her
very best friend. OF course she liked
him more than any other of the boys,
more than all Of them indeed, and why
should she not say So. especially when
il made Mrs Winfod look so angry and
Mortified? 1t was tho highest possible
tribute to her undeniable charm that, In
the face Of franknsss so desperate. she
never lacked partner for the numbers
that Jack was constrained to share with
Miss Winfield.
1t set the dullest tineling to have her
floating beside him. her eyes starry, her
cheeks the olearest rose, her 1.-the slen-
derness vital. vibrant, swaying respon-
siye to the music. as the wind harp to
the wind. Besides. there was distinc-
tion In taking her out She had the
courage of her antipathies no less than
her convictions Quick and full Of ready