Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-12-15

Day by day had seen the lines OF
care deepen round my fathers mouth
and forehead and watched my moth
er's pale and anxious gaze rest upon
him.
Night after night did Maude and
lay side by side and spend the hours
when sleep, they tell US, lends us
beauty in wondering what trouble was
lowering over us.
But the knowledge came all too
soon. My father had lent money
which he supposed he could call in at
any time. The time arrived, but the
money was not Forthcoming. His
health was rapidly failing him, a fact
his business anxieties in no way
helped, and we soon knew he must
mortgage heavily the farm and that if
his health continued to fail he might
soon be unable even to pay the inter-
est.
Then -Iaude and I began to hold
our whispered conversations to better
purpose to decide that we are strong
and young and healthy and that such
gifts were given to us to be made use
Of And so it ended in our sending
off mysterious letter to the old
school teacher and waiting and watch
ing days for reply, which came at
last to tell us she had succeeded in
finding situation as governess at a
competency which to us seemed
wealth.
The lady was willing to take anyone
on her recommendation, and either of
us, she felt assured, would fill the
role. SO she left it for us to decide
-one must go and one must stay.
At last Maude said it must be she
who would go and wrote and appointed
day for her coming
The intervening time passed rapidly
away in busy preparation, and at last
the one Sunday left us rose bright
and clear. Maude looked so lovely
that morning in her pretty hat, with
its long, dropping feather, that did
not wonder the eyes of stranger in
the church wandered persistently to
our pew.
He was a tall, handsome man, sitting
with the Leonards-a name which in
our village represented its aristocracy
and wealth.
There were gentlemen from London
visiting there constantly, but their
gaze did not often wander from the
stylish. elegant Misses Leonard to
seek any other attractions.
[ saw them glance round once or
twice, as if to discover what else in
the church could possibly distract at
tention from themselves, and L fear |
felt more pride in Maude's beauty
than was quite consistent with the
sacred place in which we were.
Ny father grew rapidly worse in
stead of better, and it was hard work
so to word my letters to Maude that
she should not know of the skeleton
in our home--the shadow of coming
death.
Her letters were bright and CHEEKY,
and when at last told her that our
father grew no better she answered
she had met Dr. Melrose, who was a
relative of the lady whose children she
taught, and asked him to 60 down and
see father and that she would defray
the necessary expenses.
almost gasped when I read the
name-Dr. Melrose. His fame had
reached even our ears. l wondered
how she could have approached him
with such request; but said moth
ing to father of her desire, and one
morning, about week later, his card
was put into my hands.
With quick, trembling limbs has
tened down to meet him and opened
the parlor door to find myself face to
face with the stranger who. weeks
before, had sat in the Leonards pew.
My face grew red and pale as rec
ognized him; but he came forward very
quietly and, taking my hands, said:
"Come, we will have little talk
first, and then you shall take me to
see your father. -
Then when he left me to visit my
father found myself awaiting his re-
turn with calm assurance that, could
mortal aid avail him, he would find it
in DR.. Melrose's healing touch.
A half-hour passed before his re-
turn, and when be entered the room I
knew might hope.
''It is not so bad as I feared" he
said. "Time and careful nursing will
soon restore him. The latter shall
intrust to you."
Then he gave me his directions SO
clearly that could not misunderstood
them, and when he bade me good bye,
holding both my hands for moment
in his own, and said: ''You must take
care of yourself as well and not give
me two patients instead of one," he
smiled so kindly that I felt my heart
leap as thought.
"It's for Maude's sake he has done
this thing. He loves her."
So the winter passed. Two or three
times the doctor came to relieve the
monotony. We looked to him almost
as our deliverer, for fathers health
and vigor were ct last restored; but