Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-05-11

face wore half-wild, half-frightened
look, and his hand trembled as he held
it out fo1 the letter.
simeon! Simeonp' cried Myra,
with quivering voice and fearful eyes,
surely you'll have to speak now!'
He shook his head slowly and sadly
as he sat down on the plow to read the
letter. He handed it back in silence
and turned away his head when he
| saw the tears streaming down Myra's
cheeks, and he bit his lip until it al
most bled when he heard her sob as
she turned to go back to the house
When he came to dinner he read the
letter again, but he and Myra ate in
silence.
Hope came week from that day.
Myra went to the railroad station three
miles distant to meet her.
'Itll be better for me to meet her
than for you, if you are bound and de.
termined to keep up this nonsense
while she's here" said Myra. "She
doesn't know thing about it; you
may be sure I haven't written a word
of it to the poor child, and 1 dread to
tell her of it now. It's shame, burn.
ing shame, Simeon Sayles, for you to
spoil Hopes first visit home just to carry
out silly vow that it was wicked for
you ever to make i'll the first place.
It's piece of wickedness right
straight through
A visible pallor had come into Sim.
cons face at the mention of Hopes
little girl. No one knew how much
and how tenderly this little girl whom
he had never seen had been in his
thoughts. He was fond of children,
and no child in the world could be as
dear to him as this little girl of Hopes.
He and Myra had looked forward SO
eagerly to the time when Hope should
bring her to them, and they read so
proudly of all her infantile charms and
accomplishments as set forth in Hopes
letters!
He stole softly into the seldom
opened parlor when Myra had gone.
Several photographs of Hopes little
girl, taken at different stages of her
infantile career, were in the album on
the parlor table. Simeon took up this
album and gazed at these photographs,
one by one, with unhappy eyes.
He wandered round the house and
yard until the time drew near for
Myra's return with Hope and little
Grace. Then he went down the road
to meet them. He had gone perhaps
quarter of n mile when he sat down
by the wayside to wait until they
should drive around turn in the road
hundred yards or more distant.
! minutes when he heard the sound of
wheels and voices around the curve in
the road. He heard the sudden, sweet
laugh of child and was on his feet in
an instant.
AT that same instant man on a BIZ
cycle dashed past him. Bicycles were
still an almost unheard of thing in
that part of the country. Simeon had
never seen but three or four of them,
and the appearance of this one whirl-
ing along at such speed startled him.
Its rider sent it flying on down the
road, and it whirled around the curve,
to the surprise of Miss Myra and to
the terror Of old Hector, the horse she
was driving. The reins were lying
loosely in Myra's hands, and before
she could gather them up old Hector
jumped aside, rearing and plunging,
and the next instant he was racing
madly down the road with the reins
dragging the ground on either side of
him, while Hope clung to little Grace
and screamed.
"Whoa! Whoa, Hector" cried Myra
in voice so awful with terror that it
frightened old Hector the more.
whoa, Hector, whoa!'
This time old Hector pricked up his
ears, for the voice that spoke was a
firm, commanding one, and the next
moment strong hand grasped his
bride while the voice repeated:
''Whoa! Whoap'
1t was harsh, stern voice. but it
sounded like the sweetest music in
Myras ears. I. was Simeon's, and
Simeon was holding to the bit. He
held it until old Hector came to halt,
and then he turned aud said calmly:
Don't be scared, Hope, child;
you're all right now. Give me the
little one
He held out his arms and Hope put
the little girl into them, saying as she
did so:
Its your Uncle Simmy, dear! Put
your arms around his neck and give
him kiss, and let him hear how we'll
you can say Uncle Simmy. I"
A pair of soft little arms stole around
Simeon's sunburned neck; soft little
cheek was laid on his rough, bearded
one, and when she had kissed him
twice she said:
"Dee Nuncle Thimmy"
"The blessed little creetur'' he said,
winking his eyes and hugging her
close to his heart.
And when she and her mother were
asleep in Hopes old room that night,
Simeon came into the kitchen where
Myra was setting some bread to rise
and softly humming gospel hymn of
praise out of the Joy of her heart, and