The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-12-29

you look kind of
run down." Mr.. Simeon Goldthwaite
said, as he met her at the small coun-
try station.
mo, Uncle Simeon, it's just the
other way. Haven't you ever wound
your watch so tight hat you had to
give it a shake to set it going?"
Eyes, 1 have" and he remained 81
lent q moment to get the full force
of the illustration. 81 guess you're
right. These schools re hard on the
handspring"
Elizabeth settled back in the sleigh
restfully. She had never been in the
real country in midwinter before, al
though a portion of more than one
summer vacation had been spent with
this kind Uncle Simeon. His home
was only 20 miles from Hawthorne,
where she was a pupil in the famous
Hawthorne school, while her W was
in another state several hundred
miles away. When the invitation
came to spend the latter part of
Christmas week and New Years at
the farmhouse her first sensation was
a SILVER. Then she had said: what
do l care for the cold? I'm freezing
inside here, and a few frostbites out
side will only be a counter-irritant."
But there was little danger of freez-
ing in Uncle Simeon's sleigh with a
foxskin robe tucked around her and
Aunt Agatha's big shawl over her
warm jacket. The December air was
a clear, bracing cold, the snow was
packed and crusted on either side Of
the roadway, and Doll, the good gray
horse, trotted just fast enough to
keep the sleigh-bells jingling with a
monotonous and restful sweetness.
Her world Of duties and perplexities
was leagues behind. This new world
with its wide reaches of pure white,
untrodden fields, its circling noun
tains clear-cut against the blue-gray
sky, its lines of forest with their in
-describable shades of coloring-this
world was a delightful surprise. Slow
1y she disentangled her thoughts from
this fascinating outlook and brought
them back to her uncle's words.
81 ought not to let you think I've
been studying too hard" she said.
"T've been a naughty girl, and my
heart aches. I'm all out of sorts
with myself-that's the trouble"
"Sho! You don't mean to say! l
never thought you was naughty. You
come of a steady-going race" and he
gave her a quick glance over his fur
collar as if to read her face.
ooh, 1 haven't been cutting up
Uncle Simeon, but I've-had trouble
with my very, very dearest girl
friend, and-we don't speak to each
other" The last words were almost
a sob.
Simeon Goldthwaite had been a
c~lass-leader for many years. and had
learned to read the inner life of old
and young in his small circle. 1t is a
great gift-that of genuine, unselish
sympathy with other people, but this
simple-hearted man had received it,
and used it with reverence.
"Well, now, Elizabeth, l dare say
twas a small affair to start with"
.Oh, yes-yes, it was! Alice and I
were rivals in class work, but We loved
each other dearly until-she threw q
suspicion upon me, Uncle Simeon; a
~suspicion that I was unfair and untrue.
I could have forgiven her, but right
away she grew cold and distant. and
she hasn't spoken to me for three
months" Elizabeth paused to control
her voice and then went on: ut is at
fectjng all the girls. They take sidea
and Alice is so bright and winning that