Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-04-12


ming softly to herself in the tiny
porch in front of the house where she
dwelt supreme mistress. The golden
sunshine darted through the rustling
vines and flashed upon the swiftly
moving needles, sending dazzling rays
i'll every direction.
''Ob, Miss Selma" cried high,
clear voice, edo stop knitting for a
minute. l am nearly blinded" Down
dropped the work, as Miss Selma hast
lily sprang forward to meet this most
welcome visitor.
"Como in, dear; come in," she cried.
''It's nice and cool here on the porch,
and I have been baking those nice
seed cakes you like so much"
You're an angel" responded the
girl, as she kissed the cheek where
time ha furrowed few wrinkles as
year posts for nearly half a century.
"But even seed cakes won't console
me, for we are going home tomorrow"
''For the lands sake, child" ex-
claimed her hostess, genuinely g"ieved; !;
''you don't say so. thought that
you would be here another month, at
least. Is anything the matter?"
"Oh, nothing in particular; only
mamma has a touch of rheumatism
and is afraid to have any more east
winds. Oh, de r, how can go and
leave all this bculnd?" and as she
spoke the girl gazed over the cliff
where the little house stood like sig
nal tower, across the smiling ocean,
where the cing waves were crested
with foam .s they frolicked with the
refreshing wind.
"Such perfect blue and gold day
as it is. 1t seems to me it grows hard
er each year to go back to the prim,
sedate, old city. What shall do
when there is no more fishing or row.
ing or bathing or anything?" and the
girl leaned back, with slight cloud
on the usually sunshiny face. "Where
are you going, Miss Se?"
CATER the cakes, DEAR" and Miss
Selma vanished, with step as light
as girls.
But even the cakes failel to Danish
the girls unwonted mood, aud Miss
Selma felt at her wits end.
''See here, dearie," she said Mt
last, 81 know it is hard to leave now,
when it is all SO lovely, but You
wouldn't like to stay here all winter. :"
"Wouldn't I, though" put in the
girl.
''That is easy to say, but sometimes
when I look out of the windows I
really wish lived somewhere else. 1t
is gray and white and angry, and the
clouds hang so heavy over it. Then
the surf comes to the shore, as though
it wanted to tear it away and drown
everybody it hadn't got already" Miss
Selma shivered, and the girlimpulsive-
ly turned toward her friend.
"Don't, Miss Sc, please. 1t is aw-
fully mean of me to make You think
of these things. I wonder that you
don't hate the sea, after all the harm
it has done YOU"
"Hate it? No, child; even though
it has my father and brothers in its
keeping, and somehow it makes me
feel as though were doing something
for the daughters and sisters who are
watching and waiting everywhere, by
putting my lamp where it will show
all night. They call it the Selma
light, you know. But come, we won't
be solemn any longer. Tell me what
you are going to do this winter, now
that you are young lady"
Il don't know, I am sure. I wanted
to go to college, but mamma says she
cannot spare her only girl, SO I will
have to content myself at home. How,
am not sure, unless 1 become pro-
fessional hairdresser, which is really
the only thing for which I seem to
have any talent. Oh, Miss Sc, won't
you please let me do your hair up for
you. You have such pretty pink
cheeks and nice hair that you will be
beauty when have finished it,"
For lands sake, child, what put
that ridiculous idea into your head ?
Why, have done my hair this way
for years, and it wouldn't seem natu-
raj in any other fashion,"
''Then it is high time you changed,
Miss Sc. You want pompadour in
stead of drawing it straight back.
Come and let me try. I won't touch
the scissors or curling tongs."
Miss Selma never could refuse the
girl anything, and obediently went in,
with many inward misgivings as te
the result.
''Sit down here, num-" cried the
girl, dragging low seat before tn,
oid-fashioned mirror and seating hel
victim thereon. In a minute Mis-!