Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-10-19
Love In a Saw Mill.

Smith and his family were living in
neat cottage close to the mill, and Of
ten | and the engineer, James Alton
by name, were invited by our employ
er to attend the evening worship held
in his house.
One evening, just as we were tax
ing leave of his family, we heard the
sound of carriage wheels, Immediately
followed by knock at the outer door
Minnie is coming! Minnie il
coming" exclaimed Mrs. Smith, rush
ing past us into the entry. Her hus
band followed with light.
A minute after the door opened
and Minnie, her Oldest daughter, wa'
locked in her mothers arms.
Minnie was a beautiful girl, abou
seventeen years of age. Three year!
she had passed in a young ladies' sem
mary near Utica, New York, and nov
she had returned to her mountain
home, amidst the pines and cedars of
California.
| The engineer and l fingered awhile
after her arrival, for both desired tc
be introduced to Minnie Smith.
Minnie, | make you acquainted
with Louis, our head sawyer, anC
James, our engineer. | guess you'll
be glad to make their acquaintance
for both are good musicians and ex
cellent singers. l suppose your mu
steal education has not been neglect
ed ?"
II have learned a little instrument
al music, but have no voice" replied
she to her father, after bowling to US
James had held out his hand, but she
did not touch it, and | saw that he
blushed deeply, while his eyes glitter
ed revengefully at what he supposed
her disdain.
Soon after we left the cottage. On
our way to the mill | said:
james, old boy, you look mad
Why, don't you know that in good so
ciety they never shake hands, but only
bow? ?"
Well, | didn't know it. But nev.
ertheless, she could have shaken hands
with me when she saw that | held out
my hand replied he in surly tone.
| then began to praise Minnie's
beauty, and asked his opinion aoout
her; but he gave me no answer
When we parted for the night | motto.
ed that his voice sounded strange as
he said:
Don't fall in love with that girl
she is too aristocratic to be the wife
of head sawyer"
-Four weeks had passed since be
came acquainted with Minnie. Almost
every evening James and l could be
seen in the parlor Of the cottage. Soor
it became known that Minnie and
were engaged to be married within
six months. | do not remember how
| confessed my love, all | know i;
that she pressed my hand as | asked
her to be my wife, while her lips sale
ayes"
Her father had no objection to oul
union. He had known me for many
years, and knew that | was able tt
support a wife. He even asked mi
to become his partner, to which prop
osition | gladly assented.
One evening Minnie and | were sit
ting at the foot of a huge sugar pine
talking about our approaching mar
riage, when we heard the report of ;
rife, the bullet of which whistled pas
my head.
l sprang to my feet and shouted:
Halloa! you stupid fellow, wha
are you shooting at ?"
Il supposed it was a deer" an
swered well-known voice, and James
with rife in his hand emerged from
some manzantia bushes about fifty fee
from where | stood.
" You couldn't take me for deer !!
" Yes" answered James, pointin.
to my gray hat, in the band Of whicl
Minnie had stuck some dry branche
from bush close by.
"Ah, | sec" said | taking off N.
hat. Well, next time You had bet
ter look little closer"
81 will" repeated he, moving away
!, and soon his form was lost amidst th
increasing darkness. Again it scenes
to me that his voice sounded strange
But L had no time to think about il
, for Minnie had tainted, and it SCENE
: long time to me before she opene'
her eyes. 1t was night before W
reached the cottage.
, The next day James Alton gave u
/ notice that he would leave within te
: days.
Time rolled quickly away amids
: the preparations for our coming mai
t riage. | had been twice to S. i
order to hire another engineer, bu
could find no one to take James plac,
r and he was compelled to remain unit
the arrival of a machinist, an oil
friend of mine. who was coming frol
!, San Francisco.
' On Sunday evening, two days b
G fore the day set for my marriage wit
5 Minnie, | had occasion to 90 down t
= the mill. After looking to the saw
= to see if they were properly wedge
and filed, descended to the boile
room. We had two large steam boi
e er set side by side. As usual,
0 both their ends were the man-hole
l. These are semi-circular opening
= through which, when necessary. IL
g fireman creeps, to clean the inside {
r the boiler. One of these holes W;
y open, and some boys, children of Il
s. fireman, were playing with a sho
g iron bar near by.
d | do not know what made me stt
e and watch them pushing the b
is through the aperture, while they Il
f tened to the sound of the waters
is its waVelets moved past the bar, al
r dashed against the boiler.
u. "Stop that play, boys" said |, aal
le tell James to close up the boiler
% They had not seen me before al
when they heard my voice they let
iron bar fall and scampered awe
t. The bar dropped with loud spla
ic into the water.
If "Never mind thought ], /" the Fl
IS man car get it out again when th
e. clean the boiler next Sunday" Iw