The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-08-30
The Windmill on the Downs.

Two speakers; OIL old man and q ynunG
girl; he, bowed down, passive, and endur.
Ing, bis face, blank, hopeless, and fur
roWed, more by grief than time. She, up
right, defiant, full OF energy and vehG-
ment action, her CountenanCe alternately
fired by indignant protest or soItened by
sympyIhetiC sorrow. A strong likeness
between them, Notwithstanding the dltler'
ence OF age and complexion, Tor he, the
bleaching OF his hair and the bron2ing OF
his skin apart, is fair and Saxonllke; she,
brunette, OliVe-tinted, dark.Cyed, and
with tresses only one shade short OlblaCk.
They arc moving, under bright Septem'
her sun, slowly along strip OF garden y.
ing between cottage and an old wind
mill, in the management Of which, judg-
ing by the ample pOwdCriDg Of flour upon
their garments, both are concerned,
She says, witHthe very iaintCst foreign
accent, II declare TO you, father, that II |
saw Reuben StraytOr with his head upon
the block OF the guillotine, as l saw that
wretched man in Paris Of whom have
80 often told you, and had power 10 stay
the falling knife, declare to you, say, |
would not use 1t. All the misery that you
and are now suffering Is his work"
Naomi Naomiw interpOses the old
IMAM, "ye'll not better matters by hard
words, they bC'ant like christian; even
il yc were sure you could trace the great
hurt that's been done to us TO Reuben, 1t
hc'ant fit 10 be so revengelul; and as no one
knows the rights OF it, it's all the worse
Tor you TO talk on so. You, too, as would
90 yards out Of your way rather nor tread
IN a worm"
Nobody knows the rights Of It, faith
cry" she says, intCrrogatively, and sud
denly standing still. alas not Reuben
been hanging about the mill for weeks
and weeks. coming to 1t at all hours, new.
or missing chance, when one OF the
lsrm men could have done the affairs
quite as welcoming, in fact, upon the
slightest excuse, and sometimes even upon
none ut all and you have lived these
many years in the world and not seen
enough OF il 10 know that when man
does that sort OF thing at house where
there Isl pretty girl, there Is but one con-
Clusion 10 be DRAWN and have not you
and |, although we have not spoken OF
It to each other, seen enough when Jean
cite and he have met, to fully warrant
such ConClusiCn?"
"Well," says the old man, iii so be its
Reuben that's done this hurt, the Lord
help us, and have mercy upon him; but !
cannot think it'll cannot think IT. ho was
aproper good lad always, though spoilt
ut home"
what not think III" replies Naomi,
Indignantly, mot think 1t nowP when
after these nine days Of mysterious alb.
scnce and total silence, and in spite Of oil
our Efforts, not q trace Of her is 10 be
found; when We remember that Reuben
len tho farm the day that Jeanette disap.
peared, and actually walked into Crew
haven with her, and that he, too, Is not to
De heard of-can 1t be possible that you
DO not see. what has happened, aud that
you still say nobody knows the rights Of
IL To me It is as clear as yOnder sky I!
Father Father can hardly control my
self when l think Off The Villalnous
coward to tri1e with, and deceive an un'
snSpeCting child like her ! fine gentle
man like thing to be sure; and no al
ways talking, In his grand manner, about
ladies and gentlemen, and their ways
and behavior, and trying to copy them in
their voices and loOksg Who Is he, and
who are we, that we are TO be talking Of
ladies' and gentlemenY We are millers
here, with this ramshackle, tumblGdown
mill for our estate, and he, the son Of
FIOCkshre farmer, whose grandfather ma
FOL- was at the plow's tail sixty years
ago Pretty pGdigrees for ladies and
gentlemen, by example l declare TO you
again, father, that II | saw that man dy-
Ing Of thirst at my feet, would not put
out my hand to give him glass oil wa
ter; u saw him walking bllndIOld 10.
ward the edge Of Shingle.head ClIh, !
would not put out my arm TO stop him
4on DGeu, no" she adds, with much ges'
tIc1lattOn, as she again moves forward.
The old man put his arm through hers
endeavorlng gently 10 restrain her, as be
says, "Eh but It's mercy you we're moi
horn man, Naomi, Tor yedhG given the
blow first, and the word RiterWard; and
MS to my having lived all these years 10
The world, I'd have said, If they've learn
ed me anything, that Reuben coined here
OF late to look after my eldest daughter
stead OF my youngest l never seed
more belwixt him and dear Jeanette than
betwiXt him and you Ibe'an't going Ia
say that you mayn't be right, but Reuben