The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-12-06
THAT NIGHT AT THE MILL.

der.
\ >camper across the wet grass,
run over the rude footbridge. Il littl
climb to the level of the old platform
and there was jess. GREATNESS and RI
diant. under shelter.
There. we're all right now. Why
| never saw such 4 downpour in m,
life. And she >uatched off her hat
shaking Il spray OF rain-lropS from it.
crimson feather.
Two girl>-tall jess and little Am,
had been coming down the mountain
by the glen road through the woods
with only Il narrow ribbon of sky show
ing overhead. and they had not notice,
the storm rising. just here at tn
opening OF the gorge above the oil,
mill ii had taken them .. fast and fu
riou> wind. rain. lightning. thunde
and Il heavy. blue-black darkness clos
ing in around
Watch that cloud settle down OF
the mountain.
Amy said it sitting on prostrat,
LOG. and looking out at the mill. Sud
den storms are not uncommon il
Berkshire. and the girls rather en-
joyed the violence of this. jess stoo,
rs straight as the old Spine post be
side her. delight in her eyes and sprin
kle of the shower in her black hair.
How the wind roars up the river
Isn't it @rand?" she said. Now, AMY
il any harm comes of this. l shall h,
the one TO answer for it. You remem
Der how it used tu be when we wer,
little. and Aunt Kitty would saw, .Jes
Sica. YOU know YOU led Amy into it
You must be punished.
And YOU were"
Wasn't l? Trust Aunt Kitty TO
that.
How she used TO send You to bed
Don't YOU remember she would sa,
that whipping injured the spine. IN.
starving hurt the digestion: but tina
sending to bed WAS >afe?''
We'll. ii was. know, for | trie,
ii. Idcclarc. Amy, I'm appalled, whel
think how many of the shining hoNr,
of my childhood | spent in bed. Aunt,
used to say she felt perfectly cas-,
about me when l was locked up il
my own room. Poor soul! | beliey,
that was all the peace of he. life tina
she had, what with Tom and me to
gether.''
The rain and wind. the thunder an,
lightning kept on harder and harder
jess stood laughing and chatting. after
her merry. happy fashion. and Amy
after her gentle, happy fashion, sal
listening.
And. Amy, do YOU remember how
You used to 60 up to the attic window
and swing Your hat down for . basket
and 50 smuggle things to me-dolls ant
doughnutS. YOU know? You were al
ways such a dear little comfort, your
And in a gush of grateful "reminiscences
jess bent and gave Amy's shoulder /;
dainty bite with her small. hard teeth
They We're very different. YOU see
jess and Amy. 1t was rs natural fol
the one to lead as it was for the Other
TO follow. AT school jess had been the
first scholar. the finest reader in The
hall. the best rover on the lake, to sa,
nothing of being - the handssmest one
among them. The girls in writing
notes to her, delighted to place 81. K. >
after the address--Jessica Regina. L
would be we'll for some other Queens il
their subjects We're as loyal. There il
no place known to the present write
where strong girl like jess rules NOR,
completely than in school.
Amy had been among them-well
jess Langdon's sister, every on
loved her. of course: but then''-youl
informant would pause little. Am,
wasn't wonderful as Jess was-wasn'
a girl TO be brought to the front exam
ination days. YOU know
To be sure. that night when poo
Fanny Dane dicd-that was so strange
when she knew she wasn't going t.
well. and couldn't see her mothc
more, when they asked her if sh
mt like to see DIR. Perry, the min
he said, ''No: get Amy Langdon
e.' We all wondered she didn'
4 for jess.
There was one who did not wonder
jess herself. In the year since the
graduated the older sister had Learned
several things. There were fathers
and brothers. and lovers to rule thi
outside world. and her place SCENE,
somehow to be filled. Tom and Ted
her two college cousins, came in with
rollicking Glow are you, jess? How
does the world serve YOU this morning?'
and passed her to fling down their hat
and lower their voices as they sat b.
Amy.
Was it possible that Amy's gentl
womanliness inspired in them respec
which her own wit and sarcasm c0ul,
not produce? Had she carried off tn,
first prize in Latin and English compo
sitiOn, only to come home, after all
and take lessons of little Amy? Jes
pondcred and wondered, and in tn
midst of her bordering and wonderin,
the two came to the old mill and TIL
thunderstorm of that August morning
"Come here, Amy, and see the waite
pour over the DAM Jess was stand
ing on the riverside of the mill now
There was a square opening, a rud
sort of window, from which they coul
watch the water plunging down, churn
ing itself white among the black rock
fifty feet below.
How fast the river is risingr' Am
said it anxiously.
Its like the streams among tn
Scotch Highlands. They swell fron
brooks to Hoods in q few hours. 70,
KNOW"
Jess, it's growing dark. We can
20 home in this storm, even if we hav
to stay here all nightv' cried Amy.
Never mind. No one will be anxiou
about us. They think we're up at tn
farm, and should like nothing bette
than staying here all night. Oh!''
A little cry, for that instant Hash 9
lightning smote the air into quivers c
green and red and gold al round them
Amy, are yoa afraid?p And. Jes
caught her sister hands.
No. Amy was afraid of many thing
spiders and mice, and noises at nigh
but she wasn't afraid now. If any
one, it was Jess. There was3 1ulI of
few minutes. By-and-by jess said, q
she broke off splinters from decaye
beam by the Window - ~@s-
sgsf.Es sez .sy.55.ssvsE 81 .,ks.,s gk,
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