The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-11-07
THE MILLER's MAID.

Near the hamlet of Udorf, on the bank
of the Rhine, not far from Bonn, there vet
stands the mill which was the scene Of the
following adventure:
One Sabbath morning the miller and his
family set out as usual to attend seryice!at
the nearest church In the village Of Heasel,
leaving the mill, to which the dwelling.
house was attached, in charge of his ser.
vaht-m maid Hanchen, a ~bold-hearted girl
who bad been some time in his service.
The youngest child, who was still too little
to go to church, remained also under her
care.
As Hanchen was busily engaged in pre-
pairing dinner for the family, she was inter.
rupted by n visit from her admirer. Helm
rich Botteler. He was an idle, graceless
fellow, and her master, who knew his
character well, had forbidden him the house:
but Hanchen could not believe all the
stories she heard against her lover. and
was sincerely attached to him. On this
occasion she created him kindly, and not
only got him something to eat at once, but
found time in the midst of her business to
sit down and have q gossip with him, while
he did Justice to the fare set before him.
As he was eating he let fall his knife. which
he asked her to pick up for him ; she play
fully demonstrated, telling him she feared,
from all she lat heard, he did little enough
work, and ought at least to wait upon him
self. In the end, however, she stooped
down to pick up the knife, when the
treacherous villain drew a dagger from
under his coat, and caught her by the nape
OF the neck, graphing her throat firmly with
his fingers to prevent her screaming then,
with an oath, he desired her to tell him
where her master kept her money, threaten
ing to kill her if she did not comply with
his demand. The surprised and terrified
girl in vain attempted to parley with him !:
he still held her tightly in his choking
grasp, leaving her 40 other choice but to die,
or betray her master. She saw there WINS
no hope of softening him, or changing his
purpose, and, with q full conviction of his
~treachery, all her native courage awoke in
her bosom. Affecting, however, to yield to
what was inevitable, she answered him in
n resigned tone, that what must be, must /;
only, if he carried off her masters gold. he
must lake her with him too; for she could
never stay to bear their suspicious and re-
proaches, entreating him Mt the same time
to relax his grasp Of her throat, for she
could hardly speak, much less do what he
bid her, while he held her SO tight. At
length he was induced to quit hold, on her
reminding him that he must lose no time,
or the family would be returning from
AZ hAChA { IL u w ACE LuhbItk b
bedroom, and showed him the Golfer where
he kept his money. Here" she said,
reaching to him an AK which lay in q corner
of the room, you can open it with this,
while l run up stairs to put all my things
together, besides the money / have saved
since 1 have been here"
Completely deceived by her apparent
readiness to enter into his plans, he allowed
her to leave the room, only exhorting her to
be as quick as possible, and was Immediately
absorbed in his own operations, first opening
the box, and then disposing of the money
about his person. In the meanwhile, Han
chen, instead of going up stairs to her own
room, crept softly along several passages,
till she again reached her masters chamber.
1t was the work of a m to shut and
bolt the door upon him and this done, she
rushed out to the outer door Of the mill to
give the alarm. The only being in sight
was her masters little boy, a child Of five
years old; to him she called with all her
might, run! run to meet your father as
he comes from church; tell him we shall
all be murdered if he does not hurry back ~
The frightened child did as she babe him,
and set off running on the road she pointed
out.
child understood her, and would make her
>e1S AoFA ohS otoAA ao"h III u INK
on the stone seat before the door, and full
of conflicting emotions of grief and thank
fitness for her escape, she burst into tears.
But at this moment a shrill whistle aroused
her attention; it was from her prisoner
Heinrich, who, opening the grated window
above her head, shouted to some accom-
plice without, to catch the child that was
running away SO fast, and to kill the girl.
Hachen looked around in great alarm, but
saw no one. The child still continued to
run with all his might, and she hoped that
it was but a false alarm to excite her fear
and overcome her resolution when, Just
as the child reached q hollow in the next
field (the channel of a natural drain), she
saw q ruffian start up from the bed of the
drain, and snatching up the child in hi.
arms, hasten with him towards the mill, il
accordance with the directions of his &c
complete. In a m she perceived the
full extent of her danger and formed hei
plan for escaping it.
Retreating into the mill, she double.
locked and bolted the door-the only appar
ent entrance into the building, every othel
means of obvious access being prevented
by strong iron gratings fixed up against al
the windows-and then took her post at tn,
upper easement, determined to wait patient
ly her masters return, and her consequent
delivery from that dangerous position, o
her own death, if, indeed inevitable; TO
she was fully resolved to enter into no terms
and that nothing should induce her to Civ,
up her masters property into the robbers
hands. She had hardly had time to secur,
herself in her retreat, when the %ruffian, hold
ing the screaming child in his arms, ant
brandishing a knife in one hand, came III
and bid her open the door or he would breal
it down, adding many awful oaths ant
threats to which her only answer was
that she put her trust in God. Heinrich
who from his window was witness of thi
c~olloquy, now called out to cut the child
throat before her eyes if she still persisted
in her refusal. Poor Hanchen's hear
quailed ut his horrible threat; for a mo
ment her resolution failed, but only for
moment. The death of the child could b,
no gain to them, while her own dealt
was certain if she admitted the assailant
and her master, too, would be robbed
She had no reason either to suppose tina
her compliance would save the life of tn,
child. It was to risk all against nothing
and she resolved to hold out to the last
though the william from without renewed
his threats, saying hat if she would no
open the door to him he would kill tn,
child, and then set fire to the mill over he
head. II put my trust in God, " was still
the poor girls answer
ITO be. COn'inued.)