Connecticut western news., 1880-08-04
THE MILL CHIMNEY.
The Story of Bricklayer.

The Story of a Bricklayer.
 Twas when was counting Katie that the accident I'm going to tell you about happened. But for that same accident, don't think Katie an would be man an wife this day, for you see my father was set again the match, Katie being only laborer's daughter; while he him. self was foreman in the mills, getting good wages, and thought great deal of by his employers. An if it wasn't for Katie, I don't think I'd be here now to tell you about 1t, for twas she that saved my life, through hitting on plan that never once came into the heads of me or of my comrades-aye, or of those that you'd have thought would know better than any of us.
 was not brought up to my fathers trade, having been taken, when young, by brother of my mothers; master bricklayer living in the town. When my uncle died came home to Lisgar- ven for bit, just to see my father, and finding that they were at work on the new buildings at the mills, I looked for employment there, an got it at once Lisgarven Mill is flour mill, an a pretty place it was in those days, with the river running just by the old red-brick build ings, an the big water-wheel always go- ing round an round. The river falls into larger one little lower down, an the tide comes up as far as the mill, so 'tis in boats that most of the corn is brought in, an the flour carried away. 'Tisnt half so pretty place now; there are big whitewashed buildings alongside of the old brick ones; the old wheel is stopped, an you hear the whirr of the engines instead of the sound of water But they makes power of money there, an gives deal of employment.
 As I was saying, got taken on as a bricklayer. Katie's father was working there, too, an used to see her bring ing him his dinner, and, after bit, began to think that I'd like to have her bringing me mine, too. She was as pretty a girl then as you'd see any where-she's good-looking to this day an l soon became that fond of her, that I'd have done anything almost to get her. She herself was willing enough twas my father that made the difficulty. He was a proud man; as proud in his way as any gentleman, an he was right down mad at the notion of my marrying laborer's daughter To be sure was earning good wages, an might have married without asking any ones leave If I'd been so minded, but I didn't like to go again the old man that had always been good to me. Beside, Katie was just as proud as himself, an would have nothing to say to me unless he was satis- fled. got the owner to speak to him, but sure 'twasn't a bit of use.
 "How would you like, sir," he says to the owner, eff I had a daughter, to have Master Philip take up with her, an wouldn't that be the same thing ?"
 l believe the owner didn't think it would be at all the same thing; but my father wouldn't hear the reason from him any more than from me; so Katie an I had just nothing for it but tc wait in the hope of his coming round, an very little hope we had of that same
 As we were putting up a steam-engine in the mill, we had of course to have { big chimney, an we got man dowr from town to build it-one of them chap. that builds chimneys an nothing else an thinks nobody knows anything abou it but theirselves. was working alons with him, and indeed twas that bull the most of it, an right good job i was. Twas finished by Christmas- ten years ago this Christmas coming o1 all but the lightning conductor, anc that was not put up owing to the owner wanting to make inquiries when he'd g, to town, an to see for himself wha would be the best kind to use. Tn proprietor was & scientific sort of gen tleman, an had ideas of his own-some times they'd be better than other peo ple's, sometimes not as good.
 At any rate, there was delay abou the conductor, an in the meantime tn engines were at work, an the bi chimney was smoking away like blazes MT. Brown, the strange workman, ha gone away, saying, very condescendinj like, that he was sure Jim Forde (tba was mel would be able to fasten the TO to the chimney as we'll as he could do himself. He took all his scaffoldin with him, but before he went away, h fixed beam with pulley in it into th top of the chimney, an left long ror hanging through it, so that a man coul be hoisted up at any time; an there th rope hung dangling, week after weel until the owner came home, bringing th rod along with him.
 Once 1t had come, there was no goo losing any more time in fixing it, so or Saturday afternoon in January, up
 went on a plank, slung securely at tt end of the rope, my tools along with m
 an settled myself astride on the stor coping. Twas rather late in the da, but the morning had been too wet a