Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-05-21

to supply all the wants Of the neighoorhood; it
was notorious that the mills Of Barford did
much Of the grinding a OF the Falford district
possessed piece Of worthless ground; he would
risk the building Of mill for the good OF the
cuseo his action so elaborateiy, He TOOK very
few In by his talk; and he might have known
that friends and neighbors do not very severely
condemn questionable act when they expect
The mil was built and became very popu-
lar Steam power was then In its youth, lat
any rate In that disIrict.) and was believed to
be capable OF the greatest marvels OF work at
the smallest possible expense. The belief, in.
deed. stu obtained among the older and more
ignorant folk that 1t was manifestation OF the
"But if 1t be divll," said old Bidker, "as
SOON say, it VIII be very good divn; Ell,
Carts and wagons of grain from the uplands,
instead OF rafting and numbering on to Bar
ford. now turned to Fulford. and Miller John
down the hilf, tearing open one side OF the road
with their clumsy skid pans, and dash past him
with fierce cracking OF whips and wild "Woa-
great broad -hoofed horses panted and scraped
on their way to his brothers.. II any one came
upon him at such a time and ventured to con-
he would face him with Folk I'll soon ind ali.
ference atween divirs steam an Gods waiter,
and till that time. Godamoignty can look alters
ain waiter an l can look after mysen," and
then he would turn sharply OF and enter his
mill.
Big Johns faith that the popularity of steam
was mere passing whim was severely tried,
All that year. even right through the busy
grinding months that follow on an abundant
harvest team after team Of toiling horses
dragged their rich load OF wheat, OF barley, or
OF pulse through the hollow past the Old water
mill, on to the town, and drew up under Aunt
Kitty's house; which still stood as the work men
mad LEFT IT. With one end open 70
Ism Str1fe and spite OF kindred. It became
general belief In the town and among the farm
haa tas Of Dig John and his
no unseemly rejoicing over the fate OF the
miller and his mill; on the contrary, there
snd aor o. w OF in ss%
and neighpor and an old Institution grow
save them, took John an occasional hurried lob
or tWo-a sack OF oats to hash for next days
pToyender. or bushel OF wheat to grind for
Fridays ., baking. But the work was done SO
just as II 'twere swept OIL barn fIoor'-and
customers were received SO grumpily-"Why,"
he asked them. .'didna ye TAX this where
to return TO him. And their consclences
were the more at ease in forsaklng him, In
fn sea kn0weage that he had curly re-
hat he could get plenty to 90 ' Without SUCH
dirty bits, and in the comforting belief that
since he said so 1t must be true. And Ger.
tdilly III UeilSI Guty WoFe SUSTAINED the
evidence OF their own eyes and ears. Whenever
they passed the water was rushing and splash.
Ing, the wheel turning aud dripping, and the
hoppers Gathering, just as In the busy old days.
TO shreWd and obSeryant persons (Which of
! course the men and women about Fulford
were this was all very puzzling, for no inquiry
could discover any one who employed John
the miller. Some however. were found who
had met him, sometimes early, sometimes late
OF night, going or returning, on the Barford
| road, driving the one lean horse left to him
n
Good Fight, John, )" they had said. "Thoor't
busy at mill then, late and early"
Business must be done. sirs." he had an
sWered.
II any one pressed question, where he was
taking his sacks to or bringing them from, he
would say, finger on nose, Government con-
tract"
For want Of another this explanation OF his
continued activity was generally accepted,
though it did seem singular that government
90 o Ss Of excise wl 0
vas SO, it must be a JOB, big John must have
somehow got at their member, Sir Thomas.
had both tried to "get at Sir Thomas and
had failed) exclaimed 1t was "scandalous. !"
and even the successful George, who had been
| stripped his brother OF business, again
hardened his heart against him.
| But, job or no job. either the government
contract was very. Improbable or John was
become a great m1ser. He contrived to work
| the mill without any assistance, he even al
| lowed his daughter Kitty to 90 as maid into
| Squire Harding's family isome were ''partlcu-
larry" told he insisted on her gOing): his jolly
! figure shEank TO gaunt skeleton; his trousers
| attracted passing notice, from the rranso aren't
| teuuity OF one part aud the thick clumsy patch
| ing OF another, and whenever he turned up Ii
| public (Which now was seldoml his manner was
| Iruculent and suspicious. From all which
| (since 1t could no, be that the government
| ''mt erabie hunks" There was another thing
which lent color to this view: he never now tried
| to "do OUT his brother at sales; when he ap
| peared at them he would f1dget here and there
on the skirts OF the crowd feeling aud fumo-
| ling IN his pockets. AMI IL PottIethwaite ap-
| pealed to him for bid ne would seem to wake
| up and stand irresolute a moment, and then
| would shake his head and stride away.
| he got some sense at last" said of
Cocker. HE wean't throw away nae MAR
| brass"
friends know In con1dence) did not Increase;
| on the contrary. 1t YVES gradually growing less.
But that was at once taken as excellent evil
dence Of the misery INSTINCT working In him,
| which Graves and lusts for the nightly finger.
ing Of the precious gold; he was Of course
boarding away his large savings somewhere
about the mill. and he intended bit by bit, to
withdraw what the bank held OF his, and add it
! to the chfnking, shining pile.
| But that government contract was surely an
! unusually long one. Winter had Softened into
spring, spring had frightened and settled into
summer. and summer deepened and swelled into
autumn, and still the gaunt figure of John, with
his gaunt horse and loaded cart, was met Of an
| evening coming and going on the Barford
| road; still. whenever you might pass the mill
| the water rushed and splashed, the wheel
| turned and drtpped, and the h0ppers clattered.
| The door, indeed. was never seen open now
not even its upper hall, in the old sociable way
| and no one would think of putting his nose
| into the m1ser's den and asking how he
| was. 1t Is not to be wondered at that feeling
| OF something mysterious in all this should
arise and spread. Sober, canny men began to
shake their heads and purse their lips when
talking OF big John. It was agreed that it was
township like Fulford that John should be
| allowed to continue unquestioned his "secret
nefarious traffic." (These last were the words OF
the tailor with taste for Hterature.)
"Ah, now, be a1sy." said DR.. MahOney one
| night as the miller was being thus discussed In
| the old inn parlor-" be aisy. Tae OLD John q
doing nothing wrong, I'll be bound. Oh yes,
| It's true he shuts himself up. Now, now! be-
cause mans lost his flesh don'G ye go for 10
take his skinl''
When the doctor had gone out, switching his
boot with his riding whip. much disgust Was
| Expressed at his defence of ST aud miser. 81
Some one. On the back bench spoke up and said
| he knew why ST doctor be 80 foand O. aud
john" Being pressed for an explanation, he
| said, doctor be sweet on t. lass An Out I
| seen uni an t. lass IL haze all tn aud mans
| rathOleA"
"Ah, be that 1T ?" The wise topers a. once
| found this an explanation OF q great deal, and
| made lt an incentive to action. For might It
| not we'll be that Mahoney was In the milier'5
secrets. and was sharing-eh? Ecod! why