Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-08-14
THE MILLER'S GRANDDAUGHTER
BY E. G. j.

BY E. G. j.
The summer afternoon waned at last;
the flaming sun declined toward the hori-
zon, and cool, soft breeze, inexpressi-
bly, delightful after the heat of the day,
began to blow.
Since early dawn Lizzie Dupont had
been tOiling at her needle, but now she
threw down her work, and leaving the
old mill, stood on the rude plank, that
crossed the millrace and looked eagerly
over the fields
"Oh. where can Dossy bep' she cried
'tThat dreadful interest, which must be
got ready by Saturday, has made me for
get her l ought not to have listened to
grandpa. [ am sure something has hap
pened to her. She never was away so
long before. shall never forgive my
self What, what" she cried, suddenly
clasping her hands, ''if she should be
drowned?"
Lizzie Dupont had not always been a
resident at the old mill, dependant on her
needle for support. She had once been,
and that not so long ago, the petted
daughter of a merchant prince in New
York. But her father had failed and
died soon after, of a broken heart; and
Lizzie would have starved, if it had not
been for her maternal grandfather.
'sCOme to me,'' he had written, 81 am
old and poor; but we will share our
crusts together; if you have grown up to
look like your dear mother, you will be
the apple of my eye" Sc Lizzie, ignored
by her fathers rich relations, had found
refuge in this secluded spot.
Refuge and peace, hut hardly happi-
ness. In the days of her prosperity she
had become acquainted with young
Englishman, the son of titled family,
and had plighted her troth to him. Just
before her fathers failure, Ross Dever-
eaux had sailed for England, intending
within six months to return and claim his
bride But from that day to this, Lizzie
had never heard word about him.
At first she thought her letters had
miscarried, and in the faith and trust Of
young heart had continued writing. But
at last and after having discovered the
heartlessness of her fathers relatives,
she began to believe that even Ross might
deserts me- she said "God help me!
1t is, suppose, the way of the world"
Lately a new trouble had come upon
her. Her grandfather had been failing
all winter, so that man had to be hired
to work the mill, and this had brought
them into debt. Already there was
mortgage on the mill, for the grandfather
had never been prosperous man, and
now the interest had fallen in arrears for
nearly a twelvemonth. The holder of
the mortgage was q cruel, avarlclous
man. He had often threatened to turn
out the little family, if his interest was
not paid; and two weeks before he had
served written notice that if the arrears
were not forthcoming by the next Satur-
day, he would be as good as his word.
Every day since Lizzy had risen by can
delight and worked until bedtime. elf
1 can only get this embroidery done for
Mrs. Watson" sho said, "by that dread
full day, 1 may raise part of the money, at
least, and then, perhaps he will wait for
the rest.''
But this afternoon new and greater
trouble had come. Dossy, her little pet
sister, had been missing all day. The
child often spent the mornings playing
in the woods, but invariably returned to
the noontide meal On this occasion,
however, she did not make her appear
ance; Lizzy was alarmed, and would have
gone 10 seek her; but the grandfather
took it cooler 'She has stopped at some
of the neighbors ;" he said, "she will be
home for supper, don't fret, dear" Liz
zie, thinking of the coming Saturday,
had allowed herself to be persuaded that
all was right, and had gone back to her
work. But as the afternoon wore on and
no Dossy came home, she grew seriously
alarmed. At last throwing down her
needle, she came out as we have seen.
ooh, Dossy, Dossy!" she cried, when
she had scrutinized the landscape vainly
in every direction, "where are your If
God will only spare you, dear-if he will
give you back to us alive, | will never
repine again at anything"
But where was Dossy? Was she really
lost!
To explain this, we must go back to
the afternoon before, and look at Dossy,
as she sat in the old fashioned garden,
swaying to and fro in a grapevine swing,
pulling over the troubles of the family.
She was watching bobolink that sung
in the heart of lilac bush, end talking
to herself the while.
"What nasty, ugly old man that land
lord is she said; land he made poor
Lizzy cry so the other day, when he was
here He says he'll drive us from our
home Why, them" with sudden con-
seriousness, sswe'll have no place to live
in, and l shall never hear you sing, bir-
die; nor have my flowers, nor my kittens.
Oh, me! Oh, mel"
She sobbed little, then shook off her
April tears and then fell to thinking in
earnest. If they only had some money.
What if she could get some! She quicker
ed her brows into a frown- Just then
some market carts rolled by, laden with
produce, on tt cir way to the neighbor-
ing little town. On the front seat of one
sal an old woman with basket of flow
ers on her knees A sudden thought
flashed on Dossy and the puckered little
brow cleared up. Why couldn't she sell
flowers? Her garden was full of them,
especially of pansies, such pansies as were
not often seen.
She jumped from the swing so quickly
that she landed head foremost in the
grasses below But nothing daunted she
regained her feet and began picking off
the golden hearted pansies and English
daisies by handfulls She would do it;
indeed, she would, and make ever so
much money; and they wouldn't have to
leave the mill, and grandpa and slssie
wouldn't cry any more. She fell to work
arran pinU her bOuouetS for the morrow