The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-01-21
STORY OF THE OLD MILL.

~ W0S quaint OH 0CcD0-Iuc IWnc0
mill. and the artist sat long with his
pencil in hand and his sketch book
open before him, as he looked over the
narrow stream to the spot where it
stood.
Its = deserted spot now" said y
voice behind him. as = man halted in
The narrow footpath through the
woods; its deserted enough now. but
| remember when it was full OF hustle
and life, and that was not SO many
years ago rs you might think. either.
sir"
mot many years, repeated the
artist. looking up. 1T does indeed
look very desolate.''
Well. not many years as | look at
it, answered the man. .'but it might
seem long enough time to you.
Eighteen years OF your head would
leave You quite young STRIPPING. /
take it,
so it is eighteen years since the
mill was inhabited?' asked the artist
again. anxious to hear the particulars.
Nigh about eighteen years. re-
piled the man. III YOU amt too busy
now with q glance ut the sketch
book, Il wouldn't mind telling you
about it. Every one knows the story
in these parts, and they do say as how
the mill is haunted; bnt I never be-
lievcd IN that. l know how such
things get started; the water running
under that wheel, in dark night, and
the wind whistling among those boards
sounds dismal enough to any one
going along this lonely path, or the
road over the other side; and then,
when you remember what happened. i.
does seem kind Of awesomc. =
II sce,' answered the young man.
moving along 10 make way for his
companion. Its dreary enough in
the daytime, and it would be unbear-
able ut night. But you were going to
tell me what happened
''Well, then. to begin at the begin
ming" said the man, laying down his
axe and taking the protf.red scat, Il
must tell yon that that little house over
yonder, behind that clump of under
brush, at the other side Of the mill
You can I see it from here, but you must
have passed it this morning--that little
house was where they lived, the miller
and hl, wife. They bought it when
they were married. for he had some
money on hand which was left him BY
his father. Aud then. when they got
married, they put their earnings togeth-
or, for she was thrifty girl and had q
store Of her own, and they furnished it
just as nice as could be. There was
nothing great or grand In it. Of course,
but ever. thing was Sd cosy and home
like; and there never was q king more
proud Of his palace than poor Dave was
Of his snug little cottage.
when he went homo at night there
was Rosy always ready to meet him at
the gate, and then they would look over
the beds OF pOsies tDgether and see how
fast they were growing; for Dave took
great stock in his p0sy beds. and often
worked at them evenings, wedding and
liking them up. Why. sir, they we're as
happy as two children, was Rosy and
Dave.
''Well, things went on this way fol
over year. and every one was setting
great store BY Dave; but all ut once hi,
old habits began to crop ont again
He had been trifle wild before he go,
to keeping company with Rosy; blu,
every one thought she would make !
new man of him. and for q while she
did. But just about this time some O
his old companions came back to thu
village. They had always had grea
influence over him, and it soon began
to show itself again. They would u
down TO the mill to meet him late ii
the afternoon, and sometimes he wOult
stop running little earlier than usua
to have talk with chem. He was /
jolly, kind-hearted fellow, and didn'
realize the danger he was in; whcr
they brought their bottles he had no
strength to resist their temptation OF
bear their ridicnle. Then it began te
be q common thing for Rosy to wait a
the gate q long time, with her prett,
blue eyes fixed on the road where h
would come in sight. Sometimes 1
neighbor would happen along instead
and sho would turn ut the first glimps.
and run into the hOuse-it hurt her Il
let any one zee that her Dave was no
doing just right or that she was uneas,
about him.
"By and by the roses began to fad,
from her cheeks. and she was NOR,
like lily than the Rosy we used I.
know; but she never complained. ant
when any one would try TO put in !,
word Of sympathy she would actual,
| try to make out that she didn't know
what they meant. She couldn't bea
to own that her husband did anything
wrong. well, time went on an.
things kept going from bad to worse
for he was getting SO unsteady that n,
Que could depend on him. When tn,
farmers took in their grist to be groun'
they never knew when it would b.
ready for them to bring home again
Dave was careless, and he was CROWN:
surly. too. So there came long after
moons when the mill stood lille, and tn
miller lay down in some quiet corner
more than half stupefied with drink
Poor Rosy used to come after hin
sometimes and try to get him home
but it wasn't much use; she often go
nothing but harsh words and orders i
leave him alone. She was broken
hearted woman, and that was plain I
everybody.
AT last there came spring morn
ing something like this. l remembe
it well. The trees were Just buddin
out. and the little twigs down by tn
waters edge were putting out thei
leaves. l had just come down tn
road past the cottage, and l notices
that nothing had been done to the pos
beds this year, didn't suppose either Q
them had the courage. Then l walke'
slowly down this way to the mill.
wondered when / heard the hcav
wheels. for Dave had mt worked muc
Of late. Then stepped in. but ther
was no grist being ground, and kne,
something must be wrong. My leg
shock under me rs walked round tn
outside, toward the big wheel, an
them cant hardly think Of it yet
sir, it was SO dreadful!-right on tn
ground by the big wheel lay poor Dave
with his head crushed and bleeding
n