Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-04-21
WILL o. THE MILL.
BY RoBERr LOUIS STEVENSON.

BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
AS the days went forward he passed fro.i
one extreme to another; now pluEling HIN
self on the strength of his determination
now despising his tirnid and silly caution
The former was, perhaps, tho true though
Of his heart, and represented the re3ula
tenor of the mans reflections; but the latoei
burst forth from time to tlne with an url7lly
violence, and then he would forget all con
esideration and go up and down his house arC
garden or walk among the fir woods like Ont
who is beside himself with renoa'se. To
euuable, steady minded Will this state o.
matters was intolcrable; and he determined,
at whatever cost, to bring it to an end. So
ono warm summer afternoon he put on his
best clothes took thorn switch in his harG
and set out down the valley by the river, A.
sooa as he had taken his determination he
had reclaimed at bound his customary peace
of heart, and he enjoyed the bright weather
and tho variety of the scene without any
admixture of alarm or unpleasant eagerncss,
It ives nearly the same to him how the matter
turned out If she accepted him he would
have to marry her this time, which perhaps
was all for the best If she refused him he
would have done his utmost, and might fol
low his own way in the future with an un-
troubled conscience. He hoped, on the whole,
she would refuse him; and then, again, as he
saw the brown roof which sheltered her,
.peeping through some willows at an angle OF
the stream, he was half inclined to reverse
the wish and more than half ashamed of him
self for this infirmity of purpose.
Marjory seemed glad to sec him and gave
him her hand without affcctation or delay.
II have been thinking about this marriage"
he began. s@rs ...
$50 havc l." she answered "And respect
you moro and moro fer very wise man. You
understood me better than l understood ray
sell, and am now quite certain that things
are al for the best cs they arc"
cat the sarae tirc'-vcntured Will
'You must be tired" she interrupted.
''Tal.c q seat and let re fetch you a glass OF
wine. The afternoon is so warm, and wish
you not to be dis2lcasod with your visit.
You raus. como quite often; once week if
you can spare the time; l an always SO clad
70 sec ny friends"
80, very well" thought VIII to himself.
at appears l was right after all" And he
paid very agreeable visit, walked home
again il capital spirits and cave himself no
further concern about the matter.
For nearly three years WIN and Ncrjory
continued on these terms seeing each other
once CT twice q week without any word of
love between them; and for ell that time !
believe Win was nearly as happy cs q man
ca.i bc. He rather s.intCd himself tic pleas
ure Of seeing her; and he would often walk
half way over to the parsonage, and then
back a~ain, as if to whct his appetite. In
deed there was one corner of the road,
whence he could see tho church Gpirc wcdGed
intoa crevice of tho valley between sloping
Grwood5, with q triangular snatch of plain
by way of background, which lie greatly
affected rs place to SIT and Iloralice III be-
fore returning homeward; and the peasants
got SO much into the habit of finding him
there in the twilight that they gave it the
namc of evil O. the Miil's corner"
At tho end of the three years Marjory
played him sad trick by suddenly marrying
somebody else. Win kept his couitenance
bravely, and merely remarked that, for a1
little as he knew of women, lie had acted very
prudcntly in not marrying her himself three
years before She plainly knew very little
Of her own mind, and, in spite Of deceptive
manner was as tickle and Eighty as the rest
of them. He had to congratulate himself on
an escape, he said, and would take higher
opinion of his own wis ON in consequence.
But at heart, he was reasonably displeaSed,
moped good deal for month or two, and
fell away in flesh, to the astonishment of his
serving lads. -.a. .-
1t was perhaps year after this marriage
that Will was awakened late one night by
the sound of horse galloping on the road,
followed by precipitate knocking at the inn
door. He opened his window and saw farm
servant, mounted and holding led horse by
the bride, who told him to make what haste
he could and 60 along with him; for Marjory
was dying, and had sent urgently to fetch
him to her bedside VIII was no horscrnan,
and made SO little speed upon the way that
the poor young wife was very near her end
before he arrived. But they had sonlo
minutes talk in private, and he was present
and wept very bitterly while she breathed her
last.