Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-02-09
WILL O THE MILL.
BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.

- AsODA-tsA ALOC1o 5IENENSON, q
As the days went forward he passed from
one extreme to another; now pluminc him
self on the strength of his determination
now despising his tinid and silly caution
The former was, perhaps, the true thought
of his heart, and represented the regular
tenor of the mans reflections; but the latter
burst forth from time to time with an rnrllly
violence, and then he would forget all con-
sidcration and go up and down his house and
garden or walk among the fir woods like one
who is beside himself with remorse To
equable, steady minded VIII this state OF
matters was intolerable; and he determined,
at whatever cost, to bring it to an end. So
one warm summer afternoon he put on his
best clothes, took thorn switch in his hand
and set out down the valley by the river As
soon as he had taken his determination he
had regained at a bound his customary peace
of heart and he enjoyed the bright weather
and the variety of the scene without any
admixture of alarm or unpleasant eagerness.
1t was nearly the same to him how the matter
turned out If she accepted him he would
have to marry her this time, which perhaps
twas 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 I'M
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.
Mariory seemed glad to see him and gave
him her hand without affectation or delay.
II have been thinking about this marriage
he began
$50 have = she answered. "And respect
you more and more for very wise man. You
understood me better than / understood my
self, and am now quite certain that things
are all for the best as they are"
SAT the same timeN-ventured Will.
''You must be tired" she interrupted.
''Talle seat and let me fetch you glass of
wine. The afternoon is SO warm, and wish
you not to be displeased with your visit
You must come quite often; once week if
YOU can spare the time; ! am always SO glad
to see my friends"
20, very WE'LL thought Will to himself
at appears / was right after ALL" And he
paid very agreeable visit, walked home
again in capital spirits and gave himself no
further concern about the matter.
For nearly three years VIII and Marjory
continued on these terms, seeing each other
once or twice a week without any word of
love between them; and for all that time |
believe Will was nearly as happy as man
can be. lie rather stinted himself the pleas
ure of seeing her; and he would often walk
half way over to the parsonage, and then
back again, as if to whet his appetite In
decd there was one corner of the road,
whence he could see the church spire wedged
intoa creyice Of the valley between sloping
iIwoods with u triangular snatch of plain
by way Of background, which he greatly
affected as a place to sit and moralize in 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
name Of "Will o the Mills corner"
AT the end of the three years Marjory
played him sad trick by suddenly marrying
somebody else VIII kept his countenance
bravely, and merely remarked that, for as
little as he knew of women, he had acted very
prudently 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 res.
of them He had to congratulate himself on
an escape, he said, and would take a higher
opinion Of his own wisdom in consequence.
But at heart, he was reasonably displeased,
moped good cal for a month or two, and
fell away in flesh, to the establishment of his
serving lads.
1t was perhaps year after this marriage
that Will was awakened late one night by
the sound Of a horse galloping on the road,
followed by precipitate knocking at the inn
door. He opened his window and saw a farm
servant, mounted and holding led horse by
the Bride who told him to make what haste
he could and go along with him; for Marjory
was dying, and had sent urgently to fetch
him to her bedside. VIII was no horseman,
and made 50 little speed upon the way that
the poor young wife was very near her end
before he arrived But they had some
minutes talk in private, and he was present
and wept very bitterly while she breathed her
last.