Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-03-01


mill is running. and no one will bring
any work to-day. TIL be home in
time for dinner"
1.-THE mill earns the dinner, the dim
ner enables one to run the mill. and N at
swings like a pendulum between the
two. How tiresome it all isr' unused
the girl.
Something interfered with the
pendulum that day. however. Aunt
Susan's turkey and plum-pudding
reached the last perfect stage of
BROWNIES. and were forced to wait.
The gravics were moved back ward
and forward by altern ating fears that
they would boil away or grow cold.
and the perturbed housekeeper
watched vainly from door and window
for Mats coming.
81 can't think what keeps him, Bar
barry" she repeated uneasily, as the
minutes heightened to half-hour, and
the half-hour slowly doubled. 1T amt
like him to stay So"
'It's exactly like him to care more
for that old mill than for any thing
else," murmured irritated Barbara.
She thought he might have remem-
bered that this was her last day at
home.
.It's little good his care would do
us if he didn't show it through the
mill.' replied Aunt Susan, spiritedly.
Don't quarrel with your bread and
butter, child. It's likely he has found
more to do than he expected"
Her defense had the effect of salts
flying herself for little while. but she
soon came back anxiously. The din
ner was nigh about spoiled" and she
couldn't see why he didn't come.
Then Barbara volunteered, not quite
graciously. TO 60 in search of him.
The quiet of the holiday lay on hill and
mea dow as she passed down the wind
ing path, but when she neared the
mill the familiar sound of dashing
water and revolving wheel greeted
her, and for moment she paused IT.
resolute.
1.-The mill is running! Some one
has brought some work, I suppose;
that is what has kept him."
Even while she said it. little mis-
giving shot through her impatience.
1t was not like Nat to break his word.
She hurried on, and called his name
as she entered the door. He was not
in sight, no one was waiting with any
work; only the rattle and rush of the
water answered her. His coat hung
over a trestle near the wheel-house,
so he could not be far away. She
called again:
NAT! Natr'
Once she thought there was faint,
answering call. 1t m light have been
only the cry of bird, or the sound
of the wind in the tree; the roar of
the water drowned it, and it did not
come again.
The strange emptiness of the place
chilled her as she stood there wait
ing. Why had he started the mill
when there was nothing to be
donep and he would not have gone
far without his coat She noticed
aeain how old and worn it was as it
hung there.
Where cou Id he be? She walked
to the wheel-house and looked do wn;
an aimless gaze prompted by no con-
scious suggestion or purpose, yet an
involuntary shudder ran over her at
the weight of the water and the pom
derous might of the wheel
What was that bit of color that
flashed past her and was gone? A
bright leaf that had floated in, per-
haps. No! there it came again.
frayed and dripping tangle of wool,
part of the scarf Nat had worn that
morning, twisted around one of the
long arms of the wheel.
Barbara grew sick and faint rs she
recognized it, and the dread of its ter
rible meaning swept over her. For
one moment she staggered back in
helpless horror and anguish. Then
came quick thought of the one thing
that must be done, and that she must
do it, and rs swiftly as her trembling
feet would bear her, she sped out of
the building and down toward the
stream and tho water gate.
Short though the distance was. some
old. half-forgotten incidents of the
past blended oddly with the awful
present in her whirling brain. A day
far back in her childhood when that
mill-stream had been high. and Nat
had carried her across in his arms
when they came home from school; a
stormy night when he had pulled off
his jacket and wrapped it around her
to keep her warm-she had not cared
then that it was DIDO Nat! Nat!
She reached the gate and closed ii
with the fierce strength of despera-
ton, and the great wheel slackened,
trembled. and stopped.
Back to the mill again. hurrying.
stumbling. frightening off the deathly
faintness that TIN eatened to benumb
every power, she ran. and. leaning
into the wheel-house called once more.
called despairingly, expecting no re-
ply; but faint answering voice,
scarcely more than a whisper came
up from the damp and gloom:
Bring help, Pm-too far gone"
How she succeeded in summoning aid.
who first understood her wild appeal
and how the tidings spread so rapidly
and brought crowd together. Bar
bara never af;erward could clearly
recall. To her it seemed ages before
The chilled. motionless. apparently in
form was rescued and borne
tenderly home.
'Too late, nigh about drowned and
frozen too" whispered one of the res
cuers to another and the girl h.ard as
in dream. Her white face and