The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-05-21

the revolving wheel and tho grinding
mill drowned my voice We couldn't
get out The plank from the mill had
fallen in the water when the wheel
started. and gone floating down the
stream. The water poured through the
cracks in the old wheel all over us. The
deep hole was full now. There were two
feet of water in the bottom of the wheel
Tramp, tramp, tramp through two. now
three feet of water | held Kitty by the
hand. and we kept on our tramp. | was
praying it might be a small grist.
Neighbors often brought two bushel
| bag of corn to be ground in hurry |
thought that if that was the extent of
the grist we might stand it. We kept up
our march till Kitty gave out. The
water and the tramp, tramp had
numbed her limbs. Her lips moved. but
l could hear nothing she said. | only
knew that she was sinking down in the
water. | picked her up in my arms,
with one hand put her arms around my
neck and resumed my tramp in the mid
die of the wheel.
81 believe | felt happier than | had
ever felt in nsT life. held Kitty in my
arms Her arms were around my neck,
though | did put them there. | could
feel her breath on my cheek. | could
walk now easier than before, but even
with Kitty in my arms | began to tire.
My footsteps were more uncertain. My
| limbs began to feel numb At least
could die with Kitty. looked at her
face. Her eyes were closed. Had she
| tainted? put my lips close to her ear.
They touched her face. 'Kittyi Kitty
Her eyes opened Our lips met Her
arms drew tighter around my neck. My
brain whirled. Was becoming uncon-
scious? could feel that i was reeling
as ! walked. The water from above
ceased to fall The wheel stopped
Some one leaped in. | knew ne more
"When l came to was lying in bed.
Kitty was sitting by my side, my hand
in hers. | had been delirious for a week
AS my eyes met hers she said. ALEX.
dear Alex and she stopped and kissed
me. That kiss brought back to my be-
wildered brain the events that led to it.
did not regret them.
'tUncle Ben had come down to the
mill, and not seeing the boat thought. of
course, we had gone up the pond. He
lifted the foodgate and started the mill
to grind small grist. Finally he chanced
to see the boat with the neighbor in it
out in the pond. He knew that we some
times fshed from the wheel, and with
trembling hands closed the gate, rushed
down and into the wheel, to find me reel
ing and staggering like a drunken man
in the water with Kitty in my arms
He got us out, but fell unconscious.
''The next spring freshet carried the
old dam. away, and new mills having
been built in Jonesboro we reclaimed
the land where the pond had been. and
the old mill had gone to decay Kitty
and were married that fall Father
and mother lived to see our children
playing round the ruins of the old mill.
and died within a month of each other
Now, I've told you the story of the
old mill. and if you'll come up to the
house and have a cup of coffee before
you go, back to town I'll show you the
wife ] won in the old mill wheel: and
when you take look at my daughter
Kitty you'll see my wife as she was when
we entered it that day. Two years after
we were married an uncle of mine died
and left me farm up in Knox county
where we spend part of our time; but
there's no place so dear to Kitty and me
as the farm on Cedar creek, for its soil
covers the remains of dear old Ben and
Martha, and here, besides, are the ruins
of the old mill. H. E. Scott in Chicago
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