Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-12-02
THE MILLER'S THIEF.

Something very unusual to uuiet
Talmley had happened, and Talmley
was decidedly uncomfortable about it.
Of course everybody knew-as
everybody knew everything in that
delightful place. where each neighbor
was a friend, each friend brother
and what the village folk knew was
this-the miller, old Harvey jameson,
had been robbed.
ga queer business" said the miller,
shaking his dusty head solemnly, and
telling the circumstance for the fiftieth
to his neighbor, Farmer Greene, who
had dropped in to sympathize with his
old friend; ''nobody knew | had the
money but my daughter Jennie and
young Levoe, and l can't suspect a
single soul ! put the money in tin
box, and put that among lot Of
other boxes in the cupboard, waitin'
till l could go to The bank with ii, an
10 and behold when l went to get it
out yesterday there wasn't single
sign of box or money. l can't under
stand it.n -
"Neitucr eau |, ueighber % said
g. SIS. - loo I Z {
his shock of anlidy nan =. Ir.iel
can |. But l do think ye UT too
much store in that young man we've
taken into your house. an mobbe
we've mistook him. He's deal too
fine about his clothes an' his hands
an his hair 10 be too honest, but"
cautiously. as he saw the flush that
stole over Jameson's face, "but nebbe
Pm talkin' TOO fast, but it's mighty
curious and one don't know what to
think"
''One might try TO think nothin'
that weren't charitable" said the
miller gravely, "an' | don't suspect
the lad. It's MORN I'd like 10 lose, for
it takes time to earn it. But young
Levoe didn't have nothin' to do with
the stealin' no more'n you or me
an I'd rather people wouldn't kinder
hint lie had"
"Tain't in nature not to think il
seein' he's a stranger, an nobody
knows what or who he is; an he has
his finc ways with him an talks like
schoolnaster," said Greene stub
bornly. 81 don't like to see you took
in, neighbor, and Pm mighty much
afraid you are by that mill hand of
yourn."
Then Greene held out his hand to
the miller, who was in deep thought,
and babe him good day. and betook
himself to his duties on the farm near
the mill.
But tie farmer had left a seed of
doubt behind him; and when has such
a seed not found soil to nurture it
until its fruit hung heavy on the giant
tree which Swallowed friendship Or
darkened forever a SO II immortal?
In Talmley there was but one who
had not been born there, and that one
was Dick Levoe, the stranger who
had crossed his threshold six months
before 10 ak for employment
Jameson wanted hand in the mil,
and hired Dick, taking him as
boardcr. The young man had .tine
ways" as Greene said.
He was not especially handsome, but
he was cheerful, courteous aud will
ing to work, anil yet, for all that,
showed unmisiakable signs of having
had no occasion TO perform any labor,
at some time not far past He was
educated-even Jennie, who la spent
year at boarding school, coa,d he
instructed by him.
"Pll just keep my eyes open and not
let on for while," thought the miller.
"but as Greene said, who else could
have stolen the moncyr
He perceived no change in Dick. mol
confusion, no signs of guilt, but great
ly to the good mans CONSERVATION ia
discovered something else. The younpI
man was in love with pretty Jennie
and she was fully conscious of III
fact.
There was new difficulty. nm,
one which tho miller did not care
meet.
He was bordering over it one da
three weeks after the robbery. " .,
Calvin of the Hollow called and nai
him $50 which had been due soma
time. r.