Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-03-22
A DISAPPEARANCE.


Bennett Bendle. 1t had never been dis
covered during his childhood or vigorous
manhood that the bestowal of the double
B by his sponsors in baptism had con.
ferred any power to be bewitched or be-
deviled in such a way as to make him the
subject of wonder and speculation in all
the countryside. Yet the mere mention of
that name, for years after the battling
event that brought him into sudden fame,
was enough to make the pious preachers
and even the presiding elder of the does
trick" edge their chairs closer within the
radius of the CHEEKY "reminiscences blazing
oak logs and snuff the candles quickly to
dispel all lurking shadows
On little creek tributary to the Chop
tank, the Indian name for Blue water, on
the eastern shore Of Maryland, there stood
one of those primitive and picturesque
windmills of which there are few sur
vivals in the country today A long flight
Of steps led on the outside to the lower
story, where the bags of corn were kept
and an inner short flight gave access to
the hopper room, where the great revolv-
ing stones were crunching the golden
grain
There was only one unglazed window,
through which one looked out at the lons
arms of the mill sweeping round ant
round. There was no chimney nor ever
fire in either room.
The miller's name was Tristram Thorn
as, but he was to all men only Uncle
Trissy.
His house stood close by the mill and
was cabin of one room down stairs and
low rooted loft above
To the hospitality of thissmeager abode
came Uncle Trissy's brother fi-law Ben.
nett Bendle, i'll und worn and with nc
home of his own He was very poor and
had always been desperately wicked, es
pecially priding himself on swearing
things blue" During the weeks Of con
fnement to his bed Bendle was utterly
helpless-unable to move hand or foot
So subdued was he by this terrible
plight, looked upon as "visitation' for
his sins, that he listened respectfully to
the earnest exhortations of the local preach
or and pondered over his wise counscls
He was occupying the down stairs room
In trundle bed, with his little nephew.
at this time, and one night the boy awoke
and called to his father. who slept in the
same room:
where is Uncle Bennott?''
''There in bed with you." said the fa
Their.
No." cried the boy, "he is not
Uncle Tressy jumped up and lighted his
candle, not believing his sons assertion
but finding it true he sought the missing
man in every nook and Granny Of the lit
tie house, but there was no Bennett Ben
die to be found.
The fire was still burning in the fire
place. He was certainly not up the chin
ney, for they looked there then, and again
next morning. and could see the sky, with
no Intervening object cutting off the view
1t was a dark rainy night, and they
could do little until morning, but at day
light Uncle Trissy started out, and soon
had 40 or so ablebodied neighbors helping
him
The whole population was astir, and
breathless curiosity left scarcely stone
unturned in frantic efforts to find cle~
to the strange disappearance They not
only searched the two rooms Of the miller 8
house in an ordinary way, but the dis
tressed preacher crawled on his hands and
knees over every inch of the loft, and every
foot of space on the premises was gone
over again and again.
The water in the we'll was drawn out
and the creek dragged all the NEXT day,
but no Bennett Bendle was to be found.
nor any trace of him
The long, swaying steps to the mill were
mounted by eager seekers, careful climb
for even the sure footed, and they gaZed
into the hopper.
They let the light from score of Ian
terms penetrate between the piled up bags
of meal, while the green eyes of the mil
ler's great black cat blinked knowingly at
them from her perch in the rafters, adding
mystery to mystery.
After the long, fruitless day the neigh.
bors went slowly home in little groups Of
twos and threes, with many foreboding
shake of the head and a most uncanny feel
ing in the spine. Twenty-four hours had
passed in the little house, when, just after
midnight, sudden change Of wind made
it necessary that Tristram Thomas should
60 out to the mill to secure it against the
blast by making tighter the ropes that
tied down the arms
Getting out of bed. he started toward
the door, but stumbled over a PROSTATE
body on the floor He called to his son in
the trundle bed, asking if he were there.
Here l am, father came the boy 8
answer in a terrified whisper from under
the covers
Thomas stepped over the figure on the
floor and tried the door 1t was fastened
securely A hole bored in the log on the
inside held long wooden pin that could
not possibly have been removed from the
outside, a primitive but thoroughly strong
fastening.
Then he got light and found Bennett
Bendle lying there rigid and as utterly
helpless as when he saw him last
1t required the united efforts Of iris
tram, his wife and the lad to lift Bendle
back into the bed he had SO mysteriously
left without visible aid
The minister was sent for He went in
the morning, expecting to hear strange
story, and he heard it.
Bendle told the preacher that man
had come to him and said. You must
come with me, " and that he had replied
II am not able to go. can't put on my
Jacket" The man said, II will help you
on with your jacket" and then Bennett
knew no more until Uncle Trissy STUN
bled over him on the floor.
He had wooden stockings on and q
blanket around him, and though the rain