Connecticut western news., 1896-07-23
IN WARTIME.


 IN WARTIME.
 Just below the dam the water wheel of Euzebio, the miller, creaked noisily in it's ponderous revolutions, while from the opposite bank the mill of Anselmo growled a muffled accompaniment. Friends from childhood, the lives of these two old widower millers of 70 gave silent contradiction to the popu- lar axiom concerning men of tho same employment.
 And the picturesque beauty of the spot Behind Euzebio's s mill the pasture ground sloped gently to the river s edge, and, crossing it. ran the pathway down which the mules were driven, laden with grain for the mill. Along the bank row of tall poplars threw fantastic shadows upon the placid surface of the millpond. The river slipped easily along between its sandy margins, now ghstening in the sunlight, now hiding itself within the recesses of some cane plantation and emerging at length to fall in clear and transparent streams of sparkling water upon the wheel, which ohurned them into a snowy whiteness. In summer, when the water was low, the two old comrades used often to visit one another. boldly crossing the stream by the stepping stones below the dam, but when the autumn rains had swollen the slow moving river into noisy tor rent they were obliged to content them selves with calling from bank to bank. Sometimes Euzebio would say: "Speak louder, Anselmo. Idon't hear you"
 "What do you sayf" the other would ask, advancing to the rivers edge and leaning forward anxiously. And Euzebio, making speaking trumpet of his hands, would shout: ''I don't understand"
 When they finally succeeded in mak- ing themselves heard, they would agree that the water wheels were more noisy than they used to be, and that the river had never been so turbulent. Ah, yes It was the creaking of the wheels that kept them from hearing and not the weight of the years pressing upon their shoulders
 Euzebio had a son, fine looking fel- low of 22, tall, we'll built and as straight as an arrow. A great worker, daybreak would find him already busy | in his fathers mill. "He tolls like a Moor 1" the neighbors would say ap- | provfngly. Every one liked Simon, and | he was a general favorite at the merry | making of the neighboring villages. | Sometimes after one of these gatherings | the priest, staid and solemn parsonage, | would come to remonstrate with Euze- bio upon his sons behavior of the night before, whereat the old man was accus- toned to shake his head reprovingly and cast down his eyes, whether to better express his condemnation or to hide the twinkle in them no one ever knew.
 And Anselmo had a daughter, Mar garida by name, pretty girl of 19, with that sweet, natural beauty of the country, and her loveliness of face and form was but a fitting accompaniment to a gentle and loving disposition. Mar. garida and Simon had been playmates from babyhood, but when the girl had reached her fifteenth year this childish intimacy began to give place to maid enly reserve on her part and to an atti tude of chivalrous devotion on the part of her companion, while in his heart { deep and earnest love was slowly springing into life.
 Margarida would feign annoyanc, whenever Simon summoned up the cour age to speak of his love and of the pair her indifference gave to him, and witt a frown on her pretty face would abruptly change the subject. The maid en's disdain of her lover's pleadings however, merely added fuel to the pas sion that famed in the heart of tn young miller.
 'Margarida," he said to her one day eff thou wilt not marry me, shal have to die bachelor.
 "There are plenty of girls, Simon. !" II And see thee become another's r ! cried the lad, with tears in his eyes. |" don't know what I should do-it woul kill mep
 And was Margarida so cruel as reall to despise the love of her childhood friend and playfellow? Wait awhile we shall soon see how far a woman love and devotion can go.
 At the time of which we write wa had just broken out between the follow CTS of Dom Pedro and Dom Miguel When the terrifying news reached tn village, the mothers shuddered as the looked upon their sons, returning wear from the blow.
 Nobody knows the number killed, said the messenger. Ut is the end of tn worldf'
 The next day squad of soldiers er tered the village, and, marching to Euze
 bios mill, drew up line, while the off cer in command, with couple of pri yates, entered. A few minutes later tn horror stricken neighbors saw theI march away with Simon in their midst o with bound arms like felon apprt hended of justice. The father tried { follow them, but age and weakness hel
 him back. Hearing the cries of the pet
 pie, Margarida came running to th t spot, and when they told her that Simo
 had been impressed into the service ( !. Dom Pedro, she fell fainting in Euze V bios arms
 A week later shots were heard in tn distance and the bugle calls of bal talion. A skirmish was evidently takin # place near by. At midday a column ( e troopers passed through the village. an all pressed forward to see if Simon weI among them. Yes, there he was, br
 how changed Breathless and exhausted covered with dust, his shoes in holes an
 clothing torn, they saw him march b,
 bending wearily beneath the weight