The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1897-02-11

mortal custom of the firm, had to go.
Poor Jiml He did not wait to NEE
his chapel folks and intimates. He jus
kissed his widowed mother, who would
not have believed "owt again Jim" OF
the testimony of. an archangel, and went
out into the frosty air. straight to the
station and. away to town 80 miles
distant, to make fresh start. His
sweetheart was still in the mill. He
ought, of course, to have waited for. he1
and told her. But he didn't. He woulG
write She would learn soon enough.
The village would buzz with the news
as though the new "hooter' had pro-
claimed it by nightfall. And it did
There were girls who seemed glad te
tell Rachel, and when she fared up and
said:
"Yo' know as well as Aw do'at jim
meier did it, I" they only replied:
"Well, he's ta'en his hook, at any
rate. Yo'r Aunt Bet seed him goo an
says good radiance to bad rubbidge
She doesn't seem to think as weel o.
Jimmie as her niece does" What could
Rachel say? She went home with rage
in her heart against her aunt, and some
thing like resentment against her lover
for; hasting away without word to the
girl who could have died for him. All,
little did she think, yet even now dead
misery had taken possession of her.
'Wen, Miss Proudie, an how's thy
fine gentleman naa?" (Aunt Bets own
lad had had hopes Of the "office" once,
but had turned out wastrel; hence hel
bitterness Jaw thout wot it 'ud be.
Some fowk can't stand gettin up i tn
world. Pride'll hev ia, an thy whip.
persnapper's come cropper, at ony
rate"
In tongue warfare Rachel was no
where. Besides Aunt Bet wasn't worth
answering. Then, that very day, the
overlooker had threatened to reduce her
to two looms and had humbled her sc
terribly before the other weavers that
all the spirit seemed clean gone out OF
her. She went to bed, but not to sleep.
The ''knocker up had an easy task
next morning That day was the black.
est of many black ones during the past
few weeks, and now no lovers comfort
awaited her. Everything went wrong.
The stuff wouldn't weave Her looms
seemed bewitched. The overlooker over.
looked with vengeance.
"Yo'R start on two looms tomorn, ,.
he said. 'Think on that! Awe lots a
wenches O. IA at weave better nor thee
an do moor wark on two looms tan tina
con O. three :"
1t was the last straw. She dare not
face Aunt Bet and her sneers.
ooh, Jim, Jim,' was the cry Of he1
heart, why couldn't you say word tc
me?" For when her heart spoke it cried
for Jim, and not for looms. Coming out
Of the hot mill it was bitter cold She
drew her shawl over her head and hur-
ried away to the place she called
"home. She scarcely knew where she
went. A hopeless despair weighed on
her sensitive spirit Tears, unchecked
and unheeded, dropped as she walked.
Anywhere, anywhere, out of the
worldn' would have been her exclama-
ton could she have expressed her deep
est wish. Suddenly she found herself Oh
the top of the reservoir embankment.
The moon was shining upon the water,
which sparkled and shone with crys.
talline brilliance.
''There's nowt left to live for, an
won't livep' and, casting her shawl
from her, she threw herself from the
embankment. There was sharp, ring
ing sound The moon shOne on, and all
was still.
"Now, Aw wonder what's come out
about this money!" thought Jim Sum-
ner as he struck the reservoir bank on
his way from the station home "Folks
are fain to stay in toneet, Aw reckon
AVN glad nob'y'n see me till Awe
cleared myself clearin it is-and
what can tn masters ha' taken tn trou-
BILE to get my address fro mother-fol
no dby else knew tan telegraph fol-
me to come instantly, if it's not? My,
but tn frost has bin keen this two days.
Anvil bet tn lodge'n BEAR So saying,
he ran down and tried it with his foot,
and, finding it safe, walked distance
on the margin.
whats that? Good heavens!' He
had stumbled over the PROSTATE form OF
woman lying a few feet from the en-
bankment. The ice was starred in every
direction where her head had ST; K it.
"Poor wench!' He turned her over, and
the moons light fell upon face he had
often kissed. He reeled as though he had
received the blow that made the blood
flow from that marble brow. How cold
she wasl But she breathed. He picked
her up and carried her, he knew not
how, up the bank and away till he stag
gered into his mothers cottage.
Could she be in better hands? Still
unconscious, but with signs of returning
animation, he left her and fastened to
the mill. The lights still burned in the
Office. The masters were seated by the
fire, and in the background sat the mes
senger and Jabez Smethurst.
How dye do, James-you got our
wire?"
II did, sir, thank you
"Boy, tell us again what you told
this morning" Whereupon the penitent
lad, with fearful looks at Jabez, told
how the overlooker had terrorized him
about small betting debts; how, at his
instigation, he had obtained blank