The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1897-02-11
HARD WATER.
"Tha'll live to rue it. /"

swell, Aw cannot go again my feel
FMS Aw cannot help not lovin thee. -
"Naw, an tina cannot help lovir
eb'dy else, con ia? Tha'll live to rue
it, Aw tell thee, an SO will that hupstart
tha's sect thy heart on-mind that. :"
The girl addressed blushed family,
but did not hang her head. Rather she
lifted it, with proud look which, de.
spite her working shawl, plain black
hat and somewhat pasty white com,
plexion-the common heritage of mill
girls-lent something queenly to hel
whole appearance.
Had you seen Rachel Swami OH Sun
day as she walked, with her Bible and
hymnbook, to the Methodist 81 ,day
school to teach her class you Sould
scarcely have known her. Dressed in the
latest style--or the latest that had per-
colated to the provinces-from the
tips in her hat and the "fall" which
expressed rather than hid her delicate
features, to her neat little shoes, she
locked, what she was, lady. And had
you seen her, at the chapel door after
evening service, without ado or even
greeting beyond q mutual look of salts
faction, meet q pleasant faced young
man and walk away by his side, you
would have been IL possession of the
secret-no secret now-that James Sum-
ner, assistant cashier at Messrs. Peel's
mill, and Rachel Swami We're keeping
company.
jim Sumner had started life as a half
timer and little piecer; but, naturally
an intelligent lad and great favorite
with the schoolmaster, he had, in spite
of the great disability of beginning to
earn his living at 10, made such good
use of his opportunities that he was
early taken into the ''office" and was
not quite looked up to- by right think
ing folk as a man who "could addle
(earn) his brass 'out takkin his coat
off," Moreover, he was junior 'chapel
steward" at the Methodist chapel, and
altogether man any girl in that place
might be proud to keep company"
with.
That Rachel was proud of her lover
everybody knew. They had only ''made
it up" a short time ago and had walked
in public less than a fortnight when the
above conversation took place. The man
for such he considered himself-who
threatened to "mak' her rue' was con-
siderably older than herself. and an
''overlooker'' at the mill in which they
all worked. He had long forced his at
tentions upon Rachel, who, while Civ
ing him no encouragement, had not alb
solutely repulsed him until she heard
that he did little private bookmaking
among the youths and young men in the
great mill. Until then she had regarded
him as decent fellow and shrank from
hurting his feelings, hoping he would
desist in time and give it up as bad
job. Shedid not know Jabez Smethurst
He was the sort of man whose love can
turn to bitter hate, and now, both
against the girl and the man he deemed
his supplanter, his rage burned fiercely.
''Aw'm fair miserable at my work,
Jim, now," said Rachel as she walked
with her lover from his mothers cot
tage along the embankment of the great
reservoir.
''Why, how's that, my lass? Aw
thought tha' wur all rect now an grade
ly set up wi four looms an averagin 10
an wiki, T" for, though Jim was an
assistant cashier, he dropped, like his
lady love, into his native Doric on all
familiar occasions, IAN tha' towd me
that even thy cross grained ovid aunt
could speyk civil now"
"Aye, Aw was fain enuf, Jim, but
Eth, lad, Aw can hardly tell yo', Awe
kept it to myself for days, but Aw can
not bear it no longer. Tn overlooker's
ia zen one O. my looms off me an says
he'll TAX another if Aw don't mend my
work.
"Dost mean Jabe Smethurst? Anvil
see that rect, ne'er heed, Rachel" And
as they had passed the railway station
which stood at the upper end of the res
eCvoir and were in a somewhat secluded
lace he put his arm around her waist,
drew her to him and kissed her fondly.
Say nowt, Jim. It'll do no good.
CATER thinks weel O. Jabe. He hearkens
to him as if Jabe knew everythin an him
nowt. An it does look as if my work
was bad, for he gives me such bad
soarts at Aw con Only do half what
t'others con, an my aunt says who'll
gle me tn key O. tn street if Aw cannot
addle more nor little wench. It's piece
work, tina knows
"Aye-well, Ae'er heed, my lass. Kis-
mas'll soon be here, an we'll get wed as
soon as tn New Yer comes in. Aw'm
gettin e2 a week now, an Aw M prom
ised rise WI tn New Yer"
u
A month had passed Poor Jim All
his fair hopes seemed blighted. Bromley
Bros, firm in the neighborhood with
whom Messrs. Peel occasionally did
business, in checking their handbook
found themselves debited with an
paid by check to Peel & Co., for
which they could find no corresponding
item in Peel's account, and, on making
inc nily fr51a them, found that there
was no account of it's receipt in their
caslboolz, nor cid such an account APP
pear to have been paid in the usual way
to their c1edit ut the bank. Evidently
check had been drawn and paid Of
which the b9oils of neither firm had any
record TWAS sum under g10. But as
the youth who ran between the mill and