Middletown transcript., 1898-04-16
The Indifference Of
The Miller Of HOfbau.
By ANTHONY HOPE.

There is swift little river running
by the village of Hofbau, and on the
river is a mill, kept in the days of King
Rudolf III by sturdy fellow who lived
there all alone. The king knew him,
having alighted at his house for draft
of beer as he rode hunting, and it was
of him the king spoke when he said to
the queen, "There is, believe, but one
man in the country whom Osra could
not move, and that is the miller OF Hof-
bau." But, though he addressed the
queen, it was his sister at whom he
aimed the speech. The princess herself
was sitting by. and when she heard the
king she said:
4 SIN truth, I do not desire to move
any man. What but troubles come Of
it? Yet who is this miller?''
The king told her where the miller
might be found, and he added, eff you
convert him to the love Of women, you
shall have the finest bracelet in Strel-
sau."
"There is nothing, sir, SO remote
from my thoughts or desire as to con-
vert your miller" said Osra scornfully.
And in this at the moment she spoke
truthfully, but being left alone for
some days at the castle of Zenda, which
is but a few miles from Hofbau, she
found time hung very heavy on her
hands. Indeed, she did not know what
to do with herself for weariness, and SO
for this reason and none other at all one
day she ordered her horse and rode off
with a single groom into the forest.
Coming as the morning went on to a
wide road, she asked the groom where
it led. "To Hofbau, madame" he an
swered. sit is not more than a mile
farther on"
Osra waited for few moments. Then
she said: "I will ride on and see the
village, for I have been told that it is
pretty. Wait here till return" And
she rode on, smiling little and with
delicate tint Of color in her cheeks.
Before long she saw the river and the
mill on the river, and, coming to the
mill, she saw the miller sitting before
his door, smoking long pipe, and she
called out to him, asking him to sell
her glass of milk.
"You can have it for the asking,
said the miller. He was a good looking,
fair fellow and wore a scarlet cap.
"There is a pail Of it just inside the
door behind me-" Yet he did not rise,
but lay there, lolling luxuriously in the
sun. For he did not know Osra, never
having been to Strelsau in his life and
to Zenda three or four times only, and
that when the princess was not there.
Moreover-though this, as must be al
lowed, is not to the purpose-he had
sworn never again to go SO far afeld.
Being answered in this manner and
at the same time desiring the milk, the
princess had no choice but to dismount.
This she did and passed by the miller,
pausing moment to look at him with
bright curious eyes that flashed from
under the brim of her wide trimmed
feathered hat, but the miller blinked
lazily up at the sun and took no heed of
her.
Osra passed on, found'the pail, pour.
ed out a cup Of milk and drank it.
Then, reflling the cup, she carried it
to the miller.
"Will you not have some?' said she,
with smile.
81 was too lazy to get it, said the
miller, and he held out his hand, but
did not otherwise change his position.
Osra's brow was puckered and her
cheek flushed as she knelt down, hold
ing the cup of milk SO that the miller
could reach it. He took and drained it,
gave it back to her and put his pipe in
his mouth again. OEa sat down by
him and watched him. He puffed and
blinked away, never SO much as looking
at her.
"What have you for dinnerr" asked |
she presently.
ga piece of cold pie" said he.
There's enough for two if you're hun
gry."
Would you not like it better hot?"
"Oh, aye, but cannot weary myself |
with heating i5r~
81 will hesee h," said the princess,
and. rising, she went into the house and