The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-11-09
, MAID OF THE MILL.

MAID OF THE MILL.
q ur Richard Wareham. lying on
q 50 hack Oh the grass under an elm
- 20 and dreamily smoking q good
q a0s '0sr was about as near a realiza-
4 20. .;Sn Of his ideas Of Utopia as he was
',.r ~ likely to be. With plenty of
/. ., ''oooy. unlimited time and feeling
Y - rnbounded satisfaction with his
- .sont position. Diolr Wareham
j ss happy. Tho half gentlemanly,
Il s.,f S vaeabond life which he had led
8 II IL anmmer suited him exactly.
81 - u;s quarters at the inn in the vii
q ,..a ovor the hill were comfortable.
4 4 h;s I portfolio was full of sketches.
n un Dnd trout had risen accommodating
3 t. :, to bis rod; but. more than all. q
.honsand times better than all, he
i Md I found in this unfrequented. de-
a ,;ohtful rural region what he hon.
as astly believed to be- the sweetest.
q u,attiest and most modest girl to be
& tonnd in any country under the sun.
s whether CT not he was in love
4 r;th her was matter which he had
a ,ot in his own mind fully decided.
& When he first saw Dolly Morse, he
sas startled at her prettiness, but
Il ,othing more. It was not until he
j had made several visits to Morae's
o mill, for sketohing purposes. that
q Dolly's bright eyes began to haunt
9 his dreams, and not until after theE
81 aid he discover that, go which way
ha would, all roads eventually led,
= by some mysterious means. past the
Il mlpond and the water wheel. If
N he f1shed, the mill was sure to be in
y his way; if he sketohed. what Oh
i iect more picturesque than the old
4 building itself, with it's adjacent
q dam, over which the water fell in @
vide, thin sheet Of silver2 Some
4 times he spoke with Dolly, some
n tines she was invisible. and after q
E time he began himself to suspect
that upon his seeing her depended
4 whether the day had seemed bright
s to him or profitless and dull.
"a And so stranger knowing these
"a things would have been at no loss
10 guess the subject of Dick Ware
hams thoughts as he lay on his
hack, with his cigar, that lazy sum-
inner morning. But. whatever his
3meditations were. he was not long
to enjoy them.
q! "Ah, there you arel" exclaimed q
3 rough, nasal voice near him. i've
looking fur ye."
81 Wareham raised himself on one
zslbow and turned SO as to face the
s. speaker. He saw q low browed, sun
burned man leaning over the fence
And regarding him with y look of
latisfaotion. The newcomer was
HnShaven and clad in ragged shirt
and trousers. His bare toes protrud-
3SM from his boots; his hee.d, with its
husky shock of hair, was surmount-
ned by a brimless straw hat, and his
lNnging attitude HE grimv faos
and general appearance Of shiftless-
ziiass advertised hirl as belonging to
Plat scot of philosophers commonly
nown as ".ramps.' Wareham had
met him, sometimes in
he tavern barroom in the village,
ometimes stumbling upon him flsh-
as in tho brooks, sometimes find
ING him asleep in the shade. He had
poken with him but little, but had
sas him down in his own mind as
naof those harmless meier do wells.
lnmon to every rural community.
I've been looking fur ye. re-
aated the man.
81 30 you said before" replied
Iareham, lazily blowing q wreath
81 F smoke into the air. "Weli?''
~ The folks over TO the tavern sent
~ #E 20 ter hunt fur ye. I told 'em /
pought ye was down this way, near
pe old mill. Ginerally be, amt
III What do they want Of me at the
Hvern?" asked Diok shortly.
Waal, yer hoss is in trouble. Got
moved in her stall, and broke her
%"
B Wareham jumped TO his feetdn-
antly. n
"hat!" he exclaimed. .sBless
y poor Bessl How could IL have
appencd?"
Dunno. Guess they'll have to
oOs her. They're only waiting fur
i .er come ter gin the order
I'll roor, poor Bessl" repeated Dick,
aplhg over the fence and tossing
y man coin. Sim much obliged
# you, my man. for your trouble.
~ pms with NO.. You may be of serv-
N WAL, ye go right on. andI'n fol-
sNs', I've got rheumatiz in my leg,
3sASa =, new to walk slow"