Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-04-06


he saw there was no anger, nothing
but proud. calm content. He said 20
himself he need not go just yet, he
could stay few minutes longer.
DO you know that beautiful Old
German ballad" he said,
In sheltered vale a miil-wheel
Still tunes its tuneful lay'?"
No; | never heard or read it" she
answered. Say it for me-"
=" In sheltered vale mill-wheel
Still tunes its tuneful lay.
My darling once did dwell there,
But now she's far away.
ring in pledge | gave her,
And vows of love we spoke
Those VOWS are all forgotten,
The ring asunder broke"
Hush" she said, holding up one
white hand; hush, it is too sad. Do
you not see that the moonlight has
grown dim, and the sound of the fall
ing waters is the sound of falling
teaTs?"
He did not seem to understand her
words.
That song has haunted me-" he
said, ever since | heard it. ] must
say the last verse; it must have been
of this very mill-wheel it was writ
ten.
But while hear the mill-whee
My pains will never cease;
l would the grave could hide me.
For there alone is peace. )"
is it a love story" she asked,
pleased at the pathos and rhythm Of
the words.
Yes; it is the usual story-the
whole love of mans heart given to
one not worthy of it, the VOWS for
gotten, the ring broken. Then be
cries out for the grave to hide himself
and his unhappy. love-"
She looked up at him with dark
lustrous, cleaning eyes.
Does all love end in soTow?' she
asked, simply.
He looked musingly at the moonit
waters, musingly at the starlit sky.
II cannot TELL" he replied, but it
seems to me that it ends more in sor-
row than in joy. | should say" he
continued, that when truth meets
truth, where loyalty meets loyalty, the
ending is good; but where true heart
finds a false one, where loyalty and
honor meet lightness and falsehood
then the end must be bad"
Leone seemed suddenly to remember
that she was talking to a stranger
and, of all subjects, they had fallen on
love.
Il must co. she said, hurriedly
You will remember the way"
Pray do not go-just this minute,
he said History may repeat it.
self; life never does. There can never
be night half so fair as this again,
the water will never fall with so sweet
a ripple; the stars will never shine
with so bright a light; life may pass,
and we may never meet again. You
have face like poem Stay a few
minutes longer"
"A face like a poem. Did he really
think so?
The words pleased her.
Strange things happen in real life, :"
he said things that, told in novels
and stories, make people laugh and
cry out that they are exaggerated, too
romantic to be real. How strange
that l should have met you here this
evening by the side of the mill-stream
"a place always haunted by poetry
and romance. You will think It
stranger still when tell you your face
has haunted me all day"
She looked at him in surprise. The
proud, beautiful face greved at the
words.
How is that?" she asked.
Il saw you this morning when | was
going to Rashleigh with my friend, Sir
Frank Euston. You were standing
against white gate, and thought
well, | must not tell you what |
thought"
Why" she asked, briefly.
Because 1t might offend you" he
replied
no coquetry ia this beautiful girl
She was PROUD, with calm, serene,
half-tragic pride. There would be no
Irritation by the side OF the mill
stream. She looked as far above CO.
query as she was above affectation
He liked the proud calm OF her man
ner She might have been a duchess
holding court rather than a country
girl sitting by a mill-wheel. The idea
occurred to him; and then his won-
der increased-who was she? and what
was she doing here?
do you live near here?" he asked.
YES" she said, behind the trees
there you can see the chimneys OF
farmhouse; 1t is called Rashleigh
Farm; my uncle, Robert Noel. lives
there; and am his niece"
His niece" repeated the young man
in an incredulous voice. She was a
farmers niece, then. after all; and yet
she looked like Spanish princess.
You do not look like an English
- - 4