The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1899-06-10


| herself:
"Whut's he ever sed to you, Villa
Simpkins, that you should be making sech
fool OF yourself about him? He helped
you work out your arithmetic. He done
that to all Of us. Caught him looking at
you one day, then you had to blush like a
fool-couldnt help it? Mores the pity.
He looks at all of US. Held your hand
one day while you was tracing the copy in
the copy-book? He done that to Clara Ann
and Sally and all the other gals Keep
you in one evening for missing your spell
ing, and then let you go again without You
knowing it any better than you did at fust
Well, that's no sign he loves you. Oh.
what fool you he, Villa. Wished | was
dead-oh, amt that star pretty. Never
knowed the wild flowers to smell Sc sweet.
Seem to me like | could make perfume
outen this old pine bark. Guess it is be
cause it is in my heart ~
Come in here gal and 20 to bed.
You'll halter get up early enough in the
morning anyway
1t was the next Saturday that the school
children had picnic down at Slnpkin' :
mill, A deep but silent running creek
flowed through the fiat pine lands where
Villas father had built his mill.dam ami
| erected his rude mill. Away from the
dam a ayrift npI la,, no
the big oversh0t Wheels. All the young
people in the village were there but il
was not VILLAS LAY for n holiday liz face.
unless going to school was holiday. size
never had any. Today, her business w,-
to stand on the gang plank just about The
! big whirling wheels that sputtered aud
, flung the water anort in the deep mill race
below, and raise or lower the water gate.
| II she ever had aIy pleasure, part OF her
! life'S ide.. was to cnn Dine it with business,
and today she Lao her hooi; and line and
was catching catfish between times These
| helped feed the family, and the Simptins
family was not a Small one. 1t was past
noon when crowd Of girls came down to
| the mill race, laughing and talking, to
Cross o., the plank above the water wheels
| Thes had had THEN luncheon out unGp.
the big pines, on snowy tahlecloths. spread
out on the clean, bright, sweet smelling
needles. As they neared the mil-race one
of them felt paug of conscience as she
saw Villa standing on the plank at her
work. and remem bered that they had for.
| gotten to ask her to share their lunch with
them, The girl must have thought of it,
too, for she spoke not a word to them, and
when she moved aside to let them pass
over the plank it was with the air of one
VINO, though cut to the quick with the
keenest of all insuts-that which put q
discount on her social standing yet neither
by word nor look did they know that she
felt it.
They came laughing and trooping across
when suddenly there was scream and a
| splash in the deep and swift mill.race be.
low. Villa looked up quickly. 1t was
the same face she had seen that night az
she stood behind the pine. She heard the
screams of the other girls as they rushed
away for help or stood frantically wringing
their hands on the bank. She herself,
was never cooler in her life-the GOODNESS
of wounded desperation. She looked
scornfully down on the helpless figure
drowning or floating to certain death under
the big grinding wheels. Perhaps she was
tempted for moment-who can say
Angels have fallen for lesser temptations
But it was only for moment. Then,
somehow, she saw big star rise over a
pine tree, and that star to her was heaven
and she--one Of its children of light The
next instant she seized the lever that
stopped the big wheel, and then there was
a second splash in the mil.race. - f e
That evening as Mrs, Simpkins sat in
her doorway, smoking her aftersupper
pipe, two figures came ny the big pine and
down the sandy path
TEX seats-tek seats she said to her
visitors. ono, dunno whar the gal is.
Dat by the pine tree gazing at the stars
snect, She's acting kinder curis Of late,
something is kinder Fostering her.
cit was the noblest thing ever heard
Of, Mrs. Simpkins,' went on the young
teacher after awhile, 'and Miss Grace and
| have come to see her and thank her,"
"Oh, Mrs Simpkins, you should have
seen her holding me above the water for
what seemed-oh, an eternity to me-and
holding on with one hand to the wheels.
Aud shey ground her fingers, hut she never
WINGED, and she saved my life oh, Mrs.
Smrkins how can let me do something
for her"
"And that's whut her haNr was tied up
for when she come home! Wal, she sed it
was washed, but she didn't tell me how.
As sed, she amt herself cxactly-some-
thing is kinder Fostering her. And she
pulled you outen that old dam? Wal,
that's jest like her. She pulled catfish
outen the river last year-hit weighed
sixteen pounds Oh, she can pulI-she s.
strong as mule, aud che amt Altered Of
1 enything--tek scats- tel, seats-but you
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