The colored American., 1902-08-09
"THE MILLS OF THE GODS"
A NaturoIistc Story Of MistakentIdentity and Re.
tributiye Justice.

taut from Charleston. there lived about
twentv years ago a well-to-do farmer,
whose family consisted Of himself MS
wife. and little daughter, girl not far
mast the age Of ten years. She was
bright and attractive little one, the
pride of her doting father and the JOY
Of her affectionate mother.
In the farmers employ was Whlte
Young man some seventeen or eighteen
wears of age, who was known famli-
iarlv as George He was typlcaI
Southern poor white, with a lantern
law a toe head and a most ungalnIy
and ungraceful walk. intellectually
he was a misfit, and he gravitated TO
his proper place as a pebble when drop
ned into a brook, find its way to the
bottom. Nature made George a server
and his innate intuition compelleu
him To recognize the fact that there
was a social and intellectual rublcon
hevond which he could not cross ana
so he looked after the mules, fed the
stock planted the grain and helped To
reap the harvest. The only dlHerehce
hetween George and his associate
brutes on the farm was that ne coulu
talk and think in a crude sort OF way
while they could not, so far as we
know.
There was another young man IN the
the same locality whose name also was
George. He was half-witted and harh-
loco and nossessed an inordinate love
for tobacco; he ate it as one Woulu eat
bread. or apples. and seemed never 50
nanny as when he had his pockets ana
his mouth stuffed with the, to hlm'
nrecious weed. Who ever spoke TO
Gaorge had to give him chew. Those
Who knew him best always responded
to his appeal for "baccy. Bac1y
seemed to be the only word IN MS w,
cabularv. Like Poe's Raven, that Woru
"vas his only stock in store. lnls
George was black. Everybody khe"
him in the town and no one IN I1ell
sober moments would beneVe MN
capable or doing harm, even 10 ny =
His mind seemed to be a olanA'
He did not notice things going oh
around him, If he did.he did not sho"
,t The only thing that couIo arouse
him from his lethargic state was the
sight of two or three men taking
,-bnn his countenance would light up
and he would approach them anu eA
tend his brawnv black hand and utter
~. o,a x,ord "baccy." His appealing
tone and his sad face usually eXclIeu
nitv and procured for him the one
thing that gave him happiness Dac-
cy." 1,-as
One evening about dusk, Wnen olrus
ord fowls seek rest and repose IN
nniet hooks. and high places, there
nassed down the road on an errand the
little daughter Of the farmer or Wnom
we have already spoken. All uncon-
scious of danger she sang merrlly the
songs familiar to children OF her age:
and her little heart seemed 1ulI ol
tho iov born of innocence and conn
dence in human kind. She had not
nroceeded more than quarter or a
mile when upon reaching the bend OF
the road. where a stately live OAK
spread it's lofty branches, man whom
she instantly recognized sprang from a
nlace of concealment, seized her and
throwing her into a clump Of bushes
ravished her.
After ACCOMPLISHING his diabollcal
purpose he left her and returning 10
the farm house. retired to sleep the
slaeD Of the just"
The little maiden recovering from
her excitement and fright, abandoned
her tourney and going back home
sought her mother, and between sobs.
told her story. "Tt was George, mama,
who did It." said the little one. II rec
,,,i-o5 him as soon as he left his hid