The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-29
IN A TREADMILL
torisinall

height. The pond, the dam, the mill. are all as they were, except that the nilll Is dllapldated and most of the roof gone and now the machinery Is silent. | This mill will surely never grind again | from waters that are past" nor would | have lt carry me through that scene so terrible of twenty years ago when [ for hours l tramped. tramped, as In a trcadmill. every moment thinking that ] | must give up the struggle, sink down and die.
 What little daredevil Ceclly wasl Light as feather on her feet, spry as a cat. she would go anywhere. every where. What pleased her most was to climb where | dreaded to follow her, where must follow her to be near at hand in case she should fall. She called me "Old Prudence" and would often SC rlously twlt me on what she considered more than prudence-tlmidity.
 The leaves were yellow and scarlet about the pond; there was an autumn mist in the air: summer was ripenlng. like the fruit. into winter. Ceclly and were sitting on the bank near the mill. There is the place. though it Is so grown over with brush that we could not sit there now. We were Quarrellng. Cccily had spoken con tcmptuously of my lack of courage, and for once had resented her aSpcr' sons. Presently she got up and went toward the mill. said nothing, but watched her while she passed over g platform and approached the wheel which was still. There saw her gath CT her skirts preparatory to climbing on to it.
 "I wouldn't do that" called.
 She paid no heed Co my caution, but climbed out on Co the uppermoSt part AS soon as she was on lt the wheel be gan Co turn slowly and she sank out Of sight
 | got up. went 10 the wheel and stood looking down at her. She was sitting at the lowest part, spattering with her hand in the little stream that ran beneath her.
 "I win hold the wheel" | said. "whilc you climb up"
 Don't trouble yourself I'm very comfortable"
 didn't like to have her there. The mIl might lcg.n Co grind at any mo mcnt. | Lcc-cI her ta come up, but .a, would uoi and finally told me that Ind not thc "spgnk" 10 come down
 "If dc. neither of us can get out" | replied. "for as we climb the wheel will turn"
 "Oh. ycs. VIC can. can climb one side and you the other"
 "I am much heavier than you"
 "Eut. being bis and strong, you can climb faster and that will make i even"
 Wishing to cut the matter short and get her out as quickly as possible. l wen, down to her. The wheel turn. ed slowly with my Increased weight, but uf.cr | reached her soon became stan again. Had she acccded to my pleading Co go up at once we would have had little trouble in reaching safe place. but she saw l was worried and made the most of it by delay. Presently heard the we'll known sound of the opening of the aoodgate above. and down came the water.
 lt took some time for the water to overcome our weight and turn the wheel during which Ceclly and look. cd at each other appalled,. though l am free to confess I was far more terror stricken than she Then the wheel be gan to turn slowly. and we were oblig. ed Co move with 1t. Cecily, plucky girl that she was, seeing the necessity Of keeping up a stout heart began Co hum. Tramp. tramp, tramp, the boys are marchlngw as though the affair was very funny. while was thinking of some way 10 give an alarm. It would be of no use to shout. for the noise of the water would drown my voice. and as 1t rose beneath us the noise Increased. It covered our ankles, then our knees and only ceased to rise when near our hips
 Ccclly tollcd or beside me while the water deepened and her strength wan ed. making merry of it all till the last, when she gave me look which said plainly: "I can go no farther. I'm go. ing to drop" | took her in my arms and trampcd on. l was a stout fellow at twenty. but knew that my strength would give out in time. cast a de spairing glance about for some means Co change the situation Then for the first time l noticed a broken piece of scantllng which possibly might de tach and use for lever to stop the wheel
 "Can you walk on for few mo ments. CccilyT | asked.
 "Its; have had a good rest"
 put her down and. cllnglng to the side of the wheel. grasped the scan. ting. Never before or since have put forth such force-a force that no man can exert except to save life. The tim. Der yielded. and in another minute l had thrust it through the side of the wheel and rested it's end against the edge of a stone wall The wheel was stopped. Then Ceclly came to me, put her arms about me and wept.
 In a few moments the miller was looking down upon us to discover what had stopped his wheel Ceclly cried out through her tears, Tt takes big fish Co stop a mill wheelw
 The astonlshed man gave her hand. and with me below to help she was soon on the dry platform. l followed.