The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-08
IN A TREADMILL
forIeinaLl

| It is the same old place. The only change Is In the trees, which have grown from young timber to splendid height. The pond, the dam. the min are all as they were. except that the mill 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 I have 1t carry me through that scene so terrible of twenty years ago when for hours l tramped. tramped, as in a treadmill, every moment thinking that 1 must give up the struggle sink down and die.
 What little daredevil Cecily was' 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 fin case she should fall She called me "old Prudence" and would often se- riously twlt me on what she considered more than prudence-tlmidlty.
 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. Cecily had spoken con temptuously of my lack of courage, and for-once had resented her aspcr. sions. Presently she got up and went toward the mill. said nothing. but watched her while she passed over a platform and approached the wheel which was still There saw her gath CT her skirts preparatory to climbing on to 1t.
 "I wouldn't do that" called.
 She paid no heed to my caution. but climbed out on to the uppermost part. As soon as she was on 1t the wheel be- gan to turn slowly and she sank out of sight.
 I got up. went to 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 will hold the wheel" l said. "while you climb up."
 Don't trouble yourself. I'm very comfortable"
 I didn't like to have her there. The mill might begin to grind at any mo ment begged her 10 come up, but she would not and finally told me that had not the "spunk' to come down.
 "If do. neither of us can get out" replied. flor as we climb tue wheel will turn"
 "Oh. yes. we con can climb one side and you the other"
 q am much heavier than you"
 But being big and strong. you can climb faster. and that will make it even"
 Wishing to cut the matter short and get her out as quickly as possible, l went down to her The wheel turn ed slowly with my increased weight but after l reached her soon became still again. Had she accedcd to my pleading to go up at once we would have had little trouble in reaching a safe place. but she SEW l was worried hn .f he Presently heard the well known sound of the opening of the iloodgate above. and down came the water.
 It took some time for tue water to overcome our weight and turn the wheel. during which Ceclly and look cd at each other appalled,, though am ',vr Co confess I was far more terror .i'cncn than she. Then the wheel be el Co turn slowly. and we were ohllc ' to move with it. Cecily, plucky girl 'ci she was. seeing the necessity Of 'rp.ae up a stout heart. began to gm Tramp. tramp. tramp ihc boys goo uarching.' us though the affair ..s ycry funny. while was thinking yCue way 10 give an alarm. li ,7..G bp Of no use to shout. for the .,,Se cf the water woGN drown my o'cc and Gs lt rose beneath Us the io.sr Increased. IL covered our ankles s.a OFT knees and only ceased 10 rise
 hen near OFT hlps.
 CccIy toiicd oN beside me while the -rici dcrpencd and her strength wan a. raklng merry of it an tiil the last, when she rave me a look which said plainly: "l can go no further rm go ag Co drop" trok her in my arms and trampcd on. 1 was stout fellow it twenty. but knew that my strength would give out in tlmc. cast n de spnlrlng glance about for some means e change the situation. Then for the first time noticed q broken piece Of scantllng which possibly might de tach and use for q lever to stop the wheel.
 "Can you walk on for a few mo ments. Cecily;" I asked.
 "Yes: have had a good rest"
 put her down and. clinglng to the side of the wheel, grnsped the sean ting. Mover 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 lt through the side of the wheel and rested It's end against the edge of a stone wall The wheel was