Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-06
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
In a Treadnill.
IOriginaL.1

change is in the trees, which have
grown from young timber to splendid
height. The pond. the dam, the mill,
are all as they were, except that the
mill is dilapidated 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
1 have it carry me through that scene
so terrible of twenty years ago when
for hours l tramped. tramped, as in II
treadmill, every moment thinking that
l must give up the struggle, sink down
and die
What little daredevil Cecily. was,
cat, she would go anywhere, every
where. What pleased her most was TO
climb where 1 dreaded to follow her,
where L must follow her to be near at
hand in case she should fall. She called
me "Old Prudence" and would often Sc
riously twit me on what she considered
more than prudence-timidity.
The leaves were yellow and scarlet
about the pond; there was an autumn
mist in the air; summer was ripening.
like the fruit, into winter. Cecily and
were sitting on the bank near the
mill. There is the place, though it is
so grown over with brush that we
gould not sit there now. We were
quarreling. Cecily had spoken con
temptuously of my lack of courage,
and for once had resented her asper-
sions. Presently she got up and went
toward the mill. l said nothing but
watched her while she passed over q
platform and approached the wheel,
which was still. There l saw her gath
er her skirts preparatory to climbing
ON 10 #.
II wouldn't do that" 1 called.
She paid no heed TO my caution. but
climbed out on TO the uppermost part.
As soon as she was on it the wheel be-
gan to turn slowly and she sank out of
sight
L got up. went to the wheel and
stood looking down at her. She was
sitting ut the lowest part, scattering
with her hand in the little stream that
ran beneath her.
Il will hold the Wheel said. 'while
you climb up
Don't trouble yourself. I'm very
comfortable"
l didn't like to have her there. The
mill might begin to grind at any mo-
ment. 1 begged her 10 come up, but
she would not and finally told me that
1 had not the ''spunk'' to come down.
''If do, neither of us can get out
1 replied. ''for as we climb the wheel
will turn
''Oh, yes. we can. I can climb one
side and you the other
II am much heavier than you"
But. being big and strong, you can
climb faster, and that will make II
even"
Wishing 10 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 1 reached her soon. became
Still again. Had she acceded to my
pleading to go up at once we would
have had little trouble in reaching Il
safe place. but she saw l was worried
and made the most OF il by delay.
Presently 1 heard the well known
sound Of the opening of the hoodgate
above, and down came the water.
1t took some time for the water to
overcome our weight and turn the
wheel, during which Cecily and look
ed at each other appalled,, though am
free to confess was far more terror
stricken than she. Then the wheel be-
gan to turn slowly, and we were oblig-
ed TO move with 1t. Cecily, plucly girl
that she was, seeing the necessity of
teeping up a stout heart, began to
eum, Tramp. tramp, tramp, the boys
are marching"' as though the affair
was very funny, while was thinking
of some way to give an alarm. 1t
would be of no use to shout, for the
noise of the water would drown my
voice. and as it rose beneath us the
noise increased. 1t covered our ankles.
then our knees and only ceased to rise
when near our hips.
Cecily toiled on 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: II can go no farther. I'm GO
ing to drop" 1 took her in my arms
and tramped on. l was a stout fellow
at twenty, but knew that my strength
would give out in time. / cast de-
spairing glance about for some means
to change the situation. Then for the
first time 1 noticed broken piece of
scantling which possibly / might de-
tach and use for a lever to stop the
wheel.
"Can you walk on for a few mo-
ments. Cecily?" asked.
Yes: 1 have had good rest"
/ put her down and, clinging 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 I |
had thrust it through the side of the |
wheel and rested its end against the 1
DIE of n stone wall The wheel Hrns