Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-01-01
cuApTER vIII.-(Contlnued.)

CHAPTER vIII.-tContinuedJ
snort time later, and he drew up in
Mt ~ the old mill. 1t was as pictur-
n ..ons a spot as one could well imagine,
rreot trees overhung the ruined mill
."d The noisy fall Of the water over the
Jam could be plainly heard.
Roger had evidently been here before.
and made all arrangements, for, wen as
No leaped to the ground and was in the
~, Of lifting Carol down, the door open
~ md A woman appeared in view, hold
is a suffering candle.
Tine shadow Of 4 terrible crime hung
aver the place, and most people in the
,siohborhood avoided it, especially after
nisbtf,ll. All the money in the vaults
=, The treasury could hardly have tempt
al one of the negroes on Richmond Ter
,,ce or Darrell Chace to have willingly
cone to the haunted mill when darkness
had descended upon the land.
What this crime was does not enter
info our story, so far as particulars are
concerned, but let it suffice to say that
ths mad miller murdered his wife in q
6t of jealousy, and also the man who was
working for him, ending the terrible ira
sedy in a fitting manner by taking his
own life.
The children Of this unhappy couple
had been taken in charge by relatives,
Who tried to rent out the mill, but the
effort was in vain, for all united in de-
claring it was haunted, and that in the
middle Of the night they would be arous-
ed by a terrible din.
They declared they heard the mad mill
er chasing his wife and hired man from
room to room, cursing and reviling, while
they prayed and pleaded with him. Then
would come the sound Of heavy blows
with a knife, one for each person, heavy
falls, terrible grOans, and silence would
ensue.
For some years back the mill had been
inhabited by a woman who called herself
Mrs. Randall, and it was assumed that
she was a widow. She was quiet and
troubled no one, and always seemed to
have enough money to keep herself in ex-
istence and aid those poorer than herself.
Carol was warmly received. She sank
YEARLY into a chair, and then gazed
about her with triAing show of interest,
while the woman went to prepare a room.
Somehow the young girl had thought
Mrs. Randalrs eyes had rested upon her
In a most singular manner, and yet to
her knowledge she had never seen the
lady before.
That she was a lady despite her poor
surroundings was plain to be seen. Her
hair had once been black, but was now a
silver gray, and brushed smoothly away
from a forehead that was white as snow,
though furrowed by the cares of years.
The room In which Roger and Carol
were left was %scantily furnished, and
what few articles there were showed
signs Of age, having, nc doubt, once been
the property of the mad miller.
Upon one wall was a picture, in a small
frame, with its face turned away. Sew
eral other pictures there were, but none
had been treated in this way.
She saw Roger standing near her, his
eyes glued upon her form as though he
was drinking in all her loneliness, and
she did look beautiful beyond all com
parlson In her wedding dress Of white
Six, but somehow her mind wandered
back again to the picture on the wall,
and again she let her eyes fall upon it.
Curiosity in itself is strong enough in
any one, but it was some greater power
than this that urged Carol to walk over
70 the picture. 1t seemed as though some
Invisible power had hold Of her hand and
was leading her on.
She turned the little picture, gave one
glance, and then, with a cry Of dismay
ana establishment, let it fall back in it,
old position.
She had gazed upon the face Of heI
father!