The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-05
THE EVENING STORY
In the Old Mil.
TBy Donald Allen.l

O~@O
stranger because he didn't look a bit
like Deacon Thompson or Elder Steb-
bins. She judged his age to be %.
She judged he was five feet something
tall. She was going to Judge whether
he was good looking or not when he
turned his back to her and walked out.
AN i'll bred mani said Miss Kitty
to herself.
The next thing was a conversation
between two small boys. They spoke
of the ice going out of the river. and
enc of them asserted that the suck
erS were running Ito beat the band"
Any one could catch a barrel of them
in half an hour. Miss Kittie decided
to go fishing the very next afternoon.
Down by the old sawmill was the
place, and she wouldn't have to take
any boy with her to bait her hook.
Miss Kitty Ravens was an orphan
who had been brought up by her
Uncle Elijah and Aunt Mary. Nine
teen years old, fair looking, and most
of the villagers would look after her
as she walked along the streets and
say something about somebody being
highest of praise. They couldn't have
got off anything better after thinking
over it for a week.
Uncle 'Lige, the suckers are run
ming" announced the girl when she
reached home.
reply.
But I'm going fishing tomorrow"
well, don't fall in and get drownd-
ed
But there's a stranger in town. I
saw him at the postcff1ce."
'Ye-es. heard he was down at the
old mill fishing. He's stopping at the
tavern, and he won't tell Mr.. Stevens
where he comes from or anything about
himself. He just said he'd take the
in, nd didn't ca re
for expense. 1 hear that Constable Ba-
ker thinks he's a suspicious charac-
ter
He must be- said Aunt Mary. "a
man who won't answer questions is
bound to be q pirate in disguise Elijah,
you want to see that the kitchen door
is fastened every night until he leaves
town.,
well, I know one thing" added Miss
Kitty in very determined way:
old mill to sit and fish I'm going TO
have that place. If this person gets
there first he's just got to take him
self off. Strangers mustn't think they
can come here and crowd girls out or
their fishing places"
Uncle 'Lige hunted up pole and line
and dug bait, and next afternoon at
2 o'clock Miss Kitty was at the mill.
On the way down she passed boy
with a string Of IA suckers, and he
Hdll0Q lOnS OuOuSn " SOY.
They are thicker than heas down
there, and you orter see that fellow
haulin' them out! He don't even have
to spit on his baiti"
What fellow" was asked.
'rWhy. the Teller who's stoppin' at
the tavern. He's got the best place.
and he's hangin' right to it like a
hogl"
So the stranger was there, was he?
And he'd got the best place and was
a Jar She wouldn't speak to him, of
course. but there are other ways of
jarring a man. A fixed look and
toss of the head have done it times out
of mind.
yes; he was there. He sat on the
and reel. That alone will provoke ire
In any villagers breast. The way to
haul up a fish Is to haul him, instead
of turning the handle Of a coffee mill
for Is minutes.
Miss Kitty walked right up to the
stranger. He didn't even turn his
head. On the contrary, he caught an
other sucker. She coughed lightly.
Another sucker. She got ready her
pole and line. A third sucker! She
shoulders with the pole, but walked
off UP stream. He had the deep hole,
and there was no use fishing in the
ripples.
IL ! can HSH, Lnen ne SHAH I.
was the determination arrived at and
presently a log came drifting down to
spin around in an eddy. Then came
a board, a beam and a slab. He knew
the girl was throwing them in from
the other end of the mill, but he didn't
look her way. He simply suspended his
fishing and sat looking over the river.
Nothing could be done with a man like
that, and after an hour Miss
Kitty went home. When she had told
tears in her eyes, Uncle Elijah drawled:
well, thar's folks as is nigh-sight-
ed, and thar's folks as is deaf. Mebbe
he didn't see nor hear you"
Didn't see ncr hear grill"
And a girl like her!" added Aunt
Mary.
I'll make him see and hear tomor-
row if have to hit him with a club
If he's in my place again I'll throw
all the old mill into the water to bother
himi"
The morrow came and the stranger
was there. The girl had come half an
hour earlier. but SO had he. He was
pulling out the suckers the same old
way. No wooden Indian could have
been more needless of her presence.
She walked to the far end of the mill,
gathered all the drift wood in sight
ard heaved 1t into the water.
The deep hole soon became unfsh-
able. She was rejoicing when there
came q naSh OF uSnLnlnS ana rum
BILE of thunder. A sudden spring storm
was at hand. Almost before she could
seek the shelter of the mill it grew
dark and the rain began to fall heavily.
A thunder storm was the one thing
Miss Kitty Ravens was afraid Of She
sat down on a beam and covered. Tt
seemed as if night had set in for good.
The lightning was fierce and the thun-
der awesome. In two minutes the
stranger was forgotten.
Il shall surely be struck deadi"
moaned the girl, land I know I
shouldn't have been SO mean to that
man. He didn't know that he had my
place. He ought to have seen a girl