The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1910-10-14
In the Old Mill
BY DONALD ALLEN
Copyright. Ioro. By Associated Literary Press

and there was no use fishing in the
ripples.
III I can't ash, then he shan't!'
was the determination arrived at, and
presently a log came drifting down
to spin around In an eddy. Then
came board, 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 q man like that, and after an
hour Miss Kitty went home. When
she had told her story, which she did
almost with tears in her eyes. Uncle
Elijah drawled:
well, thar's folks as Is nighsight.
ed, and thar's folks as is deaf. Mebbe
he didn't see nor hear YOU"
Didn't see nor hear a grill"
And a girl like her!" added Aunt
Mary.
'I'll make him see and hear tomor.
row II have to hit him with clubl
II he's in my place again I'll throw
all the old mill into the water to both,
er him!"
The morrow came and the stranger
was there. The girl had come hall
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 pres
| ence. She walked to the far end Of
the mill. gathered all the drift wood In
sight and heaved 1t into the water.
The deep hole soon became unfish.
able She was rejoicing when there
came flash Of lightning and q rum.
BILE Of thunder. A sudden spring
storm was at hand. Almost before she
could seek the shelter of the mill II
grew dark and the rain began to fall
heavily. A thunder storm was the
one thing Miss Kitty Havens was
afraid Of. She sat down on beam
and covered. 1t seemed as II night
had set In for good. The lightning
was fierce and the thunder awesome
gotten.
Il shall surely be struck dead!.
moaned the girl. land / know ]
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
when she stood so near him. but per
haps he's almost blind"
A tree on the other side of the river
was struck by thunderbolt, and the
old mill shook and trembled.
The girl screamed out, and the next
moment she felt hand on hers. II
must be the strangers.
Say. 1t was mean Of met" she said
as the thunder died away.
No answer. but he held the hand
with firmer pressure.
You had MY fishing place, you
know. and / was mad about 1t. Girls
do get mad sometimes, you know.
That is. do. / stood and stood and
stood. and you wouldn't notice me.
Hadn't right to be mad?"
No answer.
But I'm going to be killed, and !
don't want anybody to be glad Of It
l threw all that stuff into the river
to spite you. ! just hated you. II
you were a girl would you do like
that?"
HIN! H'm!" was the reply.
What? Can't you talk?"
Il guess so. II try"
And can you see and hear?"
Both"
"will-will the lightning hit the
mill?"
II don't think SO. The worst seems
to be over. Yes, l can see clear sky
Then. sir" said Miss Kitty, as she
pulled her hand away and reached her
feet, III ! am not to be struck and
killed l want to know why you didn't
speak to met"
"Oh, l saw at once that you were
snippy and conceited and needed TAX
ing down a peg. / am Mr.. Charles
Earle. OF Boston, and l believe you
are Miss Kitty Ravens"
mo. sir, l am Miss Simply Hayens,
and you please to remember It! You
can return to your fishing!"
4 But. Miss Hayens-"
And /, sir. am going homel"
, But during the storm"
But the storm has passed and !
am snippy! Fish. sir-fish."
! And two years later. when they
finally became engaged, the snippy
girl said to the artist:
IF you hadn't tried to take me down
peg We might have been married a
, whole year ago. That is, We Nigh,
II there had been thunder storm and
preacher together!"