Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-23
The Argus Daily Short Story
The Mill-By Edward Gillette.
Copyrighted. 1911. by Associated Literary Press.

out she got or and dared me to come
down. 1 can see her eyes now just
as they looked then with q lot of dew
fltry In 'em.
There was two simpletons instead
of one. / got on to the wheel, and it
turned quicker with my weight than
with hers. Joined BIER at the bottom,
and she was amusin' herself In all
sorts of ways, dancin' and runntn'
around the wheel and hollerin' to hear
how queer 1t sounded down there.
Two or three times tried to git her
to let me take her out. 1t wouldn't
be an easy matter in any event. The
only way it could be done was for us
to balance each other by climbin' on
opposite sides of the wheel. But If
the water should be turned on we
couldn't do that.
First thing / knew heard somep'n
moved student above. and down come
the water 1 looked at Janey. scared
out of my boots. but Janey seemed to
consider it a good joke. the little fool,
and began to dance about in the wa
ter on the stone floor. But gradually
the water rose. F. the bottom to
the lowest part of the wheel 1t was
up to our necks. ] lifted Janey on to
the wheel and got up myself. The
only thing for US to do was to climb
as the wheel turned.
81 shouted with all my might, hopin'
the miller would hear me. But he
was inside the mill, and the noise of
the water down where we was was
enough to drown any boys voice. l
looked about for somep'n to stop the
wheel with, but there wasn't a stick
rs long as my arm anywhere. The
only hope 1 had was that the miller
had a small lot OF grist to grind and
he'd git through before we was tired
out. But / didn't think he'd start the
mill for less than two or three hours
grind.
fancy stood up well for about half
an hour-it seemed four times as long
then she began to give out. The
only thing l could do with her was to
brace her up by putin my arm back
Of her. She didn't seem frightened or
ready to cry, but she looked at me with
q tired smile and kept on workin' the
readmill.
But purity soon she got so tired
i knew she'd have to git rest, and
looked about for somep'n to cling to
AWAY from the wheel. There was q
break In the old wall surroundin' the
wheel that left one OF the stones so
we could git our hands on IT. 1 push
ed or with Janey, ard we chung to the
stone.
I'VE gotta kind Of a rest, but it wasn't
pleasant being In water over our heads
keepin' ourselves up that way, and
Janey's teeth began to chatter. ] was
beside myself with terror for her. 1t
was she who was putin the best face
on it all, sayin' that the grist would
soon give out and the water would be
turned OF. But knew that her
strength was goin', and I dreaded a
time when it would leave her all at
once.
"Then I tried hollerin' eg'in, but /
hadn't as much power behind my voice
as had when / called before and
couldn't make as much noise.
ST knew I'd got to do somep'n or
purity soon IL would be all over with rs.
1t occurred to me that IL l could get
my weight on TO the side of the wheel
that was goin' up the motion would
be slower. / asked Janey If she could
hold on where she was for awhile.
She said she could. but / knew she
couldn't
Il had to put my arm around her.