The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1911-07-06

j Copyright BY American Press Asso-
clationl 1871
e&sAss4@444s.ss.t&4
There is no more dainty BIT OF seen
cry. to my thinking, than one Of those
little patched up. tumbledown, moss
covered water mills OF the oIden time.
They are always situated at the lower
end OF a pond. nesting under trees
and half buried ia shrubbery They
speak Of past when farmers were
used 10 carrying a sack or two OF
grain to mill on horseback before them
10 have it ground. Now the grain is
grown on bigger farms in bigger bulk.
ard the individual farmers product is
lost IN great cereal river that flows
to mills driven by steam and with
stacks towering hundreds Of feet high.
Progress is there. but the little water
mill OF the past is only useful to fur
nish themes for the artist.
am one Of these knights Of the
brush myself One day. coming upon
such simple scene as have men
toned / opened my three legged stool,
set up my easel and began to work in
my colors have the picture / made
Of the mill. and no money would In
duce me to part with 1t. There Is
story connected with It. told me while
was painting. which. appealing to
my fancy, rendered my work especial
" successful. The picture and the
story go together.
While / was at work man under
faded straw hat and suspenders IN
covered by coat or waistcoat came up
behind me aud looked at my work
He was a middle aged countryman,
with those furrows in his face thet
seem 10 be transferred there from hts
eyes being constantly fixed on burrows
made by his plow. He seemed to take
a deep interest in my picture.
There's somep'n wanted on that
little space beside the Wheel" he said.
"what's thatg" asked.
"A boy and girl"
"What boy and girl?"
"Somep'n happened there onct.
kin tell y about It If v want to hear
it."
60 ahead"
"It's about myself and the girl.
was nigh on to seventeen. and Janey
was fifteen. Children haven't got any
sense. and Janey wasn't much past
bein' a child. We had been playin'
together when we was at an age to
play. and now we was a little older
we kept on playin' together. Anyway.
Janey was a wild little thing and up
to all sorts OF prnnks. What ! was
doin about this time I'm speakln' Of
was tryin' to keep her from tumblin'
on the peak Of the barn roof. or fallln'
down through a hole In the haymow
floor, or gittin' drowned In the pond.
"One day we was over there where
a dirt road led down to the mill. It's
all grown over with grass now, but
you can see where 1t was. At that
time the mill was run whenever there
was any grain to grind. and when
there wasn't the water was turned
OF the sluice. That day 1t was turned
or.
"The first thing knew Janey she
climbed out on to the wheel Her
weight was just enough to turn It and
let her down slow. While she was
sinkin she looked at me and laughed
1t was a purity enough laugh. but
! didn't like to see her goin'
down into that hole. cause there
wasn't any way for her to git out. 1t
was walled in. except near the top,
where an opening had been left to let
The water out. or course when Janey
got to the bottom the wheel stopped
.urnin
Then / asked Janey to stand on 1t
md let me turn II and her back agin.
but she got OF and dared me to come
iown. / can see her eyes now just
Is they looked then with lot OF dew
ltry in 'em.
There was two simpletons instead
" one. l got on to the wheel. and it
urned quicker with my weight than
with hers. Joined her at the bottom,
md she was amusin' herself In all
Iorts Of ways. dancin' and runnln'
lround the wheel and hollerin' to hear
low queer it sounded down there.
Two or three times l tried to git her
% let me take her out 1t wouldn't
Be an easy matter in any event The
,nly way It could be done was for us
~ bo1nuoa aonh ofhor hw r1ff,1 him on