The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-20
OLSON found his mill musty
from disusc. The scant sun
light in ii looked furnished.


surneo for weeks. 10 be sure. this was
tho dull season, but there was no longer
any denying the fact that he and his
wheel were at last deserted.
Accompanied by the mill cat, he re-
turned to his house. Here, as in the
mIl decay was evident; the curled hair
stuhing was bursting through chair
covers, rust dulled the stove, black
cracks ran over the ceiling like rivers
on map. lie set about getting supper
from n stale smelling cupboard.
Beyond the open west door stretched
a billuw Of prairie farm land. The
.armhouses were distant; but now he
paused and looked toward something
nearer than the houses. Against the
low copper disk of n sun stood prairie
schooner. lie watched IL until the disk
slipped away from behinG II.
Some years ago parts of the middle
West used TO he sprinkled in summer
with the canvas covered homes OF the
campers" coming nowhence. going
nowhithcr. They would squat on the
edge of towns. picking up odds and ends
Of work, OF charity, sometimes OF other
peoples possessions. Some were neither
brggars nor thieves. though merely bits
of fotsam. This man who had asked
DpTnllSSlorl 10 camp uI'h b'lS'H i'h"
looked honest enough. And the baby
had burst into crows OF cordially upon
meeting the miller. 1t was curious
He had not spoken to child for years
Long before the farmers around used
10 SEQ Dolson's great figure on horse
back night after night He would loom
up against the bare sky just as his
voice doomed up against the prairie
ellence He always sang a. he rode. for
he was "keepin' company with girl
in Pleasant City.
He and his mill toiled n twelvemonth.
making ready home for her. week
before the wedding day he rode across
the moonlight, n songful silhouette. to
find that she had gone. travelling
prestidigitator had pucked dove
from the crown NJ her hat thereby
charming her: she had accompanied
him To he divided with a sword in pub
lie. to be united with ring in private.
For weeks Dolson had been making
trips to Bolivia--the larger town he
yond Pleasant City-purchasng treas
nres for the cottage. People saw him
driving home with a black walnut par
Tor set--crimson rep upholstery. r,arbe
topped table three cornered whatnot
Later he returned with bedroom suite
that cclipsed tho other--towering bu-
rcau huee cIustar nj frui, carved a, tho
.on ~ zach niece There followed n
Brussels Garnet covered with baskets
which SMILED rcd roses as bue as cab
hayes. and n wire plant stand for the
eouth window.
Then came tina, last fierce. silent ride
home. He shut himself into his cottage
for ten DAYS. the wheel waiting, hushed.
On the following night fire was seen
on his land: the morning revealed a
hcnp of ashes--the remains of the black
walnut furniture, the Brussels carpet.
the countless knlckknacks.
Stained marble tops were in the pile
the tortured limbs of the plant stand
lay where they had writhed. A curved
something stood up stark from the mass
Of ruin; all that remained If an heir
loom once brought half across a CONT
nent in one of the old time prairie
schooners II was the rocker OF the
quaint little New England cradle
Nothing was left of the cottages FIR
cry. Dolson resumed life among he
former meagre furnishings. The mill
opened again. hut the miller was no
longer the same man. He attended to
his work faithfully, as always; but he
built wall Of taciturnity between him
self and his kind.
Women and children especially he
Thunned Tdciturnity grew toward sur
illness. or Iat" since new MIL had
come into the district farmers were
taking Nheir grists where s"ciability
buzzed with the wheel Dolson was
lon alone. His soul, Ike his MIL was
falling into decay through disuse.
After night had fallen the cat went
90 the door. gave a swift glance about.
then, her body TO the ground sh" was
cf to the high OF adventure IN the
min which the mice had not Yet de-
serted. As she sped away polson was
conscious of increased Loneliness. He
was reaping as he had sown but the
sight of the covered wagon gave him
sense of comfort. II stood out now
against a moonlit sky.
He locked his door for the night, then
took I'D his accordion and sang a num-
ber of songs. from force of habit rather
than from any impulse TO sing. He had
heen nlsvinr for an hour or more when
"Jeannett~ and Jeannot" was broken on
shsrnIv nv n knoc,,. The mans dull