Middletown transcript., 1921-09-24


she looked the landscape DER dlsap'
pointedly. Gerry, in her own city
home, was accustomed to the cOmpan'
iOnship of various cavaliers. Aunt
PhOebe's resident village seemed destl'
tute of this-in Gerry's opinion-nec'
essary attention. Who would there
be to drive her down the long inviting
road? Who, to row her across the
wilIow-bordered stream? The young
women Of the town appeared to be
absorbedly engaged In tiresome tasks
Gerry had come to play.
'.Aunt Phoebe" she asked one morn
Ing, ''do you know any nice young
man who might care to pleasantly
while away the time Of my visit?"
Aunt Phoebe stared while her
niece, with little laugh, turned to
the doorway. Evidently Aunt Phoebe
had no suggestion to offer concerning
her own summertime amusement, so
she would have to seek it herself.
The road to the mill looked inviting.
tierry happily followed that road. She
mad crossed, during her drive into
town, the picturesque bridge over the
rippling water. And she had, at the
time, mentally resolved to inspect the
old mill building, with its clean floors
showing through the wide doorway.
The mill had been in diSuse for some
time, but bags Of grain were still sold
there, and business carried on in
measure. Gerry thought that she
might be able to get some good snap
sno S of the tiny waterfall over the
for the miller. When young man
popped his blond head out of an up
per window, she found herself snap
ping him in the picture. 1t was pro-
voking, though he was so very good
looking, and his stare of pleased sur
prise at seeing her there would no
doubt be registered too. Gerry could
imagine the girls jesting remarks
when they saw the picture she had
mailed them.
Have you fallen in love with the
miller of Dee" Dot would probably
ask, while the young men back home
would probably joke concerning her
new admirer The snap was bound to
be good one.
"Good-by," said Gerry, with smile
to take the edge from her words, Il am
much obliged and shall not see you
again."
The miller stopped to fasten his
apron.
"All right" he remarked casually.
"Glad to have met you. II you should
care to come over here again and have
the whole place to yourself come
Thursdays. l always go in to the city
that day."
Gerry walked on with mixed feelings.
IL was generous for the accommodate
ing young man to take her rebuff this
way 1t was evident, however,, that
the rebuff had not touched him deeply;
he was whistling. Gerry thought a
good deal about the miller. 1t was
silly, she told herself, and provoking
bnt she did And when she had de-
veIoped her snapshots she thought
more about him than ever. 1t was the
miller'S wondering, pictured look, that
impressed her. Almost, it seemed, that
the sight of her had surprised him as
one coming upon a lOoked-for friend.
Gerry had been curiOusly aware of
like sensation as she had walked do
cilely at the young mans side. Well,
If this was love at first sight, she
would hav<none of it. Life as viii
lage miller's wife did not at all figure
In Gerry's future plan. She did go back
to the mill on Thursday, to see If his
cool suggestion had been entirely dis
Interested. 1t was; The young miller
was nowhere to be seen. But between
her Thursday visits-which became
custom-Gerry met him frequently
upon the village streets, or in the
meeting house. There was always a
mutual smile and word Of recognition,
but that was all Gerry saw to it that
there was no more. While she was
now certain that she did not wish to
marry Doctor Don, and equally GER
tain that pompous Bill would also have
his refusal, Gerry was angrily deter
mined that she was not going to allow
herself to fall in love with miller.
Why, the very echo Of. that lovely
S ream brought to her, even now, a
heartache. And then-Gerry fell into
that very stream. 1t was on Thursday
| and she was crossing at shallow
point on slender board The board
keeled up treacherously, just as she
was aiming her camera for a choice
shot, and Gerry's white-shOd heels
showed for moment above water.
Then the miller fshed her out. She
! was comfortably sure, in some way,
that he would, even though it was
Thursday and he expected to be In
| town. A white coat had been with
| drawn hurriedly from the mill Win
| dow as she approached. And when
| Gerry's wet figure was enfolded some
| time later in that same long white
! coat-and incidentally enfOlded, also,
| in the miller's strong, confident arms,
| she looked at him reproachfully.
| 81 did not want to love you," said
Gerry.
"As for that" the miller person
sighed, neither did want to love you.
What chance have to marry with my
profession still ahead and city rents
so high, and this old rOokery on my
hands-grandfather willed the place to
me and l had to come out to look 1t
over"
The young mans tone was vastly
troubled, his eyes were very sad. Ger
~ smiled.
1T wouldn't be such bad place for
| ny TO live in in summer time" she said,