Evening star., 1928-01-24

fAlphon.. Dsudet 1s4o.Isa7 was
French writer 81 tales of which perhaps
today is that entitled The PoDes
M1ie."l
am just an old fifer, but I have
seen many dramas Of life come and go
in my day. Take our province. which
once was SO alive with windmills grind
ing grain. To right and left one could
see nothing but the sails turning about
In the wind above the pines. and long
strings Of little donkeys laden with bags
Of grain climbing the hills 10 the mills
Then some Frenchman from Paris
conceived the idea OF setting UP mills
driven with steam. Very fine and new
were these mills. and the people fell in
the habit of sending their grain to them
and SO the poor windmiIls were LETT
without work One by one their sails
stopped turning, and they were deserted
and torn down.
But there was one old Miller who
held out and his mill went on turning
braSely on its hill. In spite Of the steam
millers. This old Miller had lived for
50 years In -four and he was crazy about
his trade. The setting UP Of the steam
mills made him act like a madman. For
o week he ran about the village. col
lect.ng people round him and shouting
that came from the steam mills. He
said steam was an invention Of the
devil, but no one listened TO him.
Then, in q towering rage. the old
Miller shut himself up In his mill and
lived alone like wild beast. He
wouldn't even keep with him his grand
daughter, Viyette, beautiful damsel of
IS. who since the death OF her parents
had no one but her grandfather In the
world The poor child was obliged 10
earn her living and work during harvest.
And there was something In the Mil
ler's life We couldn't understand. For
a long time no one IN the village had
taken him any grain, and yet the sails
Of his windmill were always In motion.
In the evening people met the old MIL
Ter On the roads driving before him his
donkey loaded with fat bags Of -four.
is business siiiI good?" they would
ask him.
He would say yes, and tell them he
vas working for export. No oils could
get anything more than that out Of him.
As for putting ones nose inside his mill.
IL wasn't 10 De thought Of. Even little
yiyette herself never went In there.
When people passed In front of the
mill tfasy always found the door closed.
the huge sails moving. the donkey
browsing On the platform. and great
thin Cat taking sun bath on the wfrl-
COW ELL, and giaring a. them With .
s5cke6 expression.
Al this smeiied Of mystery and made
people talk q great deal Naturally.
every orss had his own explanation o:
;ne NilleY's secret. bit the general opin-
ION was that the old mill contained bags
o! silver more than bags of grain.
Then my son and siYet1e fell In love
with each other. ] was not displeasec.
for the name Of the old Miller Was he'd
in hoaor among every ofle, an0 IT. woilo
tickle me- 70 have vi.ette. pretty little
BIRD tfas. she wss, uotting merrjIy about
the house. so, being anxious 10 get II
settled / went 10 sef the old Miller
But IL vss impossible for me " get
him u open the door of his mill ! en-
pssined my reasons. after fashion,
through the keylloie. sDc all the time
] was taking there xss that villain VI
q cat sDorting like some devil over NY
head on the window sIg.
The Old Miller told me most i'm
politely that II wanted W find d
wife for my by could lo0k for "a
e1Ff At the sLeanl~n1iIl. THIS rough
talk sent the bloDd " my head, and
/ Ieft tsle Old tool III bis mill. Then
TOLD my children what viyetle 5
sraudfatleg had said, They decided,
Iy,or lambs, W ~ " the mill thrm-
selyes. / couldn't refuse them. ~
lhey went.
Jtiet a. they reached the mill thf
old Miller had gone out. The dpH
Was securely Lockec, but the DID tel
low, when he went away, had lett his
ladder outside. aIid suddenly u oc~
CURED 70 the youngsters " 90 In W
flIs window and see what there M'k.h
l<e inside VI tllf famous mill
They found the main room of tie
Hsll empty! not q Sack npt par
ttcle of grain. uot tile slighFs. uac
~ -four on the walls m Oh the spider
wei,e They Couldn't even smell liz
pleasant, warm odoT of ground wheai
mat naakss tIe sif of Hlii W
fragrant The shaft waE covered "ith
aust and the huge unin eat vas sleep
lng oo u.
Tts lover room had The same sAi'e'i
~ poverty and neglect Jiie,f ~ss .
vfetciied Ded. few rags, crust ci
bread aud IN corner three ~ 'oib
burst open SACKS with rubbish ana ol0
plaster sticking out.
That was the old MilleT'h seeTstf u
ar shsi rubbish which hs han pafaa 9
81 DlGbt W cave tise Lon0f VI i1as va