Year: 1872

and her lovers, and how old vassar, the
proprietor of the mill, had sent his son tc
Europe for fear he would marry her.
But it's my opinion that now she likes
Ben, and Ben her. she added They're
often together; I've seen them down
by the Lovers Walk myself many q
time; won't they make a splendid
coupler


"Then I knew what allied me, and
what the dull pain meant at my heart.
Why did he come to our house so often
What right had he to speak to me so ten.
der? [ began to feel strangely toward
Lottie Hill, and cried angry tears when
ever I thought of her and Ben. 1t would
have made me happy any time to hear
that she was dead. This feeling grew
stronger and stronger till 1t seemed as if
Lott and Ben were in my thoughts from
morning till night.


cat last the trouble affected my health.
Mother saw how changed I was, and
think she suspected She always sent me
away when Ben came, and [ was too
proud to let her see I knew why. But
Ben was sure to wait till came back, if
it was only to say good night; and that
iii such a tender sort of way that it sent
the blood to my face as if it would burst
through


$50 / went on suffering till father got
sick, and / was given his place at the
mill. There I saw Lottie Hill every day,
and she tried to be friendly, but, [ am
ashamed to say, the sight of her beau
tiful face made me wicked and spiteful.
[ tried not to feel So [ often laid my
head on my hand when was working,
and begged and prayed the dear Lord TO
give me better temper, and sometimes |
conquered, and sometimes | didn't. But
there had sprung up in my heart bitter
feeling-Hate!


cit is an ugly word, but was sure that
hate had crept into my bosom, and, like
a venomous serpent, had stung me till I
was full of poison. But oh, thank God
that He saved me from knowing that aw-
full ending that might have been.


Zone day, when [ had worked in the
mill month, and Ben had been very kind
in showing me my duties, and | had been
a silly little fool while he did it, standing
there, awkward and red, my heart beating
so that he must have heard it-I had a
test that I shall never forget, no, not to
my dying day.


"Lottie Hill stood at the window near
her frame How beautiful picture the
girl made! She had trained bit of flow
ering vine in one corner of. the sash,
which she was dusting now, taking off
the dead leaves. The mill-works had
stopped for some reason. | stood watch
ing Lottie out Of the corner of my eye
when, without looking that way, saw
Ben come in, saw her turn round, saw
him make a sign to her, at which her face
grew radiant. Oh, how sick felt ! my
teeth came together hard. Then Ben
went up to her loom and leaned over, and,
admiring the vine, said something, his
eyes fixed on hers. If there wasn't love,
almost worship in her face then, there's
no such thing as love. Her eyes shone
like diamonds. Then he looked round and
slipped something in her hand-a love
note, of course, and left her. smiling to
himself


"Thinks I, and that's the way you play
with hearts, Mr. Ben! and when mo-
ment after he came around to me, never
looked up.


Something's the matter, he said.


'In my silly anger I thought he was
bantering me.


"'You are mistaken, Ben Munsen,' [
said hotly, nothing is the matter with
me-


"'But meant the MILL he answered
the machinery has stopped


s"Oh;' my face was afiame, but l
look at him.


"' 1T isn't often / get chance to chat
with YOU lately he said, smiling right in
my eyes in way that made me angry.


"'Why didn't you stay with Lottle
Hill?' l asked, and my voice sounded
unnatural to myself.


Well, / reckon little Lottie has got
something better to do than to talk to an
idle fellow he made answer.


$50 have l. said shortly, for at that
moment I hated him. Why did he come
there to show his power over me? for |
knew he read me like book, my poor
blind worship and all, my helplessness,
my cruel suffering.


F'Re looked astonished for moment,
but suddenly cried out, oh, what splendid
color!


cit was my hair, catching the sun. I
thrust my hands over it wildly. My tenn
pies throbbed, the tears were hot beneath
my eyelids wanted to scream, to rave
at myself for being such fool that l
never could hide my feeling.


eat that moment the overseer called
him, and I looked over to Lottie. An
evil spirit had taken possession of me and
was raving for some outlet. LOttie stood
with her back toward me, her light dress
touching the frame, her cheek just show
ing the deepening Gimples as she read.
1t made me furious to see her attitude Of
perfect grace-let her be doing what she
would, the spirit of grace and beauty
pervaded all her motions, I thought bit
terly.


"Suddenly, slowly, so slowly one could
hardly see them move, and going by
Jerks, the great betting began to slide
round-iust little, then stopping, then
gliding a little more-then at a stand still,
all the smaller bands and wheels and
cleaning shafts keeping company. | saw
now. Ah that wicked, unseen devil at
my elbow, saw that her dress was tOucb-
ina one of the wheels fastened to the great
central shaft. Horror curdled my veins,
but I was silent. Again the wheel re-
volved-stopped-she never stirred-she
never knew it-nobody knew it but-that
the terrible iron fingers had gripped her
by half breadth of calico Any mo-
ment, knew now, breathless as ] stood
and watched, any moment, l knew,
all might be going swifter than | could
think.


eff l kept still, Ben aooatld neUer marry
Lottae RS1g, would never torture me by
careless courtesies That was the top of
my hate. Just then, in my heart, ] was
a murderer


"God mercifully kept the works low
till I saw vision-that fair, sweet face
and form crushed beyond all possibility
of recognition then my sin-paralyzed
energies asserted themselves. L dashed
across the intervening space, reckless of
my own life, creeping under the low,
crawling gearing until reached her-I