hat of a miller?"

"Yes. After Judge Hammond broke down, the distillery apparatus and
cotton spinning machinery were all sold and removed from Cedarville.
The purchaser of what remained, having something of the fear of God, as
well as regard for man, in his heart, set himself to the restoration of
the old order of things, and in due time the revolving mill-wheel was
at its old and better work of grinding corn and wheat for bread. The
only two men in Cedarville competent to take charge of the mill were
Simon Slade and Joe Morgan. The first could not be had, and the second
came in as a matter of course."

"And he remains sober and industrious?"

"As any man in the village," was the answer.

I saw but little of Slade or his son during the day. But both were in
the bar-room at night, and both in a condition sorrowful to look upon.
Their presence, together, in the bar-room, half intoxicated as they
were, seemed to revive the unhappy temper of the previous evening, as
freshly as if the sun had not risen and set upon their anger.

During the early part of the evening, considerable company was present,
though not of a very select class. A large proportion were young men.
To most of them the fact that Slade had fallen into the sheriff's hands
was known; and I gathered from some aside conversation which reached my
ears, that Frank's idle, spendthrift habits had hastened the present
crisis in his father's affairs. He, too, was in debt to Judge Lyman--on
what account, it was not hard to infer.

It was after nine o'clock, and there were not half a dozen persons in
the room, when I noticed Frank Slade go behind the bar for the third or
fourth time. He was just lifting a decanter of brandy, when his father,
who was considerably under the influence of drink, started forward, and
laid his hand upon that of his son. Instantly a fierce light gleamed
from the eyes of the young man.

"Let go of my hand!" he exclaimed.

"No, I won't. Put up that brandy bottle--you're drunk now."

"Don't meddle with me, old man!" angrily retorted Frank. "I'm not in
the mood to bear anything more from YOU."

"You're drunk as a fool now," returned Slade, who had seized the
decanter. "Let go the bottle."

For only an instant did the young man hesitate. Then he drove his
half-clenched hand against the breast of his father, who went
staggering several paces from the counter. Recovering himself, and now
almost furious, the landlord rushed forward upon