i 57926919a60851a7 Read Online Free PDF

answer and she said clearly now,
    "Thanks, we wouldn't mind the ride." She'd drive another ten miles to get more value for her money.
    He turned the horse from the main road on to a narrow track and at one point the going was so rough that it bounced Cissie off the end of the cart, but she dropped on to her feet and quickly signaled to the children not to call Mr. Turnbull's attention to her.
    As she walked with her hand on the end of the cart she saw the mill before the others did, and for a moment she saw it as the house in her dream. Then the impression was gone because the mill house although whitewashed, was tall and higgeldypiggeldy.
    She had heard of Watson's mill but this was the first time she had seen it for it must be all of five miles away from the hamlet, and inland, and her father had never taken them inland but always in the direction of the main river.
    Matthew drew up the cart in the middle of a big paved yard and, getting down, he came to her and said, "Wait here a minute," then crossed the yard and went towards a round house, while the children, now scrambling down from the cart, looked about them in surprised excitement, saying,
    "It's a flour mill, Cissie. Cissie, it's a flour mill."
    Sarah was standing with her back against Cissie's hip as if afraid to move into this wonder world but the others edged quietly about the yard, their eyes darting here and there. Then William came scampering back to her, saying breathlessly, "The sails are 'round the corner.
    Come on, have a look, Cissie. "
    Her eyes on the round house, she said sternly, "Stop moving about.
    Bring them here, and behave. "
    When Matthew came into view again he was accompanied by a man who had a film of white over him. He was a big man of indeterminable age but the covering of flour made him appear very old, and he looked them over before he said, "Ah, well now, there you are. And so you're after flour, are you?"
    Cissie's voice was small as she answered, "Yes, Sir."
    "An' I hear you want all of a quarter stone." He was laughing at her, making game of her, and she didn't reply but her face became stiffer and she straightened her shoulders. This reaction wasn't lost on the miller and he laughed louder now, saying, "Never sold less than half a sack afore, never been asked for less, come to that, but now you want quarter stone. Well, well." He thrust out his great hand and punched Matthew on the arm. But the blow didn't shudder Matthew, not even to make him move a step, but he laughed with the miller, at the same time keeping his eye on Cissie.
    "How much do you pay for a quarter stone in Brockdale?"
    The miller was speaking again and she answered, "Ninepence for seconds."
    "Ninepence for secondsl Do you hear that?" He again punched Matthew on the arm.
    "Daylight robbery Seconds she said, mostly boxings. Well, well. But now we must see what we can do for you, eh? If Matthew says you want help, then help you'll have. Now, I'll give you seconds and good seconds, three parts white, and I'll give you a full stone for your nine pence What do you say to that?"
    The stiffness slid from her face, her shoulders slumped, her lips moved into a gentle smile and she said, "I'd say thank you. Sir. Thank you very kindly."
    "Civil spoken, girl, civil spoken." Before he had finished speaking he was again looking at Matthew;
    and now he added, "I'll see to them, you go on 'round beyond, and if I'm not mistaken Rose'll be havin' a mug of tea at this minute. I'll take this squad and show them inside."
    "I'll do that." Matthew was about to turn away when, through a door in the far wall, a woman appeared. Cissie thought at first it was the miller's wife, then when the woman came nearer she didn't think she'd be old enough, though she wasn't all that young, over twenty she thought. The woman was big, her head on a level with the wheelwright's, her body as broad as his, but it was the face of the woman that Cissie looked at. It was plain, she had never seen such a plain