The Argosy — page 67: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Dec. 1, 1807. 57 THE MILLER’S REVENGE. IN TWO PARTS.—PART I. HERE are few places within an easy run of home at which a brief holiday may be more pleasantly and profitably spent than at Jersey. Both Guernsey and Sark are well worth visiting, but Jersey is pre-eminently the queen of the Channel Island group, both on account of its size and its many natural beauties. It may be ‘‘done” comfortably in a week, after the ordinary skimming fashion of modern tourists ; but to learn to love it thoroughly one must reside on it for months, and see it In storm and sunshine, and in all the varying moods which it puts on, like a beautiful, changeful woman. It was my fortune recently to spend part of my annual holiday on the island. It was not my first visit, and all the chief points of attrac- tion were already familiar to me. On this occasion I determined to explore some of its hidden nooks on foot, and to familiarize myself with its more homely features, while striving to gather some idea of the modes of life and habits of thought of the scattered dwellers in its bays and valleys: In one of my rambles I fell in with a gentleman, an artist by pro- fession, who was engaged in painting one of the many romantic head- Jands which diversify the northern seaboard of the island. He had lived for several years at St. Helier’s when a boy, and he seemed to know by heart every legend and romantic incident with which the history of the island, true and fabulous, is associated. It was from his lips that I heard the following story, which 1s here told as nearly as possible in his own words. We were lounging on a hill-side, cigar in mouth, watching the stealthy incoming of a summer tide, and the time was the lazy half- hour that usually follows an out-door luncheon. “‘ Rather a curious story ” (began my painter frend) “attaches to that ruined water-mill, of which you made mention this morning as forming a likely subject for a pencil-sketch ; and, as I know you have a slight craze on the subject of folk-lore and traditional tales, I don’t mind telling you this one. Not, however, till you have tapped that black beard inthe corner. Thanks. Now for our Once Upon a Time. ‘The once upon a time, in this case, stands for several years less than a hundred. The exact number, however, is not known to deponent, and matters nothing to the story. At that time the Mill of La Roquette— such was the name by which it was known—was in good working order, F comicaocks (GO)