The story
“The miller’s daughter was a rustic beauty, but she was nobody’s fool. She had a sweetheart, a steady-going young farmer, who loved her devotedly, and the girl was thoroughly satisfied that he would make an excellent husband. So when the city chap came along the girl did not break her fiancé’s heart by running away with him. The city chap was one of those offensive individuals usually classed as ‘lady killers.’ He approved of the girl, and saw no reason why she should not fall victim to his manly charms. His friend and traveling companion expressed some doubt as to this, and the city chap wagered real money that within one week he could induce the girl to run away with him. It happened, however, that the girl and her rustic suitor overheard the details of the wager. The countryman was eager to go out and argue harshly with the young man, but the girl restrained him. The ‘city chap’ was delighted to find that in his case, apparently, the course of true love did run smooth. The girl listened to his protestations of love, agreed to elope with him, and was on hand when he arrived with the coach. He chuckled to himself as he handed her inside, for his chum was waiting down the road, to satisfy himself that the ‘city lothario’ had won his wager. The miller’s daughter was not in the coach, however. She had slipped out the other door, but a warm welcome awaited ‘the city chap.’ The rustic suitor was there and he pawed and slapped the city lothario until he wished he had never seen the miller’s daughter or the mill. Down the road the city chap’s chum was met. A strong right arm reached out of the carriage and dragged him inside. Then the coach continued its journey, which ended beside the mill stream. The rustic suitor alighted, dragging the others with him, and as they were all ‘het up,’ he cooled them off with a nice bath in the ‘purling water.’ She was only a miller’s daughter, but she certainly taught two fresh young men that ‘still waters run deep,’ and damp.”
Summary from The Moving Picture World · 20 July 1912
