02550cam a22003133u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000340011324500410014726400510018830000470023933600260028633700260031233800360033850000310037450501040040550801880050952013970069753400450209465300370213985600430217699900170221941592UtSlPG20260610133942.0mcr n260607r2012||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aHawthorne, Julian,d1846-193414aThe Laughing Mill, and Other Stories 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2012  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2012-12-100 aThe laughing mill -- Calbot's rival -- Mrs. Gainsborough's diamonds -- The Christmas guest: a myth.  aE-text prepared by sp1nd, eagkw, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://archive.org)  a"The Laughing Mill, and Other Stories" by Julian Hawthorne is a collection of supernatural tales written in the late 19th century. The opening of one story transports the reader to a tranquil farmhouse by the sea where a sailor, Jack Poyntz, shares his life with his daughter Agatha and someone who appears to be the story's narrator. The narrative hints at intertwining themes of mystery and the supernatural, particularly through a pearl-shell necklace worn by Agatha, which may be linked to the narrator's family heritage and a long-lost heirloom.  At the start of the tale, the narrator reflects on a summer afternoon spent at the Poyntz farmhouse, vividly describing the idyllic setting and characters. Jack Poyntz, a jovial old mariner, enjoys a peaceful moment with his daughter Agatha and the narrator after dinner. The conversation hints at local legends involving the "Devil's Ribs," a dangerous reef nearby, which leads to discussions about shipwrecks and Agatha's peculiar pearl-shell necklace. The narrator feels drawn to Agatha, intrigued not only by her beauty but by the necklace that resembles a family heirloom. As more secrets and stories unfold, notably concerning the mysterious past surrounding the necklace and the ghostly "Laughing Mill,” the opening prepares the reader for a blend of romance and supernatural intrigue. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aAmerican fiction -- 19th century40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/41592  c82431d82431