The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-03-26

I the Alps,' whispered my partner, in tn
: grand right and left.
, 1've never seen it; have you?n
J mocked.
"Often," he answered and then wa
sure it was Lucius, who had been abroa
once. He offered his arm and we steppe
into a bay-window. to look into the frost
garden Illuminated by the moon, and wha
do you think he said next?
; "DOn't let us masquerade any longer,
in the same half-whisper; 81 love you;
believe you love me, in spite of your dis
/, sembling. think have surprised it i
your face sometimes. Come live with me
and be my love- Be my wife, sweet"
The moment toward which l had bee
reaching had arrived, and found me uu
prepared. | was more wretched than
! galley-slave, when | should have bee
most happy. | trembled like a reed il
the wind. and leaned on his arm for sup
port. 81 cannot answer you to night,
said, tempOrizing; ''the music confuse
me. don't know whether | love you
trying to laugh-''Or your ancestors. Ii
a day--a week-Oh. | can't answer you be
fore Christmas indeed, | cannOt!'
gasped.
8 win wait through time and eternity
if only it be the right answer at last /" b,
returned. And then he led me to a seat
and somebody lent me a vinaigrette, an,
people asked what the matter was, and i
seemed so ridiculous to be so overcome BY
an offer, that didn't tell them; and th'
upshOt of it was, Lydia sent me home il
her carriage before supper. If had staiC
till the unmasking. YOU knOw-wel there
that's subjunctive case that I'll leave t.
your Imagination. But the truth was,
wanted to get home and think Ant
| did think with vengeance
L thought all day and all night
thought at church, at table, rub
bing the silver, sewing on buttons; why
couldn't say my prayers straight fol
thinking. | had never made such an in
tellectual effort in my life Lucius cam,
and went as usual, without urging it fur
ther, or appearing anxious about the re
suit. Everybody seemed to be moving
behind a mist, through which JOIN
JOrdan's face shOne out at time;
with an unutterable pathos in tn,
questioning eyes, | wondered if ht
| guessed at my dilemma. At last
went up to SOphronia's, at Haverham, tC
finish my thinking. When | had beer
there three days, up came John Jordan il
his own carriage. SOphronia and her hus
band had always had mighty fancy fol
John, and, between us, believe she haC
sent for him. Well, when Sophronia':
| husband came home to dinner, while hC
was carving, said he,
"That's great failure down at you
| place, Jordan. Now had an idea that the
Glovers were made of money"
What do you mean?" cried Sophy
1.-The Glovers failed! Why, they gave ;
masquerade party only the other day, witt
no end of splendor."
''That seems to be the cue of people who
are tottering, financially: they're deter
mined to make a figure, if only for the
last time" laughed Sophy's husband.
They're pretty badly cut up by it, :
said John. "Lucius looks ten years old
er."
"Lucius?" repeated Sophy's husband
''He used to be a spark of your sisters
| Sophy; didn't he? But he's no longer q
match, ell ?''
SOphy shot a quick look at me; John
turned his head away; Sophy's husband
regarded his plate. But as for me, l had
done with thinking; L had made up my
mind to 90 home that very day, and tell
Lucius | would marry him, for better or
worsel Perhaps you'll say was QuixotiC
and romantic. and didn't deserve Johns
regard. But you see, | had given Lucius
encouragement, and if | refused him. he
and all the world would think it was on
account of the failure, and. of all things, |
can't bear to be suspected of meannesS
To be sure, was going to lose the very
things for which had led Lucius on; but
[ deserved to. if that was any comfort.
SophrOnia said everything she could think
of to make me stay, and | vowed it was
out of the question. Unjust be at home TO
look after the Christmasing; the pies would
all be at skies and sevens. with stones
enough in them to build temple, and
father would have to 90 without his plum
pudding and had Christmas present
to finish. John had intended to spend the
holidays; but he said, if | was set upon il
and nothing could persuade me, he would
harness up and take me home. 1t was a
trifle ungenerous, perhaps, to oblige one
lover to carry me to his rival; but didn't
stop to think of that, was so absorbed by
my own sacrifices.
1t had been drilling for about an hour
when we started. but John had a covered
sleigh and a fast horse. You know how
short the December afternoons are, so it
was dark as a pocket before we got into
Haverham woods, and it had left off driz-
Zling and smart rain-storm had set in,
and no make-belieye, and Johns lantern
gave about as much light as glow-worm.
The railroad hadn't crept up as far as Hav-
erham Center at that time, but it crossed
the road halfway through Hsverham
woods, where you would least expect it.
where you had no hint of its approach till
it was laundering down upon you, because
the woods shut in the prospect, and the
wind in the pines deafened you. They
called it the DEVILS Crossing.
Well, the horse went stumbling on
through the slosh, and the noise of his
feet and the singing of the sleigh-bells and
the storm roaring through the woods like
bull of Bashan must have rendered it i'm
possible to hear anything short of Gabri-
els trumpet: for while | was wondering
who would buy the old Glover mansion.
and if John guessed why | was hurrying
home, and what should be married in,
all at once there was a flash and a noise as
if a battery had been discharged across
our path, mingled with shouts, and pam
demonium of bewildered faces-and then.
oblivion! They got us home somehow /;
didn't know anything about it. We had
both been saved by a miracle, but the poor
horse paid the debt of nature. I've learn
ed to write and sew with my left hand
since then, and I'm so used to my broken
nose that sometimes wonder why stran-
gers look so hard at me; for you see, Pm
no longer beauty. A very different kind
of sacrifice had been required of me from
that which | had reckoned upon. l be-
lieved that all which was necessary now
was to send Lucius word that I could not
think of imposing such wreck as myself
upon him till death should us part. But
Christmas-eve, as | lay on the hair-cloth
loungeiH the -parlor-for,si in spite OF
my bandages and weakness, | would be in
the thick of the family gathering-iust be-
fore the lamps were lighted, John Jordan
came in and bent over me with a bouquet
Of tea-roSeS.
"As kind as ever,' Imurmured, put
ting out my right arm instinctively, and
hiding my tears against the sofa-cushion.
=. I'm glad it was the right hand,' said
he, sitting down on hassoek, !. because
the wedding-fnger is left;" and he slipped
upon 1t the biggest diamondI ever saw.
Look, it's like a petrified tear-a tear OF
joyi
at was nv mothers, he continued.
''Will you wear ii. and answer the ques-
ton | asked you last month at the mas