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

NASQUERADNG. =
WELL, you see, Sue, the WHY'S and the
wherefores were too many 10 write, and
when you married and went away with
your husband, I'd no more idea that
things would come round as they did thar
had of running over to Council Bluffs in
aballOon to take tea with you. To tell the
truth, II was all on account of that rail.
road business, which went cutting into
our orchard. and running hap-hazard oveI
the best pasture-land, and taking a right
OF way along the wood-lot AID crossing
the highways, so that there's 40 peace for
the living, let alone the wicked. HOwev-
er, j re no right to complain of IL, in the
long run. Ii wasn't as if our house had
been in the family ever since the Plymouth
folks landed, and the Legislature had Civ
en- the corporation leave TO run right
through the best wainscOted parlor, and
take away the oaken staircase stained by
the blood of Revolutionary soldier, as
they did up at Squire Elderly's place.
"N' i,'""'fSe ,"'fSe ydh were here When John Jordan
happened this way civil-engineering and
helping TO lay out the railroad; and dare
say you've heard me declare that would
MT marry John Jordan, "nO, not if there
WASH t another man on earth - Not that
he had asked me then, you know; but
girls aren't slow to refuse before they're
asked. But he had waited upon me home
from evening service and sOciables: and
he had dropped in to have a rubber at
whist just when | didn't want to be inter
rupted IN the game of cribbaee which Lu-
cius Glover and were sure to be PLAYING
in the back parlOr, while the family sat at
work the other side of the folding-doOrs.
and the mellowed light from the astral
iann N tkK-iIi ifrIaf frnn
Give 10 filtration.
MIR. Jordan used to be a good deal az
our house, talking with father about the
lay of the land, and in that way folks came
10 coupling our names tOgether-and no
body so provoked as |! Mrs. Scrutiny.
who lived opposite, and watched us as
closely as a cat watches a mOuse-hOle !;
who knew when we heated the brick oven
for an extra baking, and counted the stock
ings on the line Mondays, and ran over to
see il we expected SophrOnia and her hus-
band down when we aired the parlOr
chamber; and who. when we declared
that we had nothing to wear to Mrs. Mer-
cy's dancing party, TO Thanksgiving ball,
or charity fair, would give us an inventory
of our own wardrobes.
"Nhy, wear your blue silk. child, that
was made. out of your mothers pelisse :"
or. "Dear sakes. there's the white muslin
you had TO stand up with SOphronia in -
or, I'm sure the pink tarlatan that your
Aunt Kitty gave you is good as new with
a bit of darning;' or, "When was girl.
the poplin you got of the Old-clothes ped
dler in exchange would nave been thought
plenty good enough for a charity fairs
Naturally John Jortlan's calls didn't es-
cape Mrs. Scrutiny. | believe she could
see in the dark, like a cat and she lost no
time in communicating her observation.
Consequently | heard away down at Fish
erville and away up at Haverham that
John Jordan had been seen at our door
three days out of the week. for five weeks ::
and nobody would believe that he came to
see father. But didn't treat John with
any kind of favor. let me tell you! | was
always quarreling with him because the
railroad was 10 cut up the orchard-as if
il was his fault, or as if | cared; but
wanted something to be disagreeable about
| was none too sweet TO him. assure YOU :;
and sometimes Lucius and | would stroll
of to a game at backgHnmonFin the back
paTlOr, and leave John to the others; and
sometimes when | saw him coming !
would slip out. and when L returned, il
would be pretty sure to be on the arm OF
Lucius. He always scowled when | came
in with Lucius Glover, and enjoyed that
and once he had the impudence to ask,
"Nhat, in Heavens name, do YOU find to
please you in that fop:'' and was so an
CRY 2t his daring that the tears sprang in
20 my eyes and at that he looked divine
ly sorry, and stammered, Il didn't know
didn't know it was seriousr' and that
didn't mend the matter, for it wasn't seri-
Gus. LuciuS had never said anything to
the point, though he had dealt largely in
sentimental enigmas; and. what was
more, didn't know as ! wanted him to:
and didn't like that John Jordan should
take it for granted in this way. But |
didn't understand 1Chv | didn't like it.
though I've found out since.
Who said anything about seriousness -
l snapped out. "rm not one of the kind
that asks mans intentions if he looks at
her! never want to know their inten-
tiOns. and they don't usually have any, ex-
cept to while the time away ~ answered,
more forcibly than elegantly.
Very likely not" said he, going back
to some plans he had unrolled tor father to
see when he came in-' that is, men like
Clever"
That's generous said |, ali in arms
again. " | really should think that you
and he were rivals.''
And so we are, " he answered, without
looking up. " L hate him because you like
him.
Il don't see why began, awkwardly
enough.
Perhaps you had better take a micro
scope to discover the reasons
If this is love-making, thinks I, it's an
odd fashion that I'm not used to; and per-
haps for that reason was somewhat vexed
when father put an end TO it. To tell the
truth, after | had been listening 10 John
jordan, Lucius's snall-talk did seem small
enough, and his sentiment weak enough
so sometimes it occurred TO me that his
mustache was his strongest point. But
tllen there were other things to be consid-
cred HE wasn't all sentiment and poetry
and moonlight walks. Father, YOU know,
was only cashier i'm the Farmers Bank. at
a salary Of fifteen hundred. We owned
the house and land, TO be sure : but If any
thing should have happened to him. 1t
would have been all day with us girls. We
hadn't any especial gifts: we hadn't been
educated TO teach; and almost every one
did her own sewing at our place We
were called handsome family, YOU know,
and beauty constituted our entire fortune.
Now it was different at the Glovers'; they
had bank stocks, railroad shares, and mort
cages. and what not: they had a family
tlce that would have put the Banyan TO
shame; they had services of silver as old
rs the hills, cut glass and DreS-
den china, family portraits and bro
catelle, and real diamonds in the bank
safe. They kept their carriage, too
and it was all enough to inspire the mag
ination of any girl whom Lueius smiled
upon. The Glover women always had the
best Of everything-silkst that would stand
alone, gloves and hafs from Paris, gowns
made IN the city; while we had to fashion
our own oonnets, cut our own cloaks, turn
lTCc<4<. erlr
sutch our handkerchiefs. patch our carpets.
uphoister our easy-chairs, and rub the fur
hiture with hartshOrn and oil: we had to
economize in lights and fires too and co,,ld