The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-11-05

4
Little did my censors know the nervous
distress 0ccasi0ned by the i1ea tiiat an
eye is always upon you. 4 reel as II IL
| were on me now"
y " Comps-e Yourself, Il was but aafancy.
have neither seen nor heard OF him since
August last. That would be relief; but
his man of business has not heard of him
either. 1t is not only that he has not trans
mitted me my money, he has drawn none
| for his own use. Every other means hav-
! ing been employed TO trace him without
success. at last thought of you. We
met. you NAV remember, for the first
time at the Richmond Easter ball; and
afterwards, whether by accident or design
-S
Accident, pure accident, madam. 1 as
sure you."A
'QM s'ercatse s'Gceuse.1 said the lady
smiling.
~ know it, | know it; though | can
not pronounce it. But still, madam,
though | own appearances might have
been against me- there was no design
whatever"
And the poor man wiped his forehead.
:. You are not fiath3rer, at any rate, y
continued the fa1y. Well, the accident
REQUIRED quie frequently enough TO eXas-
perate my husband; and as | saw him,
] disguised as a waiter, at Lady Chiswick' S
| fete the last time we met; and as you went
away directly after, my husband disap-
pearlng simultaneously and not having
| been heard of since and as you are lame,
I and in deplorable state Of nervous pros
! tratiOn. | cannot help suspecting that you
went abroad, that he followed you and
forced you into duel, that he wounded
you, and you killed him."
:. have not been abrOadat all, !" gasped
! Mr.. Peters, pouring himself ont another
glass of sherry. t'But comen' he cried.
presently, nerved by the stimulant and
| desperation; "you have told me your
story and will tell You mine. l have
met your husband, though do not know
for certain what has become of him. II
viii be relief to speak, for this life of Sc
cret apprehension and perpetual anxiety
is killing me-, r-g- ---rLsrCr
fete YOU alluded to, went for my annual
| holiday. i have self-imposed task here
a little book. which takes up good deal
of nv time. and causes me to lead some
what sedentary life, and find month OF
air and exercise necessary for my health
NV idea was to walk through North Wales
with a change of linen and few neces
saries in knapsack. So / went first tC
! Chester, left my portmanteau at the hote
there, and took the train on TO Conway
from which place | made circuit, which
brought me on the third day to Cape
Craig, where remained couple of days
and then started in the early morning, witt
the intention of crossing Snowdon, ano
sleeping that night at Llanberris on the
other side. E# Ess
" had not as yet picked up any ac-
quaintance during my walk as one gener
ally does in a pedestrian excursion ovel
such favorite grounds; though | knew
that another excurSiOIist was following
the same track, for had caught sight Of
him several times, half mile or so behind
me. Once, feeling inclined for compan
iOnship, sat down and smoked pipe, tC
let him come up with me; but his tastt
was evidently for solitude, for he declined
the chance gave him, and ha, ted too.
rather regretted this British eXclusivenes!
now, for companion lightens the journey
when you have long climb up hill on
warm day.
1.-The first six or seven miles was easy
walking on the level road; then came al
hours wading through marshes; theT
came the narrow neck of a lake, which
crossed in boat ingeniOusly fastened Il
both banks by the same rope, by hauling
: on which you ferried yourself over afte
that it was all pretty steep hills. Trying
TO cut off a corner. | lost the track: but a
it was a perfectly clear day, without
wreath of cloud or fog visible, that didno
much matter. / had only to keep on goin:
| up, unless the ascent led me away from tn
principal summit, which was visible near
ly all the way.
, az had taken a light lunch with me, an,
| this seemed good place to rest and eat
: in. So | sat under the shadow OF a roc
and refreshed myself. ...-..r.
2 Al was interrupted in this pleasant EN-
, ployment by footstep, and, looking ur
s saw man standing before me with hi
, arms folded on his chest, and regarding m
t in a threatening manner. need not dc
\ scribe hlm to you, madam; it was you
I husband.
:" Your name is Petersr he observed.
( "'Yes.' said !. sbut, pardon me, yo
7 have the advantage of me-
4 81 seek none he replied. You dC
e sire my death, and have followed yo
!: here to give YOU fair and equal chance {
t composing il. also desire y0slrs. ,,
1 ANY dear sir said |, you are Labor
5 ing under very great mistake. | hav
# no i'll feeling toward you. Whysshoul
[ | wish the death eS perfect stranger"
r Because you could marry his widow
o Z" And then, madam, he mentioned you
(; and said that he had been watching mefc
e a month past. And he put most eXtr;
a ordinary Interpretation upon our innocer
d acquaintanceship
n when protested that he was in erro
/ and that had not even known till th;
II moment you were married woman, i
said that such cowardly evasion shoul
avail me nothing, and producing bra'
r of pistols he challenged me TO fight him.
rs Il explained TO him that if he had an
l. cause of complaint against me, which WI
t, absurd. he had his remedy at law; tn
the practice of dueling was foolish, u
christian, and obsolete; that no one hi
e fought with deadly weapons in this coul
2. try for a quarter of a century; that If "
l. now revive the custom, the survivor woui
h be hung.
.''N0C so.' said your husband; we a
alone. and in desolate part of the moul
IS tain. The one whofalls might lie here fl
e months before his skeleton was discove
O ed: and who would suspect how he can
" bv his death? But the safety of the su
h yivor can be vet further secured; he h
Is but TO drag his defeated enemy to Il
II brink of yonder mine-shaft; little for
n would suffice to tumble it into the gul
st and then, what trace would be possibl
/ But | am here to fight, not to argu
)r Here is your pistOl-lOaded but notcapp
K and here are caps. Stay where you al
5, and will take up my position near {
te edge of the shaft, which will save y,
1t trouble ifluck attends yOu.'
a "'Do not fiatter yourself that your p
n cautions will avail. cried, in consider
10 BILE trepidation. Murder will out, a
a YOU viii forfeit your life for mine.' ~
L "sThat makes no odds TO me- he
as piled. 'Fops like you have made life
in insufferabIe burden to me.
lg Poor man how he loves mer' sigh
the lady. 81.
SIS "Icould hardly believe that he was
nd earnest" continued Mr.. Peters; ''but
retired to the spot he had mentioned. n
the monthof the hole, thirteen or fourtt
Elf yards off, and presently called out:
"sHave you capped your pistol ?"
Id Il had not, but did so mechanically.
ed do not know why; for l think had
on intention of firing at him. But, in tru
Ok / was like one in a dream.
INT 90 After have counted five, il is law
be- to fire. he cried presently. @
II a o1ef