The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-07-01

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after / had again met Kitty and had
passed one or two evenings in her society
| knotc did. In fact, did not know thai
there was any body else in the world.
was fearfully in earnest. Kitty wa;
every thing that was perfect, she sang and
danced. and PLAYED and talked and read
and, in short, did every thing that was in.
teresting-and I learned after awhile that
the sOds had been neatly fitted /" tloC
years before. She told me that, and it was
the only allusion she ever made to the
81 gone before sharer Of her j0ys-griefs,
I'm sure, she never had.
This was about the time my trouble
commenced.
Things had got to just this pitch upon
that stormy, cold evening of which spoke
at the commencement of this story.
/ didn't like Julia any more, and it was
astonishing how Insignificant her dollars
looked to me. So 1 congratulated my
self on being a better man than | had in
my secret moments believed.
/ was certain that Julia loved me, and i
did not know how was going to get out
Of the ENHANCEMENT, but couldn't marry
her with my heart a burning, seething
furnace of affection for Kitty Blanchard.
She hadn't any money. | knew that,
/ Dul AONcu LtT 50 lildJ WOulu lldFC Dttu
willing to sacrifice dozen such fortunes
as Julia's for the simple assurance that ]
was dear TO her.
But was bargained for, as good as sold,
every body thought. and | could not as
certain the state of Kitty's feelings until
something should turn up to help me out
of my difficulty.
Two pr three times the thought had en-
tered my brain that l would see Julia
! Leeds and make clean breast OF il, assure
/ her that had all respect and friendship
! for her, but that | had been mistaken in
my feelings, that, in short, | loved an-
other. That was the orthodox way of
doing things, and it was the only way that
at first occurred to me. Then when con-
sidered upon it was AFRAID. Julia was a
bright, high-spirited girl, and belonged
! to an influential family, and if she chose
to make things unpleasant knew she
would do it. So / felt that must resort
TO stratagem-get Julia in love with some
other fellow, when would be the injured
party, and could not only display my
magnanimity, but also get the gentle be-
ing whose highest word, etc.
And now | have got quite back to that
frosty, cold night that formed the open
ing of this confession.
Il diil llON W tCll hSuts
"Why, you went to SEE your widow,
of course!'' exclaims prophetic reader.
No, Ididn't. went to see very init
mate male friend. rejoicing in the euphO-
nious name of c. Ellsworth Percival. He
was a great lady's man. He loved the
whole sex, and they, the ladies, God bless
them! took to him naturally.
found him, and told my story, and
asked him what | should do.
He didn't know the little widow, he
said, but he could really imagine, after
my description, tI.at she was the lone al
together lovely" Quotations were ma
tural TO G.. Ellsworth Percival, and he
could alwavs express what he meant in
language belonging TO SOMEBODY else.
Julia Leeds he did know. and he would
call there a few times, get up little tiirta-
tiOn, or words to that effect; could get
jealous, pick quarrel, break the engage
ment marry the widow, and let Julia find
somebody else.
1t was all as easy as rolling off slip
perry log.
So il was arranged.
G. Ellsworth Percival began calling up
on Julia, and | continued calling upon the
widow, and keeping away from Julia.
think | was more happy for the next |
few weeks than mortal has right to eX- !
Dect. l called on my adored Kitty as of !
ten as | could frame an excuse TO go there,
and AS often as [ dared without an ex-
cuse. She was gentle, pleasant, eUsry
thing She liked my society, | knew, but
she had a most wonderful faculty for
making a man feel that he had no rights |
or privileges in life. | couldn't account |
for that.
Consequently was very much sur
priSed one evening to find her sitting very
close to long -whiskered individual, who |
was tenderly holding one of those identi- |
cal little hands that ] had been raving |
about for months. She rose very grace !
fully as entered snd-well, never did |
know just how she did it, but found out !
by something she said that was an ae-
quaintance, and that DR.. D'Arlemont-or |
some such confounded French name-was
her affiaDced husband, or she was his afii- |
anced wife, or some thing of that kind-I |
didn't know or care what was only
conscious of the fact that wasn't any
thing, or anywhere.
| believe congratulated the widow, and !
said 81 hoped didn't intrude," talked a
few moments about the weather, and made |
my best bow and got out.
| must have walked ten miles around !
the city before | reached home, and don't |
think had taken three successive steps /
in all that distance without "confOund- |
ing" the widows and wishing the whole |
race TO the dogs.
But when | came to my reason little |
it was near morning when | did made |
up my mind that | would show her-as |
though she needed any showing. NY |
mind was made up-that was certain. l |
would call upon Julia Leeds right away. |
| would apologize for my late inattention |
and we would be married right away. ]
slept an hour or two on that.
was a little sore around the heart, and |
very achy around the head when | awoke. |
The postman was early that morning
two letters lay on the table at my bedside. |
took one of them, doubled up the pill
low, raised myself on my elbow, and broke
the seal.
1t was from c. Ellsworth Percival, tell
ing me that he was married-that he had
been exposed, took it. had it the natural
way, and that the crisis was past, or in
other words the ceremony had been per-
formed the evening before He hoped |
was satisfied, and insisted that he owed me
a debt of gratitude for putting him in the
way of securing so lovely and lovable a
wife. Then followed some badinage
about the widow with the soulful eyes. and |
many good wishes for my success in that
direction.
The other letter was from Julia herself. |
wedding cards. The contents of |
the letter do not remember, but know
it was dignified in tone, and that l was in |
formed that l was released from my en-
that she harbored no resent
ment, but that must never, neUsr seek to |
see her again.
And never, neUer did.-N. 7. Weekly.