The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-06-10
MY TWO PEARLS.

lightning express, gentlemen all
aboardi' shouted 4 voice in the statlOn al
Rochester, at eleven o'clock at night.
stepped on board q train, choosing a
palace and restaurant car, Through to
"Section Yr said the conductor. with a
rising infection. Sought to have tele-
graphed, sir. Only one berth left. and
that a mere accident. Here il is. No. 8.
Gentleman who engaged ii, missed con-
nection at Syracuse" -.
Congratulating myself on nv good for
tune, | speedily crept into No. Ga lower
berth-and fell fast asleep. When !
opened my eyes the gray dawn Of an De-
toDer morning-t.Ae October Of lSoS-waf
stealing in through the curtained WIN
lay forsome minutes in half dream.
listening to de multirudinons noises of the
train, with scarcely thought OF where
waa Then as the light grew stronger, |
raised myself upon my elbow and looked
about me, only to fall back moment al
ter with start of surprise that was al
most dismay.
Right before my eyes hung a white,
shapely hand, with dark seal ring upon
the third finger. IL took me minute or
two to collect my scattered senses enough
10 discover that il belonged TO the occu-
pant of the upper berth, dropped careless
Iy from its quarters TO my own, in the
heavy abandonment Of sleep.
Law and looked at it-a white, shapely
hand, as have said-a hand unmarried or
unglorified-choose the word for YOUR
self-by The seams and callousness- Of
manual labor. The fingers were long and
taper, the nails oval and well cared for.
The wrist was not large, but well-knit and
sinewy; and, halfburied in the fine linen
Of the shirt sleeve, | caught the sparkle OF
a diamond.
me, half uncanny though IL looked in the
weird struggling light of early morning.
/ watched il, vaguely wondering whaf
manner of man its owner might be; and
what kind of face would assert with it.
till there was a stir overhead, and it van
ished. Then I-made my toilet as best 1
might, and went out on the platform for a
breath of fresh air.
When, after the lapse of half an hour,
leisurely strolled back to my place again,
ali vestiges of the night were removed.
and gentlemanin gray travelling suit oc-
cupied one seat in the compartment allot-
ted to me. He held newspaper in bis
hand. / recognized it at once.
he liffed his eyes long enough to salute
me with courteous bow as took the OPP
posite seat, and then resumed his reading.
opened my paper also; but the attempt
TO engross myself with it's contents was a
vain one. My eyes and my thoughts con-
tinually wandered to my vis-G-ris.
Describe him? Not an easy matter.
Neither is it easy TO account for the fascina-
ton that he wore as an invisible mantle.
might tell you that he was tall and slight
that his complexion was clear and dark
that his black, crisp locks curled closely
round well shaped head; that his eyes
were large and liquid; that his moustache
was a light and graceful penciling upon
the firm, thin lip; and that his imperial
was above reproach. But, having told you
THIS, should expect you to say with .
glance Of ineffable meaning, that you could
find his counterpart in any BARRIERS shop
on Broadway; or, if not there, in youl
sister, French dancing-master.
You think so. Perhaps tits not strange
You see l cannot put into words the indi.
yidualiry of the mantle certain in
defnable something that at once set him
apart from the crowd, and made him no
table.
He dropped his paper presently, and
rent events, with a slight foreign accent.
Thus we fell into conversation.
breakfast served whenever you please,
gentlemen, said the porter, passing
through the car.
My companion bowed, smiling.
As we are to be section mates for 8
day or two" he said, sit is well we shoulu
know each other. Shall | do myself the
honor to present you with my card?'
'Hippolyte L'Estrange, Strasbourg,'
read from the little white parallelogrsm
So / had not been mistaken in supposing
him to be a Frenchman. / NAV as wei
tell you. here, what he read from the caro-
gave him in return: Edward Ripon
New York"
We breakfasted together, at his request
found my "chance acquaintance TO BE-
most intelligent and cultivated man, anC
a great traveller. So much of the world
had he seen, so wide was his knowledge
of men and things, that to my comparative
ineXperience il seemed little less than mar
Vicious. He was years older than myself
was just twenty-seven-or at least he
seemed so. A Frenchman is older than
an American of the same age, always
But, allowing for all that, M. L'Estrange
was doubtless eight or ten years my
senior. He was at once reticent and COM
municative-retieent in all that was pure
ly personal and related to his inner self;
communicative as to his plans and pro-
jects. / soon discovered that he was on
his way to San Francisco-so much farther
of then than now.
But what circuitous routel" | ex
claimed. I" You are going round Robin
Hoods barn."
.tDnbi, uaol,e b., o., L. 100000
with a halflaugh, his eyes lighting as be
had but Just come from Panama. | wa.
tired of the ship. the sea, the monotony
so 60 this way" 80
Overland the whole distance?"
asked.
"Oh, mol Look here, shall have the
honor TO show yOu," and he drew a folded
map from his reast-pocket. II leave vol
here, at Calumet "-noting the point witt
his pencil you see? There ! take the
lightning train for Cairo; thence by ex.
press this way pointing TO Memphi.
and Jackson" down to New Orleans
That is right, ehP" ....-- ..
Yes; but you will have to 90 to Vers
Cruz. How about steamer across the
gulf"
"Ahl there l go round your Robin
Hoods bsrnl" he said, laughing. "See
| go across to Havana, and thence to Vera
Cruz"
and then" my eye followed his
pencil.
"Then go by diligence to the CITY o.
Mexico, where take the saddle for Man
camilla. There, If the good fates befrienC
me, catch steamer ahead of the one
that left New York when | did. So,
lose no time: ace your great country
and ! escape the duh, monotonous sea, Of
which have had too much already"
The hours flew on silver wings. All
day long we floated on tide of talk
sometimes sparkling with wit and humor
sometimes taking deeper tone as we
touched upon themes that gave to each
brief, passing glimpses of the soul of the
other. 1t seemed to me that there was
little worth knowing that my companion
did not know; little worth seeing that he
had not seen; little worth thinking that
he had not thought.
Yet learned little of his personal his.
tory, save that he had spent much time in
SouGh America and that he had large in.
terests in the pearl fisheries at Lima. on
business connected with which he was
erofpO m Cen Erunnicao