The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-03-25

"Thank You. Well. must be OFF. The
train leaves in half an hour, and just flew
up here to bid yOu Goodbye" -
= The traint GOpi byei -Absent-mind-
ed no longer. but. with senses fearfully
alert, size reached out her hand to him in
farewell. A touch of her finger tips
thrilled him through and through. What
a warm little hand it was that he held
within his own for a seconds space. Still,
she had disappointed him; he had felt
sure of an out-spoken word Of Sorrow at
his absence, but she was silent. He
dropped her hand. turned about and left
the house.
"Oh.S PhilipA -Phifip ~ sher cried,
spurred on 10 DESPERATION. And the cry
came to him as he. passed the open win
dow and stopped hinl1 short. He turned
on bis heel and came back
The gray cleaning was almost Swallow
ed up by the night. Away into corner
where there was leastlight the little brown
woman had dragged herself and crouched
down, her heartnumb with silent agony
bat. bearing his step. she arose and stood
ilaNaitin der hiHl.-- - Yea called me, Miss
| Rose ?'' her christened name coming out
despite himself
'Yes, called you Philip Lee. you
have been good friend to me. and If you
never come back again. remember there is
one who names you in her every prayer,
snd who thanks you with her every
breath, for your eonsiderate kindness
have been alone so long, she went on
quickly, - that friend, such a. you have
been TO me, seems heaven sent. Let me
thank you again !r She was standing be-
tore hiaa now, looking with great LIQUID
eyes straightint0 his face.
| mo more than a frieni to you-may /
! not be nearer than tbat?' IVA ~
! At this her eyes filled with tears, and
clasping her two small hands before them
/ she stood there, crying quietly. y
/ II must go-RoSe-little one. Only
| say, may | sometime be nearer than a
! friend?' The tears were more than he
could bear. Ha .stEtsI
"when you are. sure that you wish it
yes. Philip "a
He had left after kissing, in knightly
! fashion, her hand-tbereby glorifying, in
her eyes, that small member for evermore
and had been just in time to catch the
up-coming train, which whirled him away
/ to the metropolis. Here he stayed two
weeks, up to his ears in business, but nev-
/ er so engaged as to lose from before his
mental vision the exact color and shape of
pair of very haunting brown eyes. But
/ he would not write to her. perhaps the
| little spark I have kindled. % be said to
! himself, .'may be coaxed into flame if i
do not be too rash;" and he let nothing
venture, nothing have" alone with all his
might.
On the day succeeding his departure
came Terese Van Tassel, who, to the in
finite surprise and dismay of Miss Rose,
proved herself TO be-instead of the child
she was expecting woman grown; in
| deed. one year older than her would-be
adopter herself.
! 'sHow strange tits Terese. she said, in her
blunt. home-truthy way. .'that you should
/ have looked'for protector in me And
! your respected guardian wrote to me thaC
could take care of you, he supposed, as
ne heard | was making money in the
/ little school. How absurd all this twad
1 die; l take care of big, stately, strongly
/ built woman, fully as able TO work as !!
! Had he never seen you, Terese, this guar
dian ?''
Terese had listened with eyes as full of
amazement at this speech as well-bred
eyes could consent to be; and at this last
question she turned her fair, naughty face
languidly away from the little brown bun
die of candor and said, with the least pos
sible hint of contempt in her voice, "Why,
! yes, Rose, of course he has"
And he thought you would come to
me for succor, and would not try to fight
| the worlds battle for yourself?" laughing,
! but somewhat anxious, nevertheless.
II could not fight that battle, Rose; |
am not fit to volunteer. :" -
FIT r' her voice demanding an explain
alton.
"Oh what could Ido?" and she held
out two very long-tingered, aristOcratic-
! looking hands as y piteous reason for her
''misfitness." you would have taken me
had been the child you expected-take
me now, Rose, dear. and ! will amply re-
! pay you-be Your companion, read TO you,
help you about the house, but pray don't
/ turn me out upon the charity of the
wOrld!'
And so Rose kept the tall, queenly girl
as her companion; never guessing in her
! innocent heart that she was creature cold
as ice keen as a lawyer, heartless as a
! sphinx.
And Miss Van Tassel ate humble pie in
/ the sweet, dependent manner all her own;
did what she could to help Rose; out
( warlly all servilty, inwardly something
entirely different. p AZ 49,
Rose was busy as a nailOr with her
| school, which was 20 close the next week,
and hence got small chance to gossip with
! Terese or grow in any way familiar. n OF that
! Terese minded her inattentioh in the least
as far as gossipinga went, for she was a
woman with a still tongue, and had not
come clear to this Out-of-the-way place on
/ the plea of Orphanage or the purpose OF
/ letting the subject nearest and dearest her
/ heart leak out. So they Went their ways
until vacation came. and Rose. bringing
| her armful Of day-bOOks and mementoes
| from each loving child-heart, came home
| for a three months rest.
Then they walked and talked together; I;
! Rose, Joyous and unrestrained as any un-
Gagged wren, and chatting and laughing as
! if her whole life were taking r holiday.
But it all en- led one day, when the curry
ed, high-bred lips of Miss Van Tassel
opened and sent little sentence like a
barbed arrow straight into the guileless
/ heart of her cousin. They had been speak
/ ing OF Roses friends, and Philip Lee had
been brought up before the bar, his friend
ship weighed and his kindness measured.
when Terese, who had been listening
! greedily. said, throwing in her voice an af-
! fectation of deep surprise: ~
You cannot mean il, Rose, when you
/ tell me that Mr.. Lee came here TO see you
so often ?'' s
"Of course. Terese, mean it." at loss
! to understand her.
"And what did the people say of all
this?" cutting out her words in a cruelty
keen manner.
The people say? Why, Terese, what
ever the people may have said about it,
| they did not trouble me with their opin-
ions. have no company, you see, dear
they know | am too busy" br
stToo-n but she kent that thought TO