The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-06-03
DIME NOVELS.
The Experience of Two Romantic Wash.
fngton Youths.

John and James live on the same street
They thought that they were the worst
abused boys in the city. Johns father
whalloped him becaused he sulked over
the kindling wood instead of smiling and
plying his little hatchet and singing
scraps of hymns like the small boys In
tract literature do. Jim invested ten
cents in little book entitled Fortune 5
Heir" that had picture on the cover OF
the "heir,p in very uncomfortable posi-
ton on his knees before the "heiress," a
young lady in bright yellow dress and
with a red spot on each cheek. Jim I'M
mediately coupled bis fate with that of the
heir. The heir was young man who
wore red and white neckties, and had his
b fr slicked down with bears grease, and
was subject to boils on his neck. He and
his father had little squabble about sell
ing coat that belonged to the old man,
which ended in lively scuff1e in the back
attic. A chapter then shows how mad
the "heir" was as he walked around the
streets grating his teeth and casting his
eyes about for Job. Then he takes the
decisive step, and after tying up shirt
and some crackers and cheese in hand
kerchief, and looking sadly in at the back
window at his mother and sisters, and
quoting some poetry appropriate to the
occasion. he strikes out in the world. de
scraped an acquaintance with benevolent
old gentleman who gave him job In his
warehouse painting names in lampblack
on the eHd of soap boxes. The herr
finally works his way into the affections
of the benevolent buffers daughter-the
young lady in the yellow dress on the
coyer-who first sees and admires hIm as
he is working in his shirt sleeves on the
boxes in the back end of the warehouse.
and decides that she can't live without
him. The "heir" at length. drops into
the good graces of the old gentleman, who
takes him as a son-in-law and presents
him with few hundreds of thousands,
and in the last chapter the heir magnani-
mously concludes to forgive his father,
and he sends for the old man to come and
board with him.
Jim lent his book to John, and they
were both satisfied that that was the kind
of men they were going to be, and that
Baltimore was the place where they would
be most likely to fall in with soft-hearted
old gentleman. John put bologna sau-
sage in bis inside pocket and Jim distrib-
uted leaf of bread in small installments
about his person, and slipped fancy cane
that belonged to his big brother down his
.pant-leg, which made him walk in a very
stately manner till he got out of sight
around the corner. They started out of
the city, and on toward Baltimore, hoping
that they might strike an old codger with
two daughters, SO that they wouldn't have
to separate.
A forty-mile walk beats base ball all
hollow in the way ofrgetting an appetite.
IL is enough to take the nonsense out. of
most any youth. 1t makes such realities
as restaurants, bake shops and hotels look
far more enticing than stories in yellow
covered books and New York weeklies.
most feeling manner.
1t is long and weary road to Balti-
more. The romance somehow left the
bows heads as the WEAKNESS came to their
feet. The rich and benevolent merchant
did not appear worth cent. 1t was dark
before they reached the suburbs, but they
could see the lights and pulled on in the
hope of finding the sympathetic old CrG-
sus on the streets. The bologna md
bread were gone the way of all such edi-
bles, and the panOs of hunger were gnaw-
inc their stomachs The; had no pocket
money. and were too proud to beg; so
they entered the great city of their
dreams. 1t was late at night when they
reached Baltimore, tired, fo0tsore, and an
swering each other in little bitter mono
syllables. The book didn't say what the
heir cid on the first night out, and as they
drew their aching feet past cileerfully
lighted houses they began to think that
maybe the ssheir'' was fraud after all.
At last they could hold their eyes open no
longer and they crawled into a dry goods
box and fell asleep, each to dream of
soft little bed st home and mother com
ing In softly and smoothing down the pill
lows and patching up ragged pairs Of lit
tie socks. ..-s
John dreamed that a colored girl was
,knockingat the door and calling for him
TO get up, when" Come now, get out of
this" and big Baltimore policeman had
one hand on the collar OF each of his BOYS,
who rubbed their eyes and stretched their
stiffened limbs, astOnished to find that it
was broad daylight, and trying to recol-
lect how they hsaacome there. They
didn't think word about the "heir,''
as the policeman hurried them down the
street to the station house. A man In q
stubby black beard behind railing qaes-
toned them very sharply, and ii was dis
covered that John had an aunt somewhere
in Baltimore, and after consulting d.
rectory a policeman took them to her
house. She gave them a breakfast and
told them that they had better pike home,
but didn't give them any money to pay
their way. Jim said. as they drilled down
the street again, You've got a healthy
lot ofrelatiyes, amt you?" and that was