The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-05-25
THE WRONG FiefgRE.

"a pretty face-a very pretty face,
iEdeedi" z
| turned the little photograph upside
down, held it off at arms length to get
perspective view, and scrutiniZed il
closely with my Eyeglasses. ttf.t ..t
Henry Wallis looked pleased; man
naturally likes his Jiailcee duly admired
and appreciated. BF
I" So this is the Bessie Armitage
have heard so much of; really, Wallis,
she does ereditto your taste A blonde,
/ supposePh it4 Fisssi~e es''sett "-
Fair as lily-leaf, with blue eyes
and the sunniest golden hair!" -
"Ah! Well, must say prefer the
brunette style, so far as my individual
taste goes; but then fancies differ, you
know. ~ 40 90 - L-gs' g..
1t was all very well for Henry Wallis
to go into ecstacies about his paliid
fair-haired little Bessie Armitage; he
had never met the Fglance of Cecilia
Nernon's magnificent black eyes. What
did he know about the true type of fem,
mime beauty?
GAS you say, ,fancies differ, /" Wallis re.
turned, lightly .Bat wish YOU would
select a handsome frame for 1t when
YOU 20 to town next--blue velvet, viii
a gold rim on the margin, or some, such
tasteful arrangement n
"I'll soc to it, said, depositing the
picture in its envelope and returning il
TO my inside breast-poeket.
"Iou'll be very careful of it?" -
Careful? OF course L shallin
| smiled a little loftily at Wallis's so
licitude and then we parted.
After all, Henry Wallis was better of
than | was, for he was securely engaged
TO the dimpled, Tellow-tressed little OBJ.
iect of his affections, while was yet, as
it were, in outer darkness, uncertain
whether ny peerless Cecilia returned
my ardent devotion or whether she Sc
cretly inclined toward that unprinci-
pied fellow, Fftzhngh Trefoil. A score
of times had resolved to settle the
question; score of times had gont
TO the Vernons' house with the very
formula of declaration on my lips, and
rs often the words died away unyoicec
and unspokeR.
If fate had only gifted me with one
thousandth part of Fitzhugh Trefoil's
Off-hand audacity! i don't think--any
thing short of the sdelugel could check
that fellows cool self,pOssession !; an
earthquake wouldn't, and | don't thinl
that the millennium couldl
However, love inspires the feebles
heart with-a sort of factiuous- courage
and / was new man since Miss Nernoi
had smiledzupon me- What was thu
use of doubling, hesitating and trem
bling? Why not decide my fate at once
Henry Wailis's serene content exercised
a stimulating influence, upon me.
would fain have been as he was!
ssThere is no sense in procrastinatin,
matters any further, " said, half aloud
as | walked up and down the rathe
limited domains of my little law office
81 have been a doubling fool quite ioni
enough"
I'm afraid wasn't, very amiabl
member of the domestic circle that ID
ternoon. - -- zee -
al think Paul is growing crosse
every day, said my sister, -Shrugginj
her little plump shoulders. "Mamma
wish you'd speak to him.
But my mother, bless her wise oil
soul, knew better than that She onl
looked at me over the rims Of her spec
tacles, and went on darning stockings
.sPaul is worried with business mat
ters, | suppose" she said, apologeti
cally. "Paul win do well enough, if yo
only let him alone.n 60
went up to my room after dinner
and made an elaborate toilet; but a
the pains bestowed upon it served onl
to heighten the general effect of avn
wardness.
"I've two minds to wait until to moi
row." Quoth I 10 myself, abruptly stop
ping, with my cravat half tied.
No, might be a coward, bat ] wa
not such an unmitigated poltrQon a
that. had begun the enterprise, and
would carry it through, if it cost me th
last drop of my hearts blood. More
over, | had an Inspiration. An entirel
new and original method of putting tn
momentous query. popping the que;
ton" is avulgarism that /, for one, coul
never tolerate-kad occurred to me.
"Hang FSzhugh Trefoilf' Iexclain
ed, gleefully, bali aloud, though ther
was no earto hear my ejaculation. 81
win the dark-eyed measure yet, in spit
of himi"
opened my writing-case and carr
fully took out a little carte de viSii
wrapped in tissue paper, and tenderl
laid away with a pink silk perfum
sachel that Minnie had made for m
once. 1t was Cecilia picture; she ha
allowed me to steal it away from hel
with scarcely a remonstrance, wee
before. Then was the time ought t
have proposed; but, ike timorou'
doubling moon-caf as was, l had K
the golden tide of opportunity slip VI
improved away from me.
Iedrew Bessie Armitage's vaean
doll-like face from its envelope, an
compared the two with a thrill of tr
umph in my heart. j.
"Coloriess water beside crimson
sparkling champagnei pale xiOlet
the shadow of a royal rosel pear
eclipsed by the fiery flash of di:
mondsl" / exclaimed, 'sHenry Wa
lis's taste may be very correct and ella
sicali These bleached beauties don
correspond with my ideal of perfe,
tion-" ~ 98s "a
It.was aiovely spring evening as
entered the wide graveled path tn;
led up to the broad porch of the Ok
fashioned Vernon mansion. Souil
Vernon sat there smoking his mee
schaum.
g fUWon't you sit down and have
smoke ?''~ he demanded, hospitabl
@aHss q real LUXURY 70 be able 20 take
Whit out OF doors. after being shut 1
in the house all the winter. Or mayl
you'd prefer going in to see Cecil?"
Sensible old gentleman! ne had n
forgotten his own young days. / in
..,n4od mt withonf considerable aW