The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-08-17

where | lived; where l was going; anC
in the free and easy confidence of you'll
was making a long story of it, when i
was checked by his telling me that ia
ther and he were old friends and class
mates, and without having seen eacl
for thirty years, he had no doubt Morris
Cooper remembered him well.
"Then we were thrown into the
depths OF despair BY being told tina
they expected to reach NewbuIgh by
o'clock that evening. l was pretty
nearly frantic with all sorts of desper
ate thoughts going through my head
Should I 90 into the house and order
mulled wine for the party, giving him
to have one made very strong, and Civ
en- in the hope that it might make hel
watchful sentinel sleep on postP hat
once heard of its being tried with sue
cess, but lacked courage for it. AnC
this was TO be the end-to shake hands
say good-by, and go our waysi Yor
viii laugh if / talk about my three-days
old love, though / believed it had really
come 20 that. How | hoped that an ac
cident might happen, that we NIGH
collide with something, though itwasn't
the fashion then to collide; and if {
horse had gone lame or the coach tip
ped over, should have regarded it as
special and timely blessing. tar ri
I" But fate sometimes will bring US
our desires in a matter r-of- course way
so natural and simple that we overlook
it in our high-strung moods and Sc
came my deliverance fShad noticed
that Mr. Gardiner seemed uneasy and
nervous about sorhething-had loosene ed
the mighty brass clasp THAI fastened hi,
cloak. and had made vain attempts tc
unbutton the leather curtain at the side
that he might admit the air. Both fail
ing, he leaned across to me, and whis-
pered,
s..ts. Mould YOU object to changing seats
with me? 1t disagrees with me TO ride
backward, and / feel quite ill.,.
t'0bject! Lcouldnit believe my ears,
and in my eager delight and haste
sprang TO my feet, fearing he might
change his mind and cheat me of my
blissful chance. l tried to steady my
voice and take little of the evident Joy
out of if before saying,
Certainly. l ain sorry you did not
speak before And with the most con-
siderate and hypocritical carefulness
helped him to my place, hoping from
my heart that the air would revive him
sufficiently to relieve hisillness, but not
enough to make another change of seats
possible.
"We changed just as the day began
to fade, and she was to leave the coach
in a few hours, and | should never see
her again! You can imagine my des-
peration, so Twill spare you the recital,
only waiting to say that, if you think it
an exaggerated state of feeling, you
must remember that in those days
young people did not, as now, take
these matters in there own hands.
They did not make acquaintance on
the street, nor did they, as you call it,
'firt' by an understood code of sig
mails. Young girls were surrouneed by
many prim formalities that would be
laughed at now; but I've never lost my
admiration for fair blossom of a girl,
having many of the sweet ways of the
violet, especially its quality of shyness.
In short, just such girls as present
company.
al was happy enough at first in
merely sitting beside the charming
girl and watching in the half-light heI
sWeet, comforting face, anxiety for heI
father being uppermoSt in it now. But
the old gentleman presently settled
down into a heavy sleep, evidently re.
leved of his vertigo.
"During my exile on the middle seal
l had thought of many bright things tC
say, if / could only have the chance
and wondered at Charley's dullness
but now they-weresall gone. STAN
mered an awkward protest against the
time going SO swiftly, or something
equally intelligent, and felt rather re
heved when we stopped TO change
horses On getting back again intotht
coach, had the felicity of holding the
young lady's muff while she adjusted
her wraps even passed the cord OF
string attached to it over her head AZ
she resumed her seat, which was NOR,
of a favor than had been shown Char
ley. il spite of his advantage in poin
of time Then, growing brayer, | fold
ed her mautel around her, that haC
slipped from its place, for which shC
thanked me in way that was entranc
ing. .a.ss. =. f1.--s- .-r-
$50 far, you will see, nothing very
original had been said, nor any great
advances made toward intimate ac
quaintance, but it was enough to FL
me with delight, and make me forge
every thing except that tune was going
Papa being safely and soundly asleeE
you may depend there was no sleeI
in our young eyes-we had some very
small talk among ourselves, during
which, I remember, she referred to M
being on my way to school, and max
! ing me feel as young as the respectable
butler did David Copperdeld. 1 tool
special care to say college, with stron!
emphasis, and refer to my graduating
the coming summer, in tone that hat
a strong flavor of mannishness in it.
~"In the meantime we were ridin;
fast toward the dreaded hour, and
was wretchedwith the thought of neve
seeing this dear girl again. For thre,
davs we had been together, and it wa
the one blessing of the old stage-coacl
that hours did the work of Ordinar,
weeks in the way of making friends o
enemies, for I'm sure i hated the snuff,
old woman as much as if had know
her twenty years. And now a suddel
lurch of the coach forced me into a pc
sition most delightfully."- close to herside
and with my hand resting On her NUT
-an old-fashioned, generous muf, il
which YOU could lose one of the toy af
fairs Of the present day. The contac
made me bold, and from the outside
shyly passed nay Land inside the muff
and / can remember nothing in my af
ter-life that has made me so entirel,
happy as when in that warm covert
felt her little gloved- hand clasp mine
1 wished the road would lengthen on
indefinitely, that 9 O'Clock could b
postponed for a week or two. Th
truth is, / felt like having a good cry a
1 whispered, in a shaky voice, 'Yol
won't forget me2'T Yes, 1 said some
thing much tenderer than this, but
can not go on with my story if Mrs
Cooper looks at mein that savage way.
"Go on, dear, tell it all; only dom
a