The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-06-08

know 1t Is time for me to dres
for a drive" said she. $50 yoa mus
say, good afternoon; and don'tlook S
ffidiculously tragic, Mr.. Markham. -
hate scenes. - II l1--
And | felt that l deserved it all, as
went for the last timR,down the steps O
| the Hanover mansv0h.
In a fortnight. Violette was Mrs
TwehtyplrIn. In a month Mr.. Hanno
yer was a bankrupt-one of those wh,
take a foreign tripwith plenty of none,
in their pockets, while others lie crush
ed beneath the fragments CT brokei
branches at home.
My money went with his. / had com,
10 New York with moderate compe
tence. j had increased ii by specula
ton until / was absolutely wealthy
Now L found myself almost poor.
There remained to me only the Moss
wood property, which must be turned
into farm, and myself must leave my
hope of being one of the city million.
aires behind me, and become plain
farmer-a man of the same social status
as Rosebud's father, without his com
Portable knowledge of money inthe bank
to comfort me. ---..
However, with The bursting of the
bubble fortune, the circle which had
gathered about Hanover had been
seemingly scattered to the winds, and
people knew that Miss Violette had
Tilted me, and also that my money was
gone. The city had lost many Of Its
charms, and wrote to the oldworfran
who had kept the house at Mosswood
for my father until his death, to make
it ready for my return. Then selling
the furniture of nay bachelor rooms,
and packing my small belongings in a
few trunks, started homeward. ,s
! must go back to MosswOod and be-
come farmer. Il should find Rosebud
fading gradually away, of course, and
yet | knew she would be prettier than
ever. How she had loved me how
ungrateful had been for that love.
Now would make amends. | would
write as many repentant letters as were
necessary, and she would, of course,
forgive me. No woman ever forgets or
ceases to love any man she has ever
loved, you know. Yes, after little
maidenly resistance, Rosebud would
bloom for me again. was as sure of
this as the train bore me onward, as |
was that the moon would rise that
night.
There is no adage more true than the
one that declares that misfortunes never
come alone, but in troops. Often, of
course, one brings the other. In my
case, the anxieties that had trooped so
thickly about me made me nervous,
and so led to a severe accident.
Having alighted at a certain station,
| delayed my return to the ears until
they had started. / remember running
after them, and then-what do | re-
member then? Darkness, dreams, pain,
an awakening in a little room, with
white curtains and toilet table, and a
vision charmingly dressed. The same
one saying slowly:
" Yes, yes, yes think he'll do"
And understanding this was my old
friend, Hiram Roper, | asked:
"How did come here?" trying to
sit up, and failing in the attempt.
"Well, - said Hiram, "wife and |
were at the station, and L saw you were
a good deal hurt, and we brought you
on. You know this is my house."
"Yours?' said l. "And you are
married and in practice, I suppose?"
Yes, " said Roper. go, yes; get
ting on famously. And you've bad a
bad time, but you'll be in the right
soon. Come and tell him he will, Rose
bud. - -....| ..
And there-yes, there was Rose. Af-
ter had ruminated on the fact few
minutes, felt that truth was stranger
than fiction. TgE -Hirgv. -u.
care you better, Mr. Markham"
said Rosebud, bending toward me.
Here was a poetical story worked out
in our proper persons. A wounded and
hero, had been sent back
to Rosebud, to be nursed and forgiv-
en-. Had she not forgiven me, she new
er would have flown to my aid. All
that | could do just then, was to squeeze
her hand. She took it away rather
quickly; but that was very natural. |
had not seen her for three years. She
did not know of my contrition. But
she had not pined or faded; she was,
on the contrary, stouter and roster
than ever. EA- lt---t ---- q
Just then, DR.. Roper being present, l
said nothing, but afterwards, as the
evening shadows fell, she brought me
tea and toast; and then | took her hand
and said:
"Dear Rosebud, how good of you"
And she answered:
go, dear, no-dOn't mention it."
% You are an angel of forgiveness"
| said. s.And II, have always loved
you, Rosebud. 'Tis true, q siren laid
her spells upon me, but the hallucina-
ton, is overt
81 shall think you are wandering
again." said she, elf you don't stop
talking so. Do take your toast"
"No,n said /, "no, not a mouthful,
Rosebud, until you viii assure me that
you viii forget the past, and once more
give me the love"
MIR. Markhamln cried she.
"Call me Henry" said l. ''Rose, if
you had hated me, would you be here so
kindly ministering to my wants?"
"Herei" said she. "Where should
| be but in my own house? I'm sure
I've nothing to forgive you, either.
Since YOU allude to our Irritation of
three years ago, and since you will talk
of it, | will tell you, once for all, that
don't think that we ever should have
been happy together. And | always
liked Hiram the best, only he was so
shy. And my goodness, we were mar
ried as soon as he got his diploma"
Married." cried 1.
"Why, yes" said Rosebud. "How
else should be here? You know this
is Dr. Roper's houseP Didn't you
know Twas his wife before? Dear old
fellow he is-the best husband woman
ever had, I'm sure, and Mr. Markham,
[ know now that never really loved
you" --t-
! don't know whether that was true
Or not, but that did not matter. She did
not love me then, and does not now,
and l lost her. ...
I live alone at Mosswood now, an old
with a limp, and the dyspep
sia, and she and a bouquet of little
blossoms flourish over the way at DR..
Roper's.
Some time, perhaps, may marry.
Miss Flint would have me and so would
70 lE,A,xr- l,,,+ i