The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-12-07

ms own. Matty, hidden Dy the money
suckle-vines over the piazza, watched
him 90 and cried little.
The morning after, Tom and Matty
sat on the piazza; he reading, or pre-,
tending to read, while she sewed dill.
gently. Neither uttered a word for
more than half an hour.
Presently Matty shook out the muslin
cap she was making, and laid it on her
work-box, put her little silver thimble
aside, and dropped her hands, one over
the other, into her lap. Then she look
ed up.
Tom was staring straight at her. She
colored violently, and so, for that mat
ter, did he. .......
"Tom," she began, "don't be an
cry. Oh, do forgive mel" She paused,
trying to think how she could tell him
softly; but she went on bluntly, 81
want to end our engagement.
$50 do ], reioined he, with difficult
ty suppressing whistle. Then both
burst into hearty laugh
You see, Mat" said Tom when he
could speak, al love some one else"
Matty appeared to be taken quite by
surprise at this declaration.
"But couldn't help it, indeed I
couldn't. She is"
" She is yeung lady whose name is
Kate, and her eyes are the blacklist,
and her cheeks the reddest, and she
sings under the Stars with guitar
accompaniment" ratified Matty all in
a breath.
1t was TOMS turn to stare. "Where
did you find all this out?" he asked.
"My dear little bird, etc. l think
III go and write to my future cousin :"
and off she ran, glad to escape the ques-
tons which she feared he might pro-
pound.
"But you haven't told me" he
called after her.
"And never SHALL" she returned,
whisking into her own room.
In less than an hour she had recon
ciled her mother to Fate's decree, and
written to Miss Kate Spencer, and per-
suaded Tom to write also, and had done
much toward informing the whole viii
lage of her altered prospects.
In due time Tom was married, Matty
as first bridesmaid.
Matty, after the excitement of TOMS
wedding, bethought herself what she
should do. There were her summer
dresses to be made up, her music schol-
ars to attend to, the sewing-circle and
the flowers; but these occupied neither
all her time nor thoughts. There
ought to have been Dr.. Gibson, too,
she could not help thinking; but that
instead of falling at her
feet as soon as he heard she was free,
paid her no more attention than before.
She waited for him, in growing wonder
and worry, an eternity-two weeks-and
then took measures to bring him to his
senses.
She employed only recognized and
Iadylike means, however. She began
by flirting a little with different gentle
men.
There was VIII Ellis. This young
gentleman had offered himself to our
heroine, on an average, four times a
year, ever since she was Is. She had
invariably refused him, decidedly and
but they were the best OF
friends in the world. She now told him
n so many words that she would accept
al the attention he would offer her dur
ng the next week, taking care to re-
that this singular declaration
proceeded not from any special regard
Tor him, but was made in pursuance of
some occult design on her part. Forth
with the pair embarked upon what
seemed to be the stormiest Irritation
ever saw. In the long
they drove or rowed together;
they dined at Mrs. Killicott's, and i'm
sailed forth on some other
excursion. Both were excellent eques-
5rians, and Matty gloried in galloping
over hill and dale, on one of Wills
handsome horses. (Will, by-the-by,
was the son of rich man, Then they
drank an early tea on the veranda and
spent the evening at the piano or in
At the hour of 9, Matty al
ways sent VIII home, without a particle
Of ceremony or regret at his departure.
In short, what appeared to Skinnerville
rs a serious courtship was, in reality, a
pure business matter, and so understood
between the two parties to it.
This state of affairs continued for a
week or so, during which time the Doc
-or ignored Matty's existence, exceptas
she was the daughter of his dear friend,
Mrs. Killicott. And all the time the
girl was raging inwardly at her quon-
dam sutton.
"Why don't he ask me at once
again ?" she queried, mentally; 81 am
sure he loves me, and any one might
see that love him; but l can't, and l
l shall be an old maid"
But the Doctor vas not to blame. A
man of the world would have seen
Matty's stratagem, but he did
not; he imagined that she was either
trying to drown her disappointment at
losing Tom, or had really decided to
marry the enamored VIII.
The truth occurred to Matty at last
She could hardly believe such stupidity
existed in the mind of man; but she de-
to try what modest and retir-
ing behavior would effect. So she dis
missed VIII, and became, to all out
ward resemblances, little nun. Still
no advance on the Doctors part. He
came and went constantly to the house,
however. Matty gave up all hope,