The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-09-14

added, dropping his head on her breast,
and winding his arm tighter about her
waist" you can go with me. -
The selfishness of the demand struck
her, but she fergave it for the sake of
the great love that had tempted him to
ask the sacrifice of her, and only said,
gently:
"No, no. We must wait. You for
get you will have to begin life all over
again. should only drag you down
hold you back. will never consent to
do that. l viii wait years and years
rather than do that.''
Yet even while she spoke some dim
presentiment that the reward of her
waiting would have lost its worth to
her, stole on her senses, that because of
the new light in which she had seen his
character he would never be so dear TO
her again. Still, she was of too noble
a nature,. too tenacious of what was
generous and loyal, to fail him now;
and she made the promise solemnly and
earnestly, in all sincerity of purpose,
talking to him and kindly pleading with
him, for the sake of his dear mother
and sisters, by the memory of his
fathers unblemished character, on be-
half of her own love, to start afresh in
some distant city and struggle manfully
to wipe out the past, making the blame
leSsness of future years redeem the un-
fortunate beginnings of his business
career. Above all, she counseled him
to make any sacrifice to repay the in
debtedness to those who had suffered
from their generosity to him in his hour
of need. She wearied herself in the
effort, and strive as she might she could
not push from her the thought that,
after all, it might be fruitless task, he
seemed to have so little sense of what
she said, to realize nothing save that
she was asking him to leave her. For
all her earnest entreaties he had only
one answer:
"Ah, Julie, nlig11O7s, how can l ever
leave you? God help me; l have no
strength to do that
She drew herself away from him and
commenced to pace the room. She was
exhausted with the effort to impress
him with what was due to his man
hood; FOR the first time there dawned
upon her q perception of her own
strepg sDd superiority; woman as she
was, she fc.lt how impossible it would
have been for her ever to have acted as
he had done; vouug as she was, she
felt size would have faced the future
Drawer under such misfortuues. She
never stopped once to think OF how his
failure must affect her own life; there
was no trace OF selfshness in ner ma
ture; she thought solely of him, and,
despite OF all she missed in him that
was required to make her love perfect
in an hour ike this, she mentally re
solved TO be iILe 10 him, and make the
/ best of the WORSE. She went back to
his side, and he rose to go; holding his
hand, and looking tenderly into his
fearful eyes, she repeated in low
thrilling tone those beautiful lines from
Tennyson's "In Memoriam:"
hold it true with him who sings
To ore clear harp in divers tones
Thai men may riEe on steppiDg g. stones
OF their dead selves 10 higher tn ngs.
But who shall so forecast the years
And ind IN loss gain to match,
o. reach a haUd thrO' time TO catch
The far-Of ilterest of tears?
The last words fell sadly and broken
ly on his ca and as he caught hel
mildly 10 his heart, her own tears fel
like rain; but presently drying her eye
and fin2ing her face beyond the reacl
of his lips, she said bravely:
awe must part now. Better so. L
[ see you again it will only weaken u
both, and what l ask you to do is right
wise and the best and only thing lef
for you to Do. You must write to me
Lee, and will answer all your let
ters."
"Ah, ma belle, ma BELLE" he inter
rupted her, "what guarantee have
that you vii! be true to me-that yo1
will not forget me?'
"What guaranteed" She drew heI
self up proudly. "You have my word
my promise"
With all his faults there was not
wish in her heart that was untrue t
him. The possibility of her ever bein
upt. ithful could not cross her mind
She knew he had destroyed utterly tn
most beautiful illusion of her life. Sh
knewit would be never again the brigh
; glad, shadowless existence of hereto
fore; but she had no word of reproac
for him, no thought of treachery t.
ward him.
, "Ah!" he muttered, jealousy /"
1 YOU loved me as want you to, tn
parting would be impossible. Yo
7, would 90 with me into poverty, exile
any thino-ratber than say goodbye.
e "I5 is because l love you," she SAT-
? firmly, sin the highest, best sense
K the word, that l viii not consent TO {
y what you ask. Twill rot SO drag yC
S down. Father would justly refuse, u
der such circumstances, TO he'o US, AT
: l should only be killing your whole f
ture. l simply as you 10 be true
= the best in you. Being true to you
+ self, you are also true to me- Ar
It now 90, else l shall no longer be esp
Il BILE of deciding what is best for eitn
- of u.s.
e And ( they parted.
: Years passed, during which Jul
a rec eived occasional letters, at first hi
h tol 'es of struggles. privatiops, al
d hardships endured for her sake, the
s later, more cheerful aud ercouragil
d news, coupled with promises, assu
e. ances, and good, strong resolution
+, which she sccepted gracefully a
le hopefully. From time TO lime as /
prospects frightened she would remit
/. him of his Still uncar ceied obi'gaus OF
d and question him as to what he was d
IF ingil that direction. No answer ev
came to her queries. At last she wrot
- "In addition 10 words want fruit
, What are you saving? What are y
7e doing to redeem the past? Your 81
,r cess IS worth pothiug-it can or
= prove fatal-if it does not prompt y
j. to do yorr duty"
/ Not replying to this, a silence fell
ID tween them. julie learned throu
o friends who knew : m in the city whe
st be had made his new home what he h
:; rot been brave enough to tell her hi
is self-that, intoxicated with success,
in WIS leading the old gay, careless, ca
pr lie of extravaganza and pleasure.
te was not more than she had been scho
Y, irg herself slowly to learn.
le Another year passed. she receive
G. letter full of reproaches Sor her siier
Of and fo yetfulness, and announcing
TO the same time his approaching m
&c riaUe with q lady of great wealth a