The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-01-06

tance, but it did not appear. Then
presently she heard the distant church.
clock chime half-past three. "There!
I'm much too early. We were not even
asked till four. know what I'll do
when get further on; III sit down in
a shady part of the wood and wait till
about five minutes after the hour" So
/ she went on, and when she was within
: quarter of a mile of the house branched
off into a thick part of the wood and fol-
lowed a sleepy stream that wandered
on beneath the tall trees and among
the tangled underwood, fiecked with
water-lilies and fringed with yellow iris,
which nodded their golden heads to the
sun. She found quiet leafy nook close
to its edge, and sat down and waited.
| Then suddenly through the distant trees
she saw coming along the edge of the
stream two figures, those of man and
a woman The one she knew at a
glance-it was John Laurence; the
D.fier she saw 4 minute later was his
cousin Caroline. With Il bound, her
heart seemed to come into her throat.
"lt's Miss Hughes, +" she said to herself,
"and how nice she looks, and what
pretty dress she has Onin She drew
her white muslin closer round her, and
retreated a few inches further back be-
hind the thick bushes, SO that they
might pass her unperceived, and wait
ed. On they came, arm in arm, talking
earnestly and in lowVOice. The color
fled from Kitty's cheek, and the light
died out of her eyes, as she saw them,
for surely only lovers walked as they
did! They stopped as they got to with
in three yards of Kitty'S hiding place,
while Caroline Hughes stopped absent
ly to pick one of the yellow water-iris,
and Kitty heard her say
ado you know, John, never liked
you so well as do to-day, and thought
YOU did not care for me-
"My dear girl, was always awfully
fond of you. | think you ought to give
me a kiss to make up for all the unkind
things you have been saying"
She put up her face, and Kitty looked
away, with pain which almost made
her cry. Then they passed on and were
soon lost to view.
Kitty did not move from her hiding
place, and went to no croquet party that
afternoon
Mrs. Horton salmOst screamed with
surprise an hour later, when Kitty sud
denly appeared, her muslin dress
crushed, the rose in front of her dress
all faded, and her cheeks and lips as
white as the jasmine about her head, as
she stood in the window leading in from
the garden.
Mamma, | felt i'll, and my head
ached, and sat down in the wood, and
felt too i'll to 90 on, and | have come
back"
Didn't you see any one?" Mrs. Hor-
ton asked doubtfully.
81 have not spoken to a SOUL" she
answered, and went to her room, saying
she wished TO lie down.
In the dusk of the evening Kitty came |
down stairs again, TO find Mr.. Baver- |
stock talking with her father and step
mother.
''We were talking of getting married, |
Kitty Mrs. Horton said, making way
for her to sit down; but she stood star |
ing at the group before her almost as if
in a dream. "And Mr.. BaverstOck says
he would not marry an heiress for the
world"
"No, indeed | would not, Miss Kitty. |
| should only marry because loved the |
young lady, and felt | could devote my
life to her.
"And why do you expect to be mar
ried, Mr. Baversrock?" she asked alb
sently.
He shullled about uneasily and an
swered in his squeaky voice
"Well, | hope | hope the young
lady will have an affection for m-c-e-e."
Kitty would have laughed at any 9TH
er time, but now she only stared at him
and passed out into the garden.
She went through the gate and wan
dered just 4 little way down the lane
again, feeling as if she would give any
thing to walk straight on and out of the
weary world altogether.
"Kitty!" a well-known voice said
softly, and John Laurence appeared
from behind tree and stood before her
in the dim light. al have been waiting
here on the mere chance of seeing you.
Why didn't you come tO-day?"
"I was i'll, she said family.
"My poor little GIRL" and he drew
her hand through his arm. "Why,
what was the matter ?' But she Shrank
back.
Nothing" she said, drawing her.
self up; "only | am going home"
Something is the matter now," he
exclaimed. "Why, Kitty, what is it, my
darling?"
"YOu have no right to speak to me
like that" she said, while the hopeless
tears filled her eyes and trickled down
her cheeks. "What would your cousin
say?-you are engaged, and going to
be married.
81? I'm sure I'm not-at least, it's
not arranged yet-thOugh Caroline is
going to be spliced"
"les, to you"
"Oh dear! no; it's to Fletcher
"Why, ] saw you kiss her this after
noon, and heard you say you were aw-
fully fond of her.''
We'll, what then? She'd been tell
ing me in confidence about Fletcher,
and getting me to manage it with my
uncle, who'd had some ridiculous no.
tions in his head, and | was congratu-
lating her and telling her what he'd
said, and thought | deserved a cOusinly
kiss for my pains"
"Was that it?" she said in amaze
ment
"Yes, it was, you little goose"-for
he could not help seeing the state of the
caSe-'and you see, I've been hanging
about here on the chance of seeing you.
L wanted to tell you how fond l am of
you, you little darling, and to ask you
to be my wife" And then he did to
Kitty what he had done to his Cousin
Caroline in the afternoon, and But
never mind, the story is told, and you
can guess how pretty Kitty looked on
the day she was married to her hero
CaSSelPS Family Magazine for December.
The Wife Kills the Bear.
rIln IL, al. Va \ IL...-.l-l Ln- tl,i.