The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-06-01
An INTERL0PER.

"The big boss" as the old apple
woman calls him, stopped moment as
he passed through our office. Every
body was wondrously industrious at
that moment.
81 young woman will take the place
left vacant in this establishment by the
death of Edwards" he said, in his usu-
al abrupc manner, at the same time
looking az nothing and seeing every
thing - Sne will be here tomorrow,
and I've no doubt will perform the
duties lequired of her in . satisfactory
manner Good-afternOon.'
We looked at each other IN surprise,
and Thrall Just stopped himself on the
verge of a whistle, and cOughed instead /;
but not word djG we say until we were
sure that our head had reached the
street, foe the ears pertaining to our
head e exceedingly sharp.
Then burst forth a torrent of words.
"A girli what nuisance!" said
Smith
"Alasi my melodious voice is silenced
forever" sa d Thrall, who was great in
opera burlesque, at the same time, with
appropriate gestures of despair burst
ing into "infelce.n -
What possessed Lawrence? Such
an old fogy as he is, too. | can't under
stand it at all, - said Marlowe.
"Got her at half the salary he paid
Edwards drawled julie Gerard, a
young fellow diSliked by UosG of US for
his upish airs, and chafled unmercifully
behind his baci, for his immense belief
and the Gerard family.
"And dear at that price, in my opin-
ion. \ chit Of a girl, smart at he, sums !;
gold medal for mathematics NJ What's
it's-name Institute, and consequently
highly eligible for any position any
where. - said Thrall, fl.nging his hat
across the room, and siRging some ridic-
ulous words of his own to an air from
"Somnambula.n
" Do be quiet : moment, Thrall," |
interrupted; but he never needed me,
but went ou unGi the very last note was
reached, and they politely requested
me 90 proceed.
Lawrence didn't say a girl; he said
young woman, and tha6 may mean
any thing in pullbacks from sixteen to
sixty. Any how, rs Smith says, she'll
be nuisance. Why don't she sculp, or
paint, or draw, or engrave, or some
thing of that sort, ali undisturbed in
the privacy of her own dear little studioP
Or, better vet, why don't she marry
Sumehudy?'
" Marry her yourself, Dickson, and
prove henefactor 10 mankind in gen
e-al and Your fellow-clerks in particu-
lar, - suggested Smith.
"Ohi | savi" drawled Gerard /:
"li,e's too short to be wasted talking
about a woman. Lets 90 round and
get some beer' (he called it a" "be-ahn0,
land drink death TO all interlopers. +"
We went.
am Dickson, the young man who
was kindly advised to marry the girl
book-keeper, a proposal from which |
shrank, having a horror of women who
uSurped, as thought, the positions and
privileges of the sterner sex.
However, | will admit | had fair
share of curiosity about the newcomer,
and so no doubt had my companions,
always excepting julie Gerard, who was
too selfish and indOlent to feel the
slightest interest in any thing or any
body. And the next morning, when a
young woman pushed open the swing
door, walked quickly up TO me, l being
nearest the door, and said to me in a
low, shy voice q like low, shy voices).
"Nnl you please show me where nv
desk isn am conscious 1 regarded her
with a look more keen than polite.
The blood rose to her cheek, and she
returned my look, not boldly, but un-
iinchingly.
Certainly" said I, and escorted her
TO her seat, catching a fearful grimace
from Thrall as passed.
The girl (for she was a girl, about Is,
should think,) was, in my opinion
an opinion shared by all my fellow
clel Ks, as | found before the day was
over--not at all pretty, not even good
looking. .
She was tall and thin; had large
supken gray eyes, a wide brow, left
bare by the plain arrangement of her
hair. which was all drawn away from
it and carelessIy twined in heavy coil
at the back of her head, rather ugly
nose and rather pretty mouth.
She blushed nicely, the delicate erim-