The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-06-14

US, yet we go forward with the dram;
perforce; we must dine, read letters, re
ceive condolences, discuss Grape anC
bombazine, as if the world had not sud
denly grown empty and forlorn. AnC
so it was with Lefty. Daily life was too
exacting; she could not sit down anC
hug her grief, and look at it in every
light, and discuss it in all its bearings
she was obliged to dry her tears anC
earn her bread. The railroad stock in
which her small fortune was invested
had suddenly declared against divi-
dends. She could not permit her.
self TO share the crumbs that
fell from her uncle's table, and
which they could i'll afford to
spare, even had dependence been sweet
"a quality it was never known to pos
sess. Thus in her dreary routine OF
drudgery Tom Longworthy's kindness
and occasional visits constituted her
only variety. If she found a bunch of
the earliest May-fowers on her desk,
she knew who left them there; if Christ
mas brought her an anonymous gift, she
was none the less certain of the giver.
If her birthdays and anniversaries were
remembered, whose thoughtfulness
could it be but Toms? 1t was, per-
haps, three years and better after the
Flying Scud had sailed that Lefty, weary
of declining invitations and of being
asked if she meant to sacrifice herself
like a Hindoo widow, joined a party of
friends going to take their tea in the
sunset at the beach, two hours steam
ing down the river. She had under
stood that there were to be but hand
full of people, but she found crowd;
and sitting on the sand, looking at the
delicate sea-shell pink of the eastern sky
above the tossing breakers, or watching
the groups of girls making their table
of sand heap and spreading it with
dainties from their baskets, while others
gathered drift-wood and lighted pic
turesque blaze beneath the coffee and
clam pots, was pleasant change from
the monotony of her days. Presently,
while she gazed, little boat, with the
sunset reddening its sails, "quenched
its speed in the slushy sand," and Tom
Longworthy threw his anchor ashore.
Lefty"
"Tom!''
81 wish you had allowed me to bring
you down.
81 wish had;" and then they fell to
speaking of the moon-led tides, about
great storms and wrecks.
"Do you know" she confessed "their
driftwood fire chills me. How do / know
but it is bit of the spar poor Laurence
chung TOP"
"They are having supper" said
Longworthy, turning away. "Let me
bring you. something. We have been
too gloomy"
"No; when l am gloomy, 1 am in no
danger of forgetting. Don't you re-
member Andersen's story of the poor
old maid who used the broken half of a
bottle picked up on the beach for her
canary's drinking-vessel, when it was
bit of the very bottle to which her lost
lover had intrusted tender FAREWELL"
/" You don't mean to be an old maid,
Letty?''
81? The day of my destiny's over.
How ghostly the lighthouse looks! 1
used to think 1 should like to live in
one, once-especially in stormy
weather."
"They will be lightingup presently;
we will pay them visit, if you please"
And while they climbed the lighthouse
tower, and watched the keeper light his
lamps, while he told them of the sea-
birds that beat their lives out against
the windows, of ships he had seen go to
pieces in the storm, of the times he had
put out in his boat to the rescue, and his
wife keeping the lamps bright alone
amidst the gale, their friends were gath
ering up the fragments and steaming
homeward, each thinking that Lefty was
with the other When Tom and Lefty
came out under the stars, the beach had
wild and lonely aspect; some night
bird was screaming overhead, the gyp-
sy fire smoldered amidst some strand
ed timbers, but the sands were desert
ed. Toms little craft was the only one
in sight, and with the wind dead against
them and the tide falling, it would be
useless to start for some hours to come.
awe may as well make ourselves
comfortable, said Tom, bringing fresh
fuel for the fire. 81 am to blame for
this Disaster
al don't call it disaster exactly"
said Lefty. "Do you see how much our
backlog resembles a crouching camel?
In this weird light l can half believe that
we are belated on the desert, and are
bivouacking till day. It's rather ro-
mantle than disastrous"
"rm glad you see it in that light.
You would make the desert blossom like
a rose" .-.-.-
GLOW you fatter mel"
alp We never fatter those we love-"
''You needn't take pains to tell me
that you don't love me, )" she laughed.
al take pleasure in saying that 1 do"
"That you do!-that you do!n
"Yes. l do love you, Lefty" stretch
ing his arms toward her, for she had
risen and half moved away. Lefty!
Lefty! don't be angry with me for low
ing you. How could help it?"
"You must" she cried; "you
mustn't love me. You don't. It's all a
fancy. You deceive yourself. 1 can't
allow you to love me-"
"You might as well say that you
wouldn't allow the frost to pinch you,
or the rain to drench you. Can't you
love me a little, Letty?"
"Oh, don't ask met don't! can't;