The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-04-05
"I NEVER WILL"

Z" l neUeT will" said Madge Roper
her beautiful brown eyes flashing wit
indignation.
Forgive me, Miss Roper" said Mr.
Schenck. al said it in sort Of des
peration, for / can mott could no
think such passion as mine could fai
to call out response sooner or later.
You are mistaken" she answered
haughtily; "and, as yoa know, this il
not the first time / have assured you o.
the fact. | trust it is the last"
al withdraw my plea and myself
finally, Miss Roper. Good-morning!'
He said it with such dignity thai
Madge respected him more than she
had ever done, and her face softened
But Mr.. Schenck did not see it; hi
took himself and his troubles out o.
sight, if not out of mind. But as Madgt
turned to leave the parlor, she heard {
boyish voice from some hiding place
singing loudly. with mischief in every
infection:
Hear what Highland Nora said:
The Earlie's son will not we'd" F.
"Little wretch!" muttered Madge
biting her prettyred lips; che must be
all this time in the conservatory. And
now Aunt Phemy will know all about
it. may as well tell her."
So she trailed the folds of her deep
blue dress slowly up the stairs to Aunt
Phemy's room. Miss Euphemia was
sitting in her armchair blythe window,
a tiny old lady, with soft silver-white
Ia .ir, and a quaint black satin wrapper
illustrated with delicate laces, and the
sparkle of one great diamond on hel
little hand. She was cripple, whose
sole change was from her bed to hel
great chair; but, for all that, she was
the heart of the house, and her keen
and kindly eyes saw everything that
was to be seen, but her tongue kept
charitable silence.
Madge's mother had died young, and
Aunt Phemy had come to her brothers.
house to take care of him and his child
till his wife's place might be filled; but
that had never happened. Mr.. Roper
was grave, reticent man, and wher
the one love of his life fluttered away
from him like weary and storm-spen
moth, his heart shut itself for all time
he even seemed to have little fatherly
love for the wailing baby, whose birth
he resented in his secret soul, as on,
resents a murder.
But now he was proud of his beauti
full and graceful daughter, proud of hel
spirited character, her good breeding
her crowd of admirers; and Madge wa
equally proud of her handsome, high
minded father, though there was littl,
OF the diviner element of love lost be
tween them.
Many and many an admirer fell a
Madge's feet, and no wonder. The CIR
was young, fresh, lovely, and intelli,
gent, and every charm she had was il.
lumined by the fittest results of wealth
and taste. A beautiful girl is beautiful
in spite of calico; she is enchanting in
lace and peals. Madge's prOfase red,
brown hair, dazzling yet tenderly tint.
cd complexion, her soft proud eyes, hel
slender and exquisitely nodded figure
her feet, her hands, were all perfect
and the insipidity of perfection was re
moved by the vivid and variant ex
preston of the soul within.
AS she entered Aunt Phemy's room
this morning, with the dark blue folds
of her fine wool dress falling from hel
delicate waist, and her face heightened
by color that shamed the carnations
which fastened the abundant lace scar
about her throat, the dear old lad,
looked at her with adoring eyes, TO
Madge was her aunty's idol. But thu
girl did not come at once for her DALI
kiss; she smiled, and then she walked
across the room to the other window
and began to NEEDLE with the mignon
cite and pinch the rose geranium. Aun
Phemy waited-she was q woman whC
could wait-and presently Madge fiitteC
suddenly across the floor, and dropped
softly, as little bird folds up into it
nest, on to the brioche beside her aunt
chair, and laid her head on its arm.
al could not come up before, Aunt
Fee. Mr.. Schenck was down stairs.
Miss Roper said nothing, but laid he,
hand tenderly on the rich folds of hair
and looked at that beautiful head ik'
a benevolent old fairy. She knew
when Nadge called her "Aunty Fee
that it was propitiatory: some thins
had been done or said that this way
ward young woman was not quite a
ease about.
"And-aunty," Madge went on
slowly, picking carnation to pieces
rs she spoke, "I-refused him."
"I thought you had done that long
ago, Madge," said the old lady, with ;
certain trouble in her kind eyes.
50 have, over and over, but ht
wouldn't stay refused. | think he viii
now" Here her voice rose and rang
and her eyes flashed. The indignation
returned. al never will marry him
Aunt Phemy-noUer! And l think h,
understands it at last" lts,as
Miss Roper's eyes spsrkled now; she
was old and wise.