The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-10-24

Broughton, for his own sake, would not
betray him, became reconciled to the
possessor of his terrible secret, left of
drinking, and thought alone of money
making.
The year expired, and Ralph demand
/ ed the fulfillment of Marblehead's
promise, but he was put off for another
six months, and the embarrassed man
ner of the old man made him fear that
| there was some underhand work going
on. ~
Broughton wished to discharge the
clerk at once, but Marblehead would not
permit him to carry out his wishes for
some time.
"The lads done no harm," he said !;
"let him stay"
But Broughton was not to be thwart-
ed. One fine morning Ralph found a
note on his desk, telling him that the
firm of Marblehead & Broughton had
no further need of his services, and that
any engagement existing between him
and Alice was thereby rendered null
and void. Angry and wild with despair,
as you may Judge he was, Ralph taxed
Broughton with malice and treachery,
and asked to see old Marblehead, and
was finally tumbled headlong out of the
store after spelling Mr.. Broughton's
face, and breaking things generally.
Alice, ignorant of all this, was kept
carefully out of the way until nightfall,
when, receiving a letter from Marble
head, who stated that he was awaiting
her in -, town not far from Pitts
burg, she got into sleigh, and was
driven off by Theophilus, who showed
considerable familiarity with the rib
bons. 1t was bright, cold night in the
commencement of winter, and Alice,
warm within and warm without, enjoy
ed the ride greatly at first. Just as the
sleigh reached the outskirts of Pitts
burg, then an insignificant town, and
the foot of the old bridge, which, raised
on wooden piers, once upon a time
spanned the Allegheny River, man
sprang to the sidewalk, and called out,
in tones of agony, "Alicei Alice!"
She knew that voice, and guessing
the truth all at once, would have thrown
herself from the sleigh, but Brough-
toms strong arm was round her waist,
keeping her down in the seat. He seiz-
ed the whip with the hand that held the
reins, and dashed the trotting horse saw
agely A splendid roadster, able to do
its thirty miles a day without losing
flesh, and therefore altogether unac-
customed to the whip, the animal
swerved violently, threw its fore-feet
into the air, and brought the vehicle to
the very edge of the bridge. Brough-
ton jerked out an oath, pulled the near
er rein, and once more brought the lash
down on the horses fianks. In a mo-
ment the strident cry of fear escaped
him. Ouce more the horse reared,
dragging the vehicle half over the dizzy
edge, and then leaped right over.
Ralph came up just in time to see the
terrible accident, and was breasting the
cold waters of the Allegheny in few
minutes, determined to save the woman
he loved, or to die in the attempt.
Well, to make long story short, he
saved her and married her. In falling,
Broughton's head came in contact with
the sleigh, and he was picked up, dead
as a herring, three days after. When
Ike Marblehead died, four years after
Alice's marriage, a sealed manuscript,
in accordance with his VII, was hand
ed to her, and she was Mortified to dis
cover THAT he was the murderer of her
father, John Geary, whom he had rob
bed of a large quantity of gold; and
that, unable to part with the ill-gotten
wealth, he had sought out Geary's
widow, who was just on the Point of
death, adopted her child, and had hop
ed to cheat his conscience by treating
her kindly. Discovered by man who
was aware of his guilt, Marblehead had
given him the slip, settling and succeed
ing in Pittsburg, where, when her edu-
cation was completed, Alice, whom he
had taught to regard him as her uncle,
also came to reside. The rest has been
told