The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-05-30


there. To accomplish this Mike toiled
early and late, carefully boarding ev.
cry dollar Of his earnings. But sickness
and death-ihree baby forms were laid
away in the neighborhood graveyard on
the hillside beyond the slough-had
brought CONSEQUENT expense and loss,
and Mikes hoard increased but slowly.
Mandy's health gave way at last, and
then All things seemed to 60 wrong. N
4 Mike, by nature more thrifty and
4 saving than the average Irislfman, grew
close, even cOvetOus. 1t troubled Man.
/ dy to witness the growing change.
When they had first come to Misery
Flat they had found but one plantation
on the island. Its owner, thriftless
4 T ennesseean, was eager to sell out his
claim to Mike for small sum of ready
cash. With the plantation he turned
over TO the Flynns a small child of
about seven years of age, with but the
excuse that she was 80 none % their'n, -
and as she had come to them 90 'thout
bein' sent fer, so she mout stay thar
'thout more o. his fotchin' away
OF the child's history he knew moth
ing. Only he "allowed p" she'd been
lost off some steamboat. One had burn
ed to the waters edge on the opposite
shore only the night preceding the day
on which the little creature had made
her appearance at his cabin-door. In
his phrase 'she'd KEEP her long till this
present, but he didn't allow as he'd any
call to tote her round the kentry."
Mike and Mandy, with true, warm
hearted hospitality, took the little waif
into their home, and treated her, if not
as their child, as least as their sister,
teaching her to read and write and fig
ure respectfully, and to perform house
hold duties quite creditably. She learn
ed also TO paddle skiif and, what was
far more difficult, to manage a dugout,
and to swim in the river. At fifteen
Lowry was, as Mike phrased it, a girl
worth somebody's while to look after.
And truly, somebody of late seemed to
be looking after the unknown in way
that was causing Mike no little concern.
Upon the night-robe in which the little
waif was clad at the time of her advent
upon the island the planters wife read
the name which the child said was her
own, Heloise Mason. 1t had a profane
sound to the uncultured Tennessee ear,
and was accordingly modified into Low
Ivy. OF the little ones simple recital
they could make out only that she was
on big boat going to see papa and
that mamma. rocked her to sleep
in her lap, and when she
woke up she was all stuck fast in some
bushes, and wet and muddy and hun
CRY; and that while she was looking
around to find mamma and sister she
came upon the cabin and sought its
friendly shelter. Conjecture only could
supply the missing chapters of the baby's
story. Some strong swimmer, perhaps,
had sought to save the sleeping child
but in the confusion had struck out in
the wrong direction, and becoming ex.
hausted had, upon reaching the island,
placed the child on dry land and, freed
of his burden, sought to make the
farther shore and find means of rescue.
But nothing was known, and as
neither inquiries nor searchers ever
reached the island, conjecture itself at
last died out L
After Lowizy's adoption into the
Flynn family, although still called by the
outrageous name given by the planters
wife, the little girl was always mention
ed by Mike in his rare visits to Bixler-
Vile by her real name, and BiNlerville,
good folk knew that Hymns Lowizy,
who came now and again with her.
bright face and merry, sloe-black eyes.
TO fetch the Doctor, or to do some err
rand for Misery Flat folks, was really
and truly Heloise Mason, the lost child
of some unknown persons.
One day, few weeks previous to the
opening of our story, Mike returned
from visit to Bixierville with two let
tiers, which, in Lowizy's ABSENCE he
read to his wife One was addressed to
the Postmaster at Bixlerville, and en-
treated him to ascertain, if possible, the
Whereabouts of a young girl, Heloise
Mason by name, who was left off the
steamer -, in the year IS, and sup
posed to have been drowned, but of
whose existence, and in Bixlerville
neighborhood, recent circumstances had
excited strong hopes.
The Postmaster, upon seeing Mike,
turned the letter over to him, with also
one inclosed, addressed to Miss Heloise
Mason. As he did so he said, g
ats your Lowry, Mike. / have no
doubt of it. Maybe there's money in it,
if you manage it sharp Nothing like
looking out for number one, you know,
More'n likely these Massons III pay
you for her keep and so on. Leastwise
you're her guardeen, and as such you've
a right to see what's inthat letter before
she does. May you can make a good
thing out of it. Who knows?" '.t
In an evil moment Mike yielded to the
temptation. The letter to Heloise con-
WINGED him that the girl was indeed the
one sought for by parents who had
mourned her as dead through all these
years. Just bow to make money out of
his knowledge he did not clearly see.
They'll take her away, that's sure,
as soon as they find out she's here" he
said to his wife. And how are we to
get on without Lowizy?n s.4 -. 5,fs
81 don't know" answered Mandy
with sigh. "But we've no right to
keep her from her folks. No doubt
she'll be thousands better off,"
al tell you we've got to think of our
selves, Mandy" cried Mike, the covet
Gus spirit filling his heart. "It'll be
cutting our own threats to part with the
.girl.'' - II
gWhat would yeu do; Mikep Keep
the letter from herP Sure, you've no
right; and it would be far from doing
as you'd be done by"
'Right!" echoed Mike GROSSLY, ig-
noring the latter part of Mandy's argu-
ment, "Who's better right than him
that's fed and clothed her these seven
years gone? Who'll pay me for her
keep2p III 1s
"Sure, she's paid as she's gone,
Mike. Lowry has been as much to US
rs we to her. You can't deny that.
Don't do. mean thing, Mike, dear.
Itisn't like you, and it'll bring no luck,
though you may think sO.'
But Mike was blinded with lust of
lucre. He hid. the letters in the bureau
drawer, and babe Mandy not mention
them. He determined within himself
to 90 not soon again to Bixlerville. He