The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-04-25

| when he had no excuse at all. Along in
February, however, he put himself
through a severe course of self-examin-
alton. What was he going to the Wild
ow Reid's for? To see Kate. What
| business had he TO devote himself to a
/ girl who was engagedP And thereupon
4 he shook his wicked inclinations fierce
", and did not go near Kate for ten
days.
Finally she met him on the street.
Have you been away?" she asked,
smiling up at him in a most friendly
/ fashion.
"Oh, no." said Kasson.
"Been sick, then?" persisted Kate.
al should think not,n was the reply,
given with a healthy mans contempt
of illness.
4" Are you mad at me?" added Kate,
cleverlv mimicking child's pout.
"Good Heavensi MOI" exclaimed
Kasson. 1.-The fact is, am fool, and
| have been busy, Miss Reid, and III be
down to see you this evening, if L shall
not bore you"
"You are never bore to mother and
me,n said Kate; "and don't overwork
] AOuIStIs
social relaxation"
In truth, Kate's philanthropy was on
" skin deep. She liked Kasson's COM
pany, and hardly deceived herself when
she urged him to take time for social re-
taxation.
Kasson obeyed her, and the result
was they were together more than ever.
She stored up all the funny stories about
her pupils to tell him. She made him
read the articles in magazines of which
she approved. She scolded him for
stunning his political duties, and, in
short, treated him as an old and favored
friend As for Kasson, he sat at the
feet of this charming female Gamaliel
and learned not only to discriminate as
to magazine articles and to know his
whole duty as a free citizen of the Unit
ed States, but also received a variety of
other decidedly interesting information.
He threw out a vague remark once about
being fond of music, and Kate resumed
her neglected practising again. When
she woke up to the fact that she was
practising for Kasson's express benefit,
she was ashamed of herself, and took
her turn at mental discipline, and wrote
Howard such an affectionate letter that
the recipient was nearly struck dumb
with surprise.
He was to return in the latter part of
March, but long before that time Kate
realized very keenly that she was in
love with Edward Kasson. She felt
much distressed thereat on Howard
Winslow's account, for though she had
told him frankly she did not love him,
nevertheless to love some one else was
certainly dishonorable.
Kasson was miserable also. He was
a gentleman, and therefore would have
chopped his right hand off rather than
show spark of his love for Kate. He
kept his secret well, but it came out one
evening, accidentally. Kate had been
pulling him with a mathematical prob
lem to solve, on which he had used some
old letter-backs that he had in his peck
ct. After he had gone, the scraps of
paper were strewn over the table. Kate
tossed them in the fire, one by one, alb
sentlv, but as she lifted the last scrap,
she was caught by seeing her name
written thereon. She read what was
written, as any one might have done,
FOR Kasson had said the papers were
nothing. This was what she read:
l am heartily sorry for you, Ed. 1t
seems hard that the only woman you ever
cared for should be engaged to another man.
As you say, the only thing you can do is to
run away from Miss Reid before any one
can guess that you love her.
Kate held the scrap in her hand for a
second; then tossed it in the fire.
$50 he loves me-" she thought, eX
ultantly.
Like dash of water on a hot coal
came the memory of Howard Winslow.
Kate dropped into the nearest chair,
and cried little. 1t seemed very hard,
indeed, that she and Winslow must mar
ry each other when neither cared great
deal for the other.
After considerable reflection, Kate
came to the conclusion that she could
not marry Howard; it was an impossi-
bility now. But she could not tell him
the reason why she had changed her
mind; and, again, Kasson was going to
leave in week or ten days, and he
would not say word to her, except
friendly ones, while thinking her en-
gagged to Winslow. Then the result
would be, Kate would have no lover at
all. A vision of old-maidenhood rose
up before her-a vision of lonely years
at school-teaching, over which she
would grow gray and grabbed. Kate
| did not share De Quincey's notion that
the higher the civilization the more old
maids there will be. She had no wish
for lifelong virginity. She could not
solve her problem at all, but she finally
did send Howard a most friendly note,
/ telling him she could not marry him be-
cause she loved some one else.
The evening after she sent that note,
there came in for n call the minister
wife, Mrs Van Week, and little later,
Edward Kasson. Kate had just written
a letter to her bosom friend, Millicent
] Sheppard, and the clump of note-paper,
the pen and ink, still lay on the table.
She fingered the letter impatiently as
Mrs. Van Week maundered away about
some fair that the church people were
getting up. Finally, she turned to
Kate, aud said:
"And we want you to act as secre-
tary, my dear. We want you to write
a note to Mrs. Morse, asking for flowers
but just take that piece of paper, and
put down the list of your duties"
!, There was no escape. Kate drew the
sheet of paper towards her, and made &
list of the things she must do for the
Fair.
"And now," added Mrs. Van Week,
finally, with a patronizing smile towards
Kasson, You must write notes to Mr.
Weeks and Mr.. Kasson, asking theil
aid in some heavy work, such as putting
up tables"
Kate laughed.
"I'll write Mr.. Kasson's note RICH
away" she said, beginning to do SO il
fact.
"While you are doing that" sai'
Mrs. Reid, "I'll take Mrs. Van Week il
the dining-room to look at my home
make lambrequins.
They went out of the parlor, leaving
Kate writing an absurd note to Kasson
4 l.