The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-01-31

' Well, sir, that gent wore on the lit
. tie finger of his left hand this sam,
identical hair ring. 1t took mynotic,
while a-talkin' to. him, though being
made out o. two kinds o. hair, am on
pate. So, by and by, talkin' o. one
thing an another, I works around tC
rings, an finally made bold to say tC
him
! "'That's Gurus kind of ring for &
gent to wear, SIR rr
"He looked at it, twisted it around
| careless like, turned kind o. red and
laughed a little-snarl still showing Out
plain-an' says at .l-iaa1 - D..
"'Yes, rather neat thing; do you
fancy itP'
"'Don't understand you, SIR says.
what might you mean?'
al mean,' says he, IF you like it you
may have it; I'm rather tired of it my
self, and with that he pulls it off an
hands it over.
"'Much obleeged to you, SIR says l 4;
'but wasn't meanin' to ask for it, not
by no means.
"'Oh,' he says, 'it's of no conse-
quence if hadn't give it to you I'D a
give it to some one else,' and with that
he turns about and walks into the car,
and puts the ring on my finger, think
in it would make pretty keepsake to
give my little gal-and when we came
to Stump Station my gentleman gets
out, dogs and guns and baggage and
snarl and all, an that's the last 1 ever
see of him.
''About two weeks after that time
there was a very pretty young lady got
on the train at Elm Station, Just out of
Philadelphia, you know. She didn't
have nobody with her, and seemed kind
o. timid like and skeery; never movin'
hardly out of her first posish, 'cept
when the train stopped at some station,
tho being Through express we didn't
stop at many-but when we did no.
ticed she allus pulled her thick black
veil down over her pretty face and kind
er turned her head into one corner o.
the seat, lettin' on to be asleep, an
when any body came in or went past
her seat-which some of 'em as haven't
travelled much is allays doin', you
know, sir, walkin' up and down restless,
I
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES they did that /
could see her give little jumps and look
kinder quick and frightened like, an
the blood all rushin' up into her cheeks,
maxim them look prettier yet, and then
she'd git pale as death the next mint,
and kinder push her hair back off her
temples with one little white hand, like
it was too heavy and hurt her; and
most all the while she kept twistin' a
little hair ring she wore on her finger,
aroun' and aroun', and putting it up
to her lips once an ag'in, when she
thought nobody was looking. I'd a
give my hull stock of 'yaller backs and
prize packages to a. been in that rings
place jist once; tho of course the like
of me had no business to be even watch
in her from behind the stove as | were,
it bein' filter for me to have been think
in of my own Janey awaitin for them
words.
''The moment l see that ring Jerks
mine off an slips it into my vest peck
ct. The moment see that ring | ses
to myself. There's a mate to mine,'
an says to myself, lack, my boy,
you keep right on takin' notice, it be-
ing my opinion theirs something up :
an ses to myself, Il hope that there |
snarly chap hain't been a-bitin' nobody, |
as he'll feel sorry fer it when he comes
to die'-an' then kept on a takin' no
tice, might clost.
"Well, we kept a goin' on, some git
tin off here and there, and more gittin'
on, an by an bye gittin' off ag'in, till
along in the afternoon there was only |
three or four passengers in the car,
which they were mostly samples or
travelling agents, as allays takes off their
boots an goes to sleep soon's they strike
seat. But this here young lady she
never moved out of her first seat-just
set an set, and got to lookin' tireder
and pitifuler like, every mile. l drop
ped a Leslie into her seat once and for
got to take it up ag'in on purpose, but
She never looked at it; and so, tho |
was as sorry fer her as could be, an
knew she'd had no lunch, cos she'd
never got out when the train stopped,
an she hadn't smitch nor sign of !
satchel or luggage of any kind still |
was dub'us about, offerin' to do any
thing, knowin' she was a real lady and |
l was only train agent, and orkard
hand at sayin' them. kind o. things at
best, an she being all alone and a
travelin' might. take it i'll. But
at last comm in an out, an
seein' her sittin' there, lookin' so awful
lonesome and tired, and dark lines
comm under her big dark eyes, look
in like she would cry but dash IT, and
by Hickory I'm glad she didn't, cos that
would upset me quicker n wink, being
one o. the things l can't stand no way,
to see a woman cry. So SEEM she
would never make no more of herself,
l jist give myself poke in the ribs to
kinder rifle my courage, and l goes up
to her seat like was after the Leilte,
and says, Miss, excoose me num- SEES
L, but you do look quite done up, if
you'll excoose me num-, SEES l, and I've
got sister of my own mum, if you'll
excoose the liberty num- SEES |, an
I'd humbly like to be of some service to
you mum, if you'd please to menshin'
in what way num- ses |.
"She looked up in way as can't tell
you of, sir, if L was to ever so hard, an
she SEES: YOU'RE very kind indeed, she
SEES, and thank you very much, she
ses, but require nothing-nothing,'
an then she looked away agin, out o.
the winder, and see her mouth twitch
an her soft eyes dashin' with tears, and
l thinks to myself, Jack, here's lovely |
good young woman as far above you as
the skies, and as has trouble, and here |
you are helpin' to pile it onto her;
you ought to be kicked offin' the train;
why don't you clear off and quit a
botherin' of her. and so | did, maxim
her the best bow OF respect knew how,
and raisin' q lump on my eyebrow a
doin' it through inadvertently comm
down too far an hittin' my fnre,id ON