The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-09-25

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/ Doctor advised that Victor should 90 to
/ the country for time These prelini-
narieS completed, Victor produced his
wallet and looked at his medical adviser,
who said; my fee for first consulta-
ton is $40. L presume You can afford
/ 10 pay that?'' -.3 Il
u :. Yes" responded Victor, although
he meant the opposite, for he did not
I relish the idea of expanding that amount
| in such manner However, there was
no escape and the fee was paid. H
This was the beginning of q memora-,
! bic epoch in Victor Parlenon's career.
t.IIe, the good fellow, who had never re-
fused to grant favor, was now most
embhatically man who could not say
"no.n His life had been so easy and
generous that now his disease seemed TO
have found his weak point, and he was
to learnby bitter experience that in the,
government of individuals and of So
ciety the little word g no . is a very inn
portant factor, 49,, .....,.,,.,; ....
After a few mishaps, owing to his linn
tied vocabulary, Victor reached the
country place which he had fixed upon
for his residence and took up his abode
at quiet pension. He devoted himself
principally to fishing, for he was too in
/ dolent to undertake any severe or pro-
longed muscular exertion. Day by day
a word or a phrase came back to him
and with each word and phrase his
spirits rose. But the one word he need
ed so badly evaded his memory.
! One balmy June day Victor was re-
I clining by the side of a stream ostensi-
! blv engaged in fishing, although he.was
really half asleep. Suddenly he was
brought to a sitting position by a faint
scream. He looked about him and saw
female figure a short distance away.
q Some hysterical woman frightened at
q toad or something thought Victor;
and then looking at his watch he con-
cluded it was time to go to the pension.
Accordingly he picked up his rod and
began to reel in the, line. As he did so
the scream was repeated. He stopped
and wondered if it was best to interfere;
but the woman, whoever she was, re-
tanned her position and Victor thought
perhaps it would not be wise for him to
offer any assistance. Again he began
to reel in the line and again the scream,
louder and more painful than before,
startled his ear. He dropped the rod
and Fastening to where the lady was
sitting politely asked her if he could do
any thing for her. She looked up at
him, revealing bewitching face dap
| pied with tears, and between her sobs
| told him that she was wading in the
| stream when a horrible fish-hook caught
/ in her foot, and that while she was try
| ing to get it out it twitched two or three
! times, as if there was something pulling
at it. Victor became pale. He knew
all, and he asked the lady to allow him
to remove the hook With feminine
modeSty she refused, and Victor con-
tented himself by going for carriage.
/ When he returned he found that the fair
sufferer was named Beatrice BeatOn and
that she was boarder at the pension
where he himself was stopping, and that
she had arrived that morning during his
absence.
Mdle. Beaton recovered rapidly from
her accident, but not too rapidly to pre-
vent Victor from becoming well ac-
lquainted with her during his visits of
consolation. He became the attendant
of Mdlle. Beaton and her mother, a wild
ow, during their walks, and finally was
the sole companion of Beatrice on al
most all occasions 1t was not long be-
fore he seemed to have fallen heir to ma
lures greatest and most troublesome
legacy to man.
One pleasant moonlight evening
Beatrice and her mother stood arm-in-
arm at a window, as Victor sauntercd
| towards the house after stroll Mime.
Beaton's gaze rested on him.
Beatrice, my love-" said she, ''yOu
had better sit on the veranda, where it is
cooler. | am going up stairs for = few
minutes"
The two exchanged glances, and as
Nine. Beaton moved off in one direction
Beatrice floated towards two chairs
standing so close together that they
seemed to have caught some of the low
ing spirit of the happy couple who had
last occupied them. Before Victor had
reached the house the young girl had
concealed the unrOmantic form of one
of the chairs behind her gauzy but am
pie skirts and was already become a
part of the scene. As Victor assembled
the steps and his eyes met those of
Beatrice, a graceful vet slight movement
of her hand seemed to invite him to a
seat by her side. The chair was still
close TO her She did not move it nor
did Victor rs he seated himself. He no
tieed the calm repose with which the
moonlight invested the girls form, save
that the amber beads of her necklace
rose and fell As lightly as when they
were kissed by the waves eff the Baltic
Sea; and he became SO absorbed that
he started when Beatrice said, 1--WE go
to town in few days"
$50 soon," exclaimed Victor.
Yes Beatrice replied, sadly; "yet
1 Ike this place 50 much. Perhaps
perhaps II is because of the pleasant ae-
quaintances | have formed here"
Victor sighed.
al think | also will be obliged to
leave" he murmured.
"Oh, will you?" cried Beatrice, eager
". 50 VIII you 60 to town with mamma
and -meP'''
"Oh, yes, certainly answered Vic
tor. .-a.s
Then MAT is settled" exclaimed the
Young girl as she arose, shook out her /
skirts and with them Il cloud OF per-
fume. Let us then 90 down to the brook |
once more while 1t is moonlight
Arnl-in-arm they walked slowly down
the path that led to the stream. The /
touch of that soft hand lying on his ann
and The sweep OF the light skirts about /
him As they moved gently thrilled Vie
tor. and he felt that after all women
would average better than men, and !