The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-05-08

The dark eyes and the blue ones met,
8 few neighborly words exchanged, a
call followed soon. Mrs. Hslitont felt a
new emotion creeping into her heart.
She felt pleased and fattered by this
strangers admiration. Then she knew
she was loved, and reioiced, and 50 dis
covered that she herself loved again.
At first she was angry with herself /;
then she wept over her Inconsistency,
but at last she yielded utterly. After
all it was the love thst made her untrue.
Since she hsd loved she could never
pride herself on being fsithful again,
and 70 she listened to the sweet words
that, despite berself, made her happy
snd promised TO marry Colonel Hum
phries.
When 4 widow does marry second
time she generally contriyes to make a
fool of herself.
Mrs. Halifont had certainly not done
as foOlishly as some widows do. she
had neither chosen a little boy nor g
titled Italian without money enough to
keep himself in macsroni. Her future
husband was older than herself, and too
rich to be suspected of being a fortune
hunter; but, after all, no one knew him.
He came into the nsighborhoOd without
letters Of introduction to any one, and
whether he won his fortune by trade or
came to it by inheritance remained a
mystery.
There were those who shrugged their
shoulders and declared that Mrs Hall
font would regret not having chosen some
one of whom more was known-some re-
tired merchant, some gentleman Of for
tune, whose father had been known to
her friends. Nothing, to be sure, could
be said against this Spaniard or Cuban
with the English name; but who knew
anything in his favor?
However no one said this to Mrs.
Halifont, and If any one had, words
never charged a womans fancy yet.
hrs. Halifont believed in Colonel Hum
phries, and meant to marry BIN.
Indeed the trousseau was prepared and
the wedding day wss fixed, al w2s
ready, and Ida Hslifont believed hersell
to be very happy woman, She once
more built castles in the air. Her Old
sorrow seemed TO fsde swsy in the dis
tance. She was girl again. At last
twenty>four hours lay between her and
her wedding day.
She was busy in her sewing-room On
this last day, finishing some ruffiss in
lace snd ribbon, and singing softly to
herself, when suddenly the house wss
flied with cries.
An old man-servant, while cutting the
grass upon the lawn, had wounded him
self seriously. The doctor was sent for
at once, but he was not at home, and
meantime poor Zebedee was bleeding to
death.
Suddenly Ida Hslifont remembered
that Mr., HUMPHREYS had said thst lie
understood wounds as well as though be
had been bred surgeon. Without this
it would have been natural for her to
call on one who was soon to be her pro-
tectOr in moment of anxiety she
would call him herself, that there might
be no delay, and Selling her garden-hat,
she ran along little path that led from
her ground to that of Mr. HUMPHREYS,
climbing low fence to save time which
would have been lost in reaching 9 gate,
and so gained the rear OF the dwelling OF
which tomorrow she would be mistress.
She thought herself terrified and dis.
tressed. She felt rather injured that
such an u pleasant thing as the wounG-
ing of poor Zsbedee should have hap
pened on the eve Of her wedding day.
Ten minutes after she thought of herself
at that moment utterly st esse-w.n-
derously hsppy-ior IS she reached those
windows and peeped hsl timidIY through
the curtains, thing happened that
made all she had ever suf- red. appear az
nothing.
The room, the window Of which she
had approached, was one that opened out
of g conservatory. She saw Colonel
Eumpliries busy with some rare plants
be had Just set out TO the warm sunshine
that fell through the glass. He bad
taken eff his coat sUd rolled up Ms
sleeves Now he lie the conservatory,
and coming forward proceeded to wash
his hands in basin OF water that had
been set ready for him. He was close to
Ida Halifont. He did not see her, but
she could have reached out her hand
and touched him.
Why did she not speak, and call him
by name? Why did she sink down
u vi ncA Hdhuo anu IicHiOIo Inc al aspen
lest2 Alas the awful reason was this:
Upon that arm which she was about to
give the right to clasp her in tenderest
embrace she saw q terrible mark-a
mark she had seen once before. She
knew its shape and size and color. Her
eyes had been rivited upon it as the
silewy hand, at the wrist of which it
ended, grasped her dying husbands
.h~oa. Che boJ laa-paJ Il "a h., boo-4