The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-03-13


ing at the back of Miss Rushton's chair,
she wheeled her nearer the fire. My
aunt wss paralytic, then.
In spite OF that hard face ana those
fierce eyes, sudden, strange pity filed
me. How hard it must have been, how
hard ior one in whose veins still flowed
the wild current of the Rusht0n blood.
She beckoned NE to her size impa-
tientiy.
Il want to say, Agnes, that if your
mother sent you here, thinking to make
much of il, she is mistaken. / take you
into my service as 1 would any worthy
and disinterested young penon. shall
pay you your wages quarterly, forty
pounds sterling per year and your
living, which is ali you will be worth !;
and / do not intend to add one Ioul,d or
promise any favors from the fact Of
your being Gerald Rushton's daughter.
Yoa understand ?"
I nodded silently, feeling too much
hurt to trust my voice.
Stevens, my cabinet
She unlocked the box and took out
some bank notes with he; gloved hand.
Is make it rule to give one quarter
in advance Here are ten pounds. Ste
vens will scquaint you with your duties
and show you to your chamber. ] shall
not require you before nine in the
morning. Good night"
Not tired, but glad to escape from
that room, ventured to raise one thin
hand to my lips, but shrank back-those
fingers were icy-oOld.,
was not naturally timid girl, but
the lofty corridors, highly vsulted pas
ssges, and shadOwy room, hung with
moulderirg tapestry, made me feel cold
and frightened. Everything about the
room was dark and pOnderous. SOme>
how, the canopied be3stesd, with its
blood.red curtains, made me think of
the tower where the princes were stran-
gled. | declined the assistance of the
maid, and Stevens retired, leaving me
one wax~light, which threw gigantic
shadows on the wall. My duties were
not hard or various. was to aDluse my
aunt when she babe me be always at
her chair back, and speak only when
spoken to. fell asleep at last, thinking
Of Door little mammy's delight when she
should receive my first quarters salary.
NY life was sn uneyentful one at the
Pines. was never absent from my aunt.
but grew no more intimate with her than
at first We had no company save Miss
RushtOn's surgeon and solicitor, who
came once 6 month to dinner. / sang
very little, and only in secret, as the
grand piano had not been opened in
twenty years, rs Miss Rushton did not
tolerate music.
One evening when she dismissed me
my aunt said, sternly:
agnes, l expect the ION of my dear
est friend here tomorrow. He is to be
my heir, and l caution you against de-
signing or trying to secure his favor"
" Oh, aunt the hot blood rushing
.0 my cheeks.
" Be still Do not'know what the
Aubreys are? But Hugh is an admirer
Of beauty in woman, and | do not think
you will fascinste him. See that you
attend to my affairs and leave Hugh
alone"
But Hugh would not leave me alone
scarcely looked at bim for week.
Then, as he sat recOunting adventures to
nv aunt, I saw that he was handsome
of thirty, with crisp, black hair and
gray eyes-magnetic eyes
whose chances troubled me for days, and
haunted my dreams.
One November day, while my aunt
was sleeping, sat in the decayed sum.
ner house, at my knitting, singing an
I'D Scotch song nanny had sang in
happier days. A shadow fell on my /,
work. Hugh Kennedy stood before me.
"What a sly little thing you are
And so you are Gerald Sushton's daugh-
er What are you doing at the PinesG"
"Do you not not know? let me pass,
please"
"Why do you always fly from me
You have q wonderful voice which |
,ught to be cultivated. You should
ing more"
Miss Rushton does not like singing;
md am paid to keep silent"
you have a Scotch wit. Please
promise not to hide yourself away, or
un away from me again"
" cannot"
"Well, 60. shall find youyout,
wherever you are.
l almost had it in my heart to hate
Hugh Kennedy for his cruel pursuit of
ne; yet, oh, 1 learned to love him 30.
He came into my life when it was barren
md cherries, and my heart grew around
lin, until I felt that it would kill me
o 20 away. Yet go l must, my aunt
would never forgive me. She had highers
inns for Hugh. Here was prince for
Cinderella, but no god>mOtber. l hug
red my mad passion to my bosom and