The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-08-28

Alice had excited herself, and fit OF
coughing interrupted her. | again adj
iusted the wrap, which she had allowed
to fall away from her shoulders, and adj
vised her to finish the narrative at some
other time.
s.There is not much more that wish
to tell you,'' she said, james and are
practically parted. He went away as
travelling salesman for mercantile firm,
and when we parted | told him IT was
forever---that he must not come to me
again until he was clear of the offense
that separated us | had not been TO-
bust, and my health was poorer after
that, for sincerely loved the man who
had been husband to me. | supposed
it is a duty, Doctor, to cling to the life
that God has given us, but my own choice
would be to die
The hectic flush in Alice's thin face
was sign that her desire would not be
long ungratifed; but l did not tell her
so. On the contrary, | tried to encour-
age her to hope for recovery, knowing
that dependency would hasten her to
the grave.
Week after week passed, and my pa
tient steadily declined in strength. l
began to feel that | ought to tell her of
her nearness to death, but | drew back
from that hardest of physicians duties.
Day by day could see her fading. 1t
was certain that she could live only
few weeks longer. One sunset, as she
Law with the lessening light falling on
her wan face, | forced myself to say
that she was past recovery. Tears
dropped from my eyes, and on
the weak, white hand that she put out
to me.
81 knew it, she said, with a pitiful
smile, land am not sorry. l think |
am clad. There is something for me to
tell YOU, but not now; some time before
go" ,
There was no insincerity in my grief
then, and | am certain there is none
now. Alice was a particularly lOvable
woman, and her doom to an early death
was inexpressibly sad. | could do moth
ing in the way of cure. 1t was too late
for that. | sought only to give her fic-
titiouS strength with drugs, and to make
her as comfortable as possible. L put
the early June flowers into her room, L
talked cheerfully to her, and | sor-
but only for the separation from the man
who, she had told me, was her untrue
husband.
On the 10th of June letter arrived,
!. addressed to "Mrs. James Wayte. "
Alice gave faint cry at the sight OF it.,
and swooned. SO close to death was
she, that little strength was left, and it
was an hour before she was again thor
ourhlv conscious. | showed her the let
ter.
"Read it, if YOU please" she said.
. She listened with eyes closed and
hands clasped while l read:
, CHICAGO, MAY :, 1873.
DEAR ALICE-You told me that must
never come back to you until could lawful
= w call YOU my wife. That time is come.
2 The woman who was my wife when mar
| ried you is dead, and there is no reason
now that can see, why we should not be
united again. | am sorry ever deceived
YOU, and am ready to make amends in any
. way can. will be in Dunnville soon, hop
e ing to find you in improved health, and will
p ing TO forgive me. Another marriage cere-
) mony will make you my wife in the sight of
. the law, as you are already in the sight OF
| heaven Yours, affectionately,
Alice did not stir for full minute af-
5 ter had finished reading. thought at
e a glance that she was dead, so pallid
r and expressionless was her face. Then
!; she opened her eyes YEARLY, and look
l ed out at the red glow the sun, itself
, sunk out of sight, had left behind it in
5 the sky | retired from the room with
: a chill on my senses that l shall never
e forget
4 The purport of James Wayte's letter
: flashed on me like lightning when was
: out of Alice's apartment. The clear
$ meaning of his language, interpreted
: with the aid of what she had told me
Il was that he had married her when he
h already had wife; that, his lawful wife
: being now dead, he sought to legalizt
e his union with Alice, and so gain hel
a favor and fortune This thought fol
It lowed swiftly: Alice was not in law thu
wife of James Wayte, and, according Il
l. her fathers will, if she was not legally
y married to him on her 21st birthday thu
e $50, 900 would fall to me. That night
S sat at my open window until past mid
IL night, thinking ON the subject that, as
l. was human and reasonably selfish, nat
e turally agitated me. Before going t.
d bed / visited my patient. She wa
l. asleep, but the nurse said that she had
/ until within an hour, been wakeful. Sh
L breathed with an unnatural, hollow
II sound. Her vitality was almost ex
lie hausted. Clearly, she could not liv
1t many days, and she might die befor
ii many hours. l mixed some powders
calculated, by stimulation, to prOlOn:
r her life a little, and gave the nurse di
rections how to administer them. As
$ went from the room, the question cam
y to me, as though from some intelligence
Ill outside of myself. Suppose she SHOULD
20 die before her 21st birthday?' The oh
vious answer was that would have n
IL claim on her fortune.
Early on the next morning, tele
er graphed to my brother and other rela
Sc tives that Alice could not long survive
,e had previously kept them informed c
rs her condition. She grew weaker duI
=. ing the day, and. in the evening, wa
barely able to speak. The end wa
De nigh. gave her more stimulant; with
y out it, she would have died before mid
l. night-before her 21st birthday. NJ
st heart bounded when the clock struck l;
and impulsively | bent over the almo,
90 unconscious sufferer to see if she reall
ed was living. That was selfish, but eel
4 tainlv it was not criminal. In keepin
I'll her alive with drugs, l had done simpl
er my duty as physician. SO far, m
re conduct had not been affected by tn
er $4,000.
$ A messenger at daybreak brought
n telegraphic message for Alice. She va
htrt 0st a N a in