The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-07-15

Z money into the mans hand, TINS good Sanarl
I tan, in the guise Of common sailor. vanished
! With a ray Of comfort in his heart Brown
clutched the money to his breast, and at last
( found himself in that narrow, zigzas street
which led 10 the black water at the foot Of The
/ wharf, a street not very dainty in its inhabit
/ ants, and very willing to give anything it pos
sessed for miserable money Down this stree
the culprt cTept. He had just reached such
| quadrangle and had shrunk back from tn,
dreaTv darkness and the dreary light, when ht
heard bitter sobbing, and the next instant
he felt something pull at his trousers. With 4
! shudder and an oath he looked down.
- Let go, you bratin he muttered, as hC
! caught sight Of the shiYering form OF a child
crouching on the top of the miserable fight o.
steps. The child ceased sobbing and shranl
/ back at the sudden violence of face and tone,
while the unhappy man disappeared into the
darkness. There is a touch of supersti
ton, a fear Of a higher power, be il what il
viii, IN the most unimag inative and ire
| ligiOus of us-a feeling that, somehow
as we do. so shall we be done by. Fleeing,
as he was. from every known peril, Brown was
vet stopped in his headlong course by an un
explained feeling that a certain guiding power
Brown would call it luck" in an
unyauished statement-might, in retributiOr
fOrsake him as he had passed by the child. Sc
he retraced his steps to where she had fallen
on her face and was weeping most bitterly.
What's the matter young 'unF" he asked
roughly.
They've turned me out o. doors, or faith,
er's gone, don't know where and mother
mothers dead-and oh, I'm so cold and hun
cry and I'm so afraid!n she cried, looking
about fearfully.
"WeH, what's to be done with you, young
'Un?n Brown demanded, not Unkindlv.
The child stopped sobbiu- and looking up
to him with an imploring face sad, with innO-
pppfi1anpn o p rams III take with
YOU"
It did not enter Browns head to disbeIieve
her story.
Take you with me- he repeated, with a
grim smile, for he saw the CHASTITY humOr of
the thing" take you with met Why, !
haven't got a bunk for myself tonight"
" I know of a clearinghouse where they'll
take you in, " she said eagerly; that is, if YOU
can paw she added, with some misgivings.
BroWnnodded. It's right here in the street
near the wharf; and-and-praps you'll tell
'em to take me in, too, and-and p'raps you'll
give me a bit Of bread
" Go ahead said Brown, and he followed
his ragged guide.
The child led the way to a tumble-dOwn
wooden house with depressed windows. The
landladv amiddle-agcd viragO. was Just having
a dispute with a slightly intoxicated ledger,
which she postponed for an instant to attend
to business. The delicate matter OF refer
Iteration Of a certain modest sum, was allowed
to take possession of a diU"v room back of a
siX-hv-teu-leet shop, followed by his small
guide with a tallow candle.
Two doors and a low window said
Brown. pcering curi0Usly about IN the miser-
able room. One door leads into the shop,
the other into the entry and the window he
said, throwing it open as noiselcssly as posi-
bic, and putting his head out, &c into an alley
sol" he exclaimed, and shut il again. Then
he seated himself on the tail, Uniuviting red,
and, dangling his legs backwards and for
wards. stared into the pinched, haggard face
Of the child, who stood watching him very pa
tienJy " And what may your name be, young
'uu!' he asked abruptly
"Popsy," she said briefly, returning his
stare
Sc You're pretty well alone in the worldln
"Yes," she whispered.
&" 50 am g." b, said thOUghtfully-" SO am
!. We might" he added, rs if thinking aloud
-" we might hang ON to each other, for the
present, at least, migh.u't we.'
3. bet we might" Poqsy answered ener-
geticalv, with a world of gratitude in her Old
young ewes.
- Vel, then call me uncle; Nunc, you might
say, for short. Now, POp>y:'
Wei, Eunc.'
Fetch a pint Of milk and a loaf of bread. -
Popsy disappeared, and Brown lay back on
the bed and laughed. The idea of his playing
the part of protector was too funny: it struck
HIM SO fDrcihlv that he forgot his own Qreca-
ri0us position in amusement at the comic side
of the transaction.
such was the advent Of Brown, who rented
the siX-bv-ten-feet shop, and, hiding, day
times. pr0wied about at night in search Of
means TO escape from Eagcly town and the
Edgerly laws he had broken. Yet the man
could not be the man he was without having
his little Joke. IN his leisure moments, so
very plentiful, he traced the words " Brown S
Retreat" on a pine board, and, trusting TO the
name of Brown as a disguise, nailed it over the
shop window one night, where 1t surprised
Edgerly the next morning, to the intense de-
light of IFS owner, who nearly choked with
suppressed laughter when an unsuspecting
policeman, il passing, read the sign and
grinned.
That policeman had a nice sense of humor
butt was as nothing compared to Browns.
III.
But Justice did not sleep because guileless
policemen passed by Browns retreat unsus-
pectingly. No: she was only slightly con-
fused: perhaps rubbing her bandaged eyes,
resting the end Of herclassic nose on the hiIt
Of her conventional sword. But she was not
asleep. She had put her hand into herrespect-
able pocket and offered $3.50 reward for the
apprehension of the fugitive Brown, which
stimulated quite a number of loafers to find
him out.
November had turned into the bitterest,
coolest December. Approaching Christmas
hardly disturbed this part of Edgerly by any
undue gadness; though Browns Retreat
made a sacrifice TO the season in the shape of
a few twigs of holly and an evergreen-tree.
POpsv had developed fine Shop-keeping tai
ents, with shrewd eve open for cash custom
ers. This calculating eve, in looking over the
street one December morning, lighted on
ctr Crar in ar1a attire several DEGREES better
than that usually worn by the gentlemen
about 1t was a cross between 4 naval and a
police uniform, and there was something mill
tary in the slOuched hat that was carelessly
cooked over a vide-awake eye; there was, too,
something military in the dyed mustache.
This parsonage, with his hands in his trous-
ers pockets. stared at the sign of Browns Re
treat, and said " Hallo!n with dim sense Of
amusement. Then he looked in at the door,
and said Hallo!n interrogatively. Without
waiting for an answer, lie leaned his elbow
gracefully on the counter and remarked to
Popsy:
Brown beln to which the child listened in 81
lent alarm. Browns a man who likes a
Joke" the stranger continued, surveying the
dismal place with much scorn; " for of course
nObOdv'd call this a retreat except as joke
What did you sayF' he abruptly asked
Popsy, who stood in an open-mouthed conster-
nation.
''If you please" she said, with little
courtesy-"if you please, sir, Browns my sick
uncle and mustn't be disturbed
20, really, mustn't hel' said this remarka-
bic individual, calmly making for the little
door.
No, you shan'tn' cried Popsy, and thrust
her slight figure between the stranger and the
back room.
"Why, you ferocious little savage! what
harm would it do him." he cried, retreating
nevertheless, while he stroked his dyed mus
tache nonchalantly and laughed weak laugh
which would have been still weaker could he
have seen through the deal door, where Brown
sat on the bed with a loaded revolver in his
hand. ready with an unexpected welcome.
He's sick, and you mustn't go in" Popsy
said hastily, fearing, child as she was, that she
had made 3 hlunder. even i'm herauick defense