The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-09-16

Is always so much older than q man, whatever
equality OF age may be shared by the two.
Yet she was by no means unwilling to add
another trophy to those already dangling at
her belt, and she smiled, dimpled, coquetted,
till the handsome, awkward boy, who took the
serious side Of the matter, felt like bewitched
creature, and wore his chains with asilent Joy,
not yet knowing that they we're chains
But while he was falling fathoms deepin love
with Amanda, other youths In Hampton dis
covered how pleasant 1t was to be welcomed in
the CHEEKY brown house by such sparkling
eyes and red lips, and she had welcome for
all.
Amandar began to feel pangs OF jealous fury,
to lose his sleep by night and his appetite by
day. Being, however, practical youth, in
stead of wasting his time in signs and philan-
dering, he worked harder than ever and laid
about him. as Robinson Crusoe says, to dis
cover how he should be soonest able tn marry,
and so carry his idol off from all competitors.
The farm was his fathers; he could not ask
him TO give ii up, nor would lis s-erile acres
ever furnish more than the bares' support to
their family as 1t was. Amandars desire was
TO go into some sort of business and make
money more rapidly; and to this end he at last
persuaded BeZy to let him go to work in the
iron furnace at Hampton Falls-a little Off
shoot of Hampton, on the Black River, only
two miles from BeZy Hills farm.
He worked in the furnace four years, his in
telligence and strength bringing gradual pro-
motion, and his wages accommodating in the
Rutland savings-bank.
1t happened soon after he was twenty-one
that his brooding jealousy exploded and
brought his affairs to crisis. lie lad been
away from home on some affair of the furnace,
for he had now advanced so far as to have all
the outside business in his hands, and he was
mounted on top of the numbering stage"
that for few miles carried passengers between
the railroad station and Hampton Falls. Be-
fore him, on either side of the driver, who hap
pened to be new man on the line, and quite
ignorant of Hampton people, sat two young
men of that class whom the English call bag
men and the Americans drummers. Their con-
versation was not peculiarly interesting at
first, but as Hampton steeple came in sight
one said to the other:
"What takes you to this little hole, Har-
risln
I'm going to see Mandy Hills" answered
the other, with a smirk of such meaning that
Amandar's blood boiled.
After girl, cha thought you was drum
mimi
Harris chuekled, and the other went on.
" Pretty, is sheep
You bet" replied the indiscreet youth,
with still another laugh.
"What style!"
Why, Smith, don't know; photographs
haven't been exchanged yet; that is''-chuck
ing again no COlOTCu OuCb-
g Just like all country girls, l dare say-hair
straight as a candle, and nose the length of
your arm"
% Not a bit. Hair curly, and nose little
turned up"
Here Harris laughed uproariously, and
Amandar clinched his fist, and Strengthened
out his arm dangerously near the young mans
head.
Well, good luck to you! Hope she won't
put on airs and mitten you to wind up.n
"Not she," laughed Harris, as if the idea
was the most exquisite of jokes She amt
that kind. She'll fall into my mouth quick as
ever l open it, you bet your head"
The words had scarce left his lips when
Amandar's hand clutched his collar, and he
was flung off the seat just as the stage drew
up at the Hampton tavern, and our hero,
jumping down after him, administered
sound pummelling to the surprised drummer
before interfering spectators could pull him off.
The bruised and bleeding youth was rescued,
done up in vinegar and brown paper and put
to bed up stairs, and a justice of the peace
brought Immediately to deal with the assail-
ant, who, having washed his hands at the
pump, sat down and waited for arrest as calm
ly as if assault and battery were his profess
sion.
However, the battered party could not ap-
pear against him that day, and there was no
place to shut him up, so he gave bail, went to
the Office for an hour, and thence walked home
to tea.
Hampton, of course, was all alive with the
affair before morning, and early next day
Amandar appeared before the justice, with his
disfgured adversary, who had his temple COW
cred with wet brown paper, and diffused
mingled odor of cider vinegar and New En-
gland rum through the assembly that crammed
the little courtroom. Amandar could not
bring himself to confess the motive for his APP
parently unprovoked assault, so he submitted
70 ha fnni nnpsa1 and DriVafpIV SnnUbt
occasion to apologize to Harris, or rather to
explain. The young man burst into a roar of
laughter, all the more uncomfortable that
Amandar's face blazed all over at this unseemly
levity, till Harris at last caught breath.
4" Nv dear fellow, never saw Miss Hills in
INV life, nor ever knew there was such per-
son; but you and have corresponded about
that pig iron, though of course as only signed
nv letter Fowle, Norris IL Co., per H., you
could not know my name; but l had seen
yours, and been rather-beg pardon-rather
amused at it, so when Jack began to question
me (which he is mighty apt to dO), thought
I'd blind him and answered as | did. Particu-
lars were made to order; don't see how they
came to fit. Honest, now, did they!"
Well, her hair does curl some, y awkwardly
admitted Amandar, unconscious of nightly pa
pering and pinching; g and didn't know but
you'd call her nose pug. don't"
Harris could not help another laugh, and
Amandar almost said, "Confound my namel''
but just as his lips opened loyalty and love for
the dead mother closed them and he only said.
% Well, l was a fool, and own it."
You can't say no fairer than that, old fel-
low. Shake hands on it, will you!'
And Amandar and Harris % made up" as
children say; but the unlucky name had not
yet done its work. Somebody overheard this
or Jack" sharing in the ex-
PLANTATION, betrayed it with his easy tongue,
for in twenty-four hours it had reached Aman-
da and made her furious. New England, as a
rule, does not take kindly to sentiment, even
of the chivalric sort; and Hampton people were
only too glad to get a laugh on Amandar, who
had always. as their phrase went, " kept him
self to himself.n And Amanda well knew she
would be teased and laughed at numerically;
but her namesake, unconscious of her wrath,
and feeling that the time had come when he
had courage to ask her, since the blow he struck
for her sake seemed to have reused his dormant
manhood and proved to himself that he mad at
last the daring to
Put it to the touch,
To gain or lose 1t all,
betook himself to the hill farm that very night.
He was too absorbed in his purpose to under
stand Amandas silence and the flash of her
eyes, but the moment they were alone, in good
set terms he asked her to marry him.
81 guess not !" she retorted, BITTERLY don't
know how you ask. Hain't you made my
name a by-word and hissin' already down
to the villagei I've heerd, sir, about your
knockin' down that city Teller, and | don't
think it's no great recommend to a man to
have him ready to quarrel for a breath, as you
may say"
'But, Mandy" gasped the astonished suit
or 50 l couldn't set such store by you as l do,
and hear man speak light of you in that
way"
" Then stop a-settin' store by me, IS all I've
got to say"
can't do it, can't; I'd as lief root out
twitch-grass out o. a ten-acre lot. ] can't
no more stop likin' of We n can stop breathin'"
" Well, l don't knows that's my blame"
retorted Amanda, with genuine scorn.
1t seemed to her this man was a weak fool;
n Srvtbian wOOer who 1xould have knocked her