The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-07-29
A BITTER GAIN.

A remarkable affinity existed between
the occupants of two separate windows
in one of a dingy row of brick houses
one exceptionally hot summer not many
years ago; 1t was the more remarkable
that these two people were very unlike
each other, being of opposite sexes, the
one grizzled, gruff, grumpy bachelor
on the wrong side of fifty. the other a
round, rosy, rollicking maiden of ''sweet
and twenty" The man was evidently
foreigner, the woman an unmistaka-
bic American, and these two heads,
framed by the embrasures of the sepa-
rate windows, formeda strong contrast
1t was about four o o'clock in the after
noon and both of them were looking
for the pOstman-she from her attic
window. he from his second floor front
They had been looking for the postman
every day for fortnight, and hope
deferred had paled the cheek and
subdued the merriment of the
maiden while it deepened the already
rubicund color and sharpened the al
ready testy temperament of the man.
Presently appeared in sight the brisk,
dapper little fellow in the gray uniform
with his bag strapped over his shoulder,
stepping along from house to house,
dtdAllA lbN anu oOllONs sui pl lSC- lGtll =
ecstasy, all the emotions incident to
poor hapless humanity, as ne went. But
he dealt nothing to the two anxious
watchers in the dingy brick row. Their
heads simultaneously turned to watch
him as he disappeared around a neigh
boring corner. The man grunted out
bitter ejaculation and slammed down
the window; the girl sighed and with
difficulty repressed a sob as she closed
the blind.
The next day at four o clock the same
pantomime was enacted. The same
anxiety, hope, fear, disappointment,
were painted on the two faces. The girl
brushed the tears from her eyes and put
YEARLY back her hair. As the man.
with his usual eXpletive of disgust and
disappointment, tugged at the blind, a
puff of wind blew the light ribbon from
the hair of the girl straight down into
his eyes and from thence to the floor of
his room. He saw it at once. 1t lay
upon the faded carpet almost under his
feet. His first impulse was to tramp
upon il as he marched to and fro, grOwl-
inc at the hard luck that shut him up.in
this hot hole during the dog-days. His
next impulse was to kick the bauble
aside; but it was not of a kickable ma
ture and chung close to his feet He
stopped at last and took it from the
floor and found it suspiciOusly damp.
She's been smiling again, he said.
GAS usual, she gets no letter, and cries;
get no letter, and | swear. | wonder
which Is the most consoling. And why
in thunder don't she Get her letter? She
can't have any rascally lawyers to deal
with, that lie and cajole and cheat and
steal. She can't be waiting for a wit
ness to come from the other side of the
world to testify in a case that ought to
have been settled before he went to sea.
believe 1t was a conspiracy on the part
Of these internal lawyers to dawdle
along with the case, and not discover
.--- the existence of this Martin Malloy till
he had shipped again and was well out
of their call And now it appears that
the fate of the suit depends upon the
testimony of this fellow before the mast.
At least five thousand pounds of my
Is money at this present moment is at
~ stake in the life of a miserable sailor far
out at sea" Here his solilOquy was
interrupted by a light tap at the door.
Come, he growled, without turning
his head.
He thought it was his landlady, Mrs.
Matson, for whom he had no particular
affection, or her rOugh-featured dOmes-
tic, that he felt certain was shortening
his life by her miserable cookery. But
gentle voice said, Did you want any
thing. sr?' And turning, he beheld
his landlady's daughter And how in
the world she could bear that relation
to the fat, swarthy, coarse, and COM
mercial female who kept the house,
this ledger could not imagine. Her
ewes were so soft and brown. so plead
inc and innocent, frank and cOnfiding
as little child's, whereas her mother 5
were narrow and sharp, distrustful and
cunning.
The Young girl flushed under this
scrutinizing gaze. and said again, - You
didn't want ANYTHING. then, Mr.. Nc
D Graw? Mother said you pounded on
the floor De-
"Poundedr' said Mr. McGraw; Z" of
course pounded. If / don't get a let
ter soon. IN make smithereens of some
of this horse-hair furniture about me.
If your mother has any regard for her
squint-eyed ancestor over there, she d
better take him down and out of the
way. He's been following me about
with that damaged leer of his for the
last fortnight. It's a mercy l haven't
stabbed him through the canvas. And,
saw he added, for the girl was fast
vanishing out Of his sight, and she was
wondrous pleasant article to look up
on in this gloomy old barrack-" say"
said Mr.. McGraw. He was still twirl-
ing the bit of blue ribbon in his fingers,
and now held it out to the young girl.
q 1t fell in the window to-day as we
were both looking for that COMPOUNDED
postman. l hope we'll have better luck
tomorrow, Maggie"
81 IL To IaN-
SIR said Maggie, blushing and signing.
II had good sign this morning
f-. What was that. Maggie?' said Mr..
McGraw, still holding his end of the
blue ribbon.
"Why, see, sir" she said, and point
ed to the skirt of her dress. Il put it