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


to a delicate point.
Course them for sneaking dogs Why can't
they leave a fellow alOne!H he thought, with
despair at heart that nearly made him give
in, beaten. a ~ 0 81
Nevertheless, that night he once more groped
his way stealthIy out of the house, through a
back door that led into an alley-way, darker
for a cloudy night and dirtier than usual for a
spell Of thawing. Into this dirt and darkness
Brown disappeared.
The neighborhood about Browns Retreat
if not very honest or respectable, had a touch
ing confidence in other peoples honesty and
responsibility; for it always slept with its
doors wide open in summer and on the latch
in winter the delicate formality of bell OF
knOcker being quite unknown. At midnight,
or little later, the faint light of tallow can.
die lit a corner of Browns Retreat and awoke
Popsy from her slumbers on a miscellaneous
heap Of old clothes and patchwork quilt tC
the fact that an unknown man was bending
4 over her. A sailor he seemed; a strong look
ing man, with face smoothly shaver but fol
a short, Clearly cut mustache.
Being only child, POpsy was for moment
filed with unspeakable terror at the sudden
| awakening, the light and the strange man
| Then there flashed into her mind, young as
| she was, the danger of the man who had be-
/ triended her, and whose object was, she knew,
to remain undiscovered.
W llLbAl ilONlll8 lltI eyes lIOLl lllt bll
face she slipped on to her feet and stood at the
| door of Browns room, as if to defend it. Not
Z a word she said, but stood there shivering and
! trembling, with one small, faithful hand on
| the dOor-knOb and pleading look in her faith
| Iul eyes that made his own dim; that made him
| turn away for an instant, and then ask in a
! husky voice, Don't you know me, POpsyE'
! Popsy started at the tones. . Wen, this
beats ALL Don't you know your Nuncl" cried
| the man. " swear, yOungster, either you're
asleep or Pm another map. What, don't you
! know me, POpsy!P he asked, and held out his
| arms to her.
| Yes, you are Nune :" the child cried, throw
| ing her arms about his neck. Then, after a
/ little thoughtful pause, she added, And yet
| You are not"
The man was, indeed, well disguised. Since
| POpsy had known him his face had become
/ rough and dark by a beard and mustache of
! some weeks growth. Soap and water and a
| comb, prosaic as it sounds, had helped the
| transformation. The trim sailor dress, rough
| as it was, formed such a contrast to the
wretched clothes he had picked up piece-meal.
With better clothes something of that dis
! graced, hunteddOWu look in his eyes had dis
/ appeared; so that as far as his outer man was
| concerned Brown might again have been
! clasSed as a respectable member of society.
''And yet you are not Nunc,n the child re-
! peated, not quite cOmprehending his disguise.
Brown said nothing, but lifting her in his
arms carried ltG llJO liic bdCh room anu Closed
! the door. Placing the candle on the rough
table he seated himself and took the child on
his knee.
Look here, Popsy," he began, with some
embarrassment, you know Pm hiding from
the from the
Perlce,n PoPsy interposed wisely.
"Well, yes, to be sure. And the fact is, to
make a long story short, those two chaps
whO've been approving here are making
the place too hot for me; and, Popsy," he
said, with a certain tenderness in his voice
you would hardly have expected from so rough
man." POpSv, I've got to leave you, though
| said wouldn't; and it does seem hard and
mean, now, doesn't it, young 'un!'
80, Nunc, NuUcn' the child sobbed
"There there :" Brown said, rocking her to
and fro like sick baby. "NOw, listen to
what I've done. You don't know Jack! Still,
how should yOuE' he muttered to himself
"Av, Jacks a good one and has stood by me
like a rock.' Brown said, atfectionately.
Now, Jacks got me a berth with himself on
the Mary Ann. bound for the East Indies
The shippers glad Of a steady hand and asks
no questions at this time o. year. There'l
come a woman for You tomorrow, POpsv,
who'll take We along with her. She's Jacks
sister, and speaking almost in a whisper,
once she was to have been my wife,-my
wife. But ! went to the dogs God forgive
me and she's only Jacks sister now. Be
mindful OF her, POpsy: be true and good like
her and some day you'n grow up to be good
woman, just as She is,-Heaven bless her!n
Brown cried and buried his face in his hands
for q moment.
- will, Twill, Nuncp' the child answered
piteOusly. " But when are YOU coming back!'
Never said Brown. accustomed to staring
hard facts in the tace,-"uever. But when
you're a woman grown good woman, mind,
like her perhaps hen you'll come out
10 me. But what's the matter, young 'un?"
as Popsy, slipping from his knee, with head
bent forward listened intenJly.
" NUnc, don't you hear somethingp' she
whispered, Reconstruction.
Instantly Brown was deadly still, listening
with that keen suspense which only man feels
whose liberty ami life are at the mercy of a
sound
There was the noise as of delicate tamper-
ing with the metal about a knob or a lOck-a
noise which would have been Unheard in the
daytime, but which dead midnight barely
caught and Te-echOed into those straining,
fOreboding ears.
There was only time to act. With the quick
ness of a man to whom self-pOssessiOn in dan
ger has become a second nature, he Sprang to
the low window, tore it open and without
another word or look leaped out into the mid
night darkness and ran, ran for dear life, with
the horror at heart Of perhaps running into
the very hands of his pursuers.
The child, with quick instinct, shut the be-
traying window, and then, with the hot tears
swelling up into her eyes, shrank back into
dim corner and waited till the low door
opened, and by the flash of a lantern and the
ilaring light of the candle she saw three men
enter one Of whom carried a revolver in his
hand. This last man was policeman and he
stepped in with a certain buSinesS-like air
which wasin fine contrast to the tagging steps
of the men behind him, in whom the child in
stantly recognized the nautical loafer of the
morning and the individual who said he was a
doctor and a friend.
"Where's Browne Where's the man!n the
policeman asked, peering about, with his Ian
tern in one hand and the revolver in the other
''This is Browns Retreat with vengeance
said the gentleman, while the friendly indi-
vidual used some strong language about med
ding fools, with glance at the former.
Without a knowledge of what would hap
pen, with the glitter of the ugly looking pistol
in her eyes, but with world of gratitude in
her heart, poor Popsy crept out of her cor
ner and said humbly and pleadingly, " If you
please sir I'm Brown"
OF course they tried to ferret him out, but
the humorous rogue did actually escape on
the Mary Ann, bound for the East Indies, with
the briskest kind of breeze to push her
along.
had a feeling of sympathy with Brown all
the time, for he had a vein of hUmor in
him and a vein of humOr Is an eN-
cellent point in man, even if two hundred
and fifty dollars are offered as a reward for his
capture as a common thief.
He.was to be sure bit fOolhardy in his APP
probation of joke, for in his leisure he nailed
up another deal-bOard with Browns Re
treatn upon it at the head of his bunk, to the
curiosity Of the other seamen. Only one I'M
derstood the delicate innuendo, and that was
the good Samaritan Jack.
As his country's prisons were never again
honored by his presence. as nothing was heard
of his death, as mysterious presents are con-
tinually reaching Popsy, who has grown TO be
a true and noble-hearted girl Just as Jacks
sister was before her, it is pleasant to think
that the wretched criminal found some spot
on earth where he prospered; where he could