The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-01-01

Miss MacWinkle blushed. For few
more such compliments she would have
consented to pass her night in room
where COLLINS danced in a ring, pro-
vided, ut least, that these imps did not
touch her. She became the heroine of
the evening, and when the hour arrived
for her retiring to bed she took a col
lected and graceful farewell of the COM
pany.
"If | see a ghost I win drive him out
of the room, and / rely on you to dis
patch him for me,'' she said, softly to
the dragoon as she departed.
"Oh, yes; believe my room is in
the same passage As yours, and III keep
a lookout" laughed the officer.
Don't use firearms, though.
No; III route him out with a poker
or an umbrella.
Every body was amused; and pres
emily the whole company had dispersed.
Soon after midnight the house was
hushed, and even the dragon, who
ought to have been keeping watch for
the ghost, slumbered in peace the sleep
of the Just. Throughout the night not
a sound was heard, and the pair of ter
riers who had been left free TO ramble
about the house as sentinels, curled
themselves up in the passage near Miss
MacWinkle's door, and were never
heard to bark or growl once.
Breakfast used TO be served at 9 80 in
Capt. Jafiie's house, and all the guests
staying under his roof generally came
to it. Miss MacWinkle had said over
night that she would do so; therefore,
when the company assembled, and the
coffee, tea, hot rolls, bacon, eggs, but
tered toast, rounds of beef, game, pies,
ETC., were all spread out in tempting
array, eyes were turned towards the
door, expecting to see the heroine walk
in. But Miss MaeWinkle was late At
ter a quarter of an hours delay, Capt.
Jaifie said to the butler: q Has Miss
MacWinkle's maid told her that break
fast is ready?"
"I'l go and ask, sir,'' answered the
servant, and he went out Five minutes
sfterward he returned, looking rather
Hurried, and said, "The maid has
knocked several times at Miss MacWin-
kle's door, and there is no answer"
"When did she first knock?" asked
Capt. Jaffle.
''An hour ago, sir; then she came
back, half an hour later, thinking her
mistress was asleep. She got no answer
then, and now she's knocking again,
and she's beginning to get alarmed"
Every body else became alarmed all of
a sudden. A general adjournment was
made to the passage, and Miss MacWin-
kle's door was vigorously thumped, but
without any responsive sound being
evoked. The handle was tried, but the
door was locked on the inside. "Poor
thingi she has tainted from fright" re-
marked one of the young ladies of Is.
"a fainting fit does not last an hour;
we had better have the door forced
OPEN" said Mrs. Jaffie, anxiously.
If we send to the village the lock-
smith won't be here for an hour" OBJ
served the Captain. al had better 90
and get my tools and do the business
myself"
The Captain hurried off, and while he
was gone his guests, who were now Sc
riously frightened, INDUCED in every
sort of conjecture. Ii it had not been
fer the presence of their hostess, they
would loudly have blamed the Captain
for having put the nerves of Miss Mae
Wrinkle to such q strain. As it was,
some of them remarked that people
ought not 20 keep ghosts on their prem
Uses, and taat haunted rooms were only
good 10 hear of in novels.
Meanwhile Capt. Jafile returned, and
after some trouble forced the door open.
Mrs. Jaflle and some ladies Streamed in
and instantly uttered cries of distress,
which brought the men into the room.
The place was empty and the window
stood wide open, thus telling tale of
some fearful drama which must have
been enacted in the night. 1t was evil
dent that poor Miss MacWinkle must
have received some horrible scare and
have leaped clean through the case
ment. Luckily, the window was on the
ground floor, so that she could not have
been much burt by her fall; but where
was she?
The ladies looked out, half expecting
to see an inanimate form in bed-gown
lying across a fiower-bed. Mrs. Jaflle
had been prompt to remark that Miss
MacWinkle must have undressed and
got into bed, for the bed was liz diSor-
der, and the poor lady's clothes were
thrown over some chairs. But, indeed,
Miss MacWinkle's maid was able to cor
roborate the fact that her mistress had
gone to bed, and an inspection of boxes
and wardrobe enabled her to say that,
wherever Miss MacWinkle might he,
her attire must be of the scantiest, con
sisting only of a night-dress and frilled
cap. " Send off the grooms at once in
every direction. Perhaps the poor
thing has become mad from fright. Oh,
dsarl What shall we do?" calculated
Mrs. Jaffie.
"I'm very sorry | asked her to sleep
here" stammered Captain Jaflle, apollo
getically to his guests, "but 1 had no
idea that she was timid."
"Who wouldn't be timid against
ghost?" exclaimed one of the ladies,
moving toward the door with a shudder,
rs. if she feared to see the sprite who
had frightened Miss MacWinkle start
up suddenly again. The other ladies
and, after another quarter
Of an hour had been expended in con-
lectures, the party filed back toward the
breakfast room. Appetites had not
been destroyed, though they were part !
y blunted by what had happened, and
Capt. Jaifie requested his wife to stay
md do the honors of the house.
He himself went to help his grooms
ook after Miss MacWinkle. They hunt
ID high, low, far, and near; they sum-
noned the police to assist them; they
;et the telegraph wires TO work; but all /
o no purpose. Then river which |
ioUp6 near the houSp was draUOad /