The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-09-03
LOVE-.
a TRUE STORY OF A CALIFORNIA WAT
TERING PLACE.

Dauen-Daden Springs, one OF the sum-
mer hostllies in the Santa Cruz noun
tains. Not a man to be Scen-the
plaza was vista of skirts. At one
epd sat the matruns, either doing some
one of those nunbcrless things called
fancy work, or else retailing their
household troubles. At the other sat
the young ladies. They were gazing
iistless across the garden to the disus-
ed croquet ground.
No one said, Lets play crOquet >
No, indeed there had been a pitched
battle on the croquet ground the day
before. Miss Helen Winn had re-
marked that she named no names, but
when person was wired she did not
think it fair for her to remove the ball
when the others were not looking.
Upon this Miss Tilie Robertson had
burst into tears, and said that Miss
Winn was "a hateful thing" Miss
Carrie Bunner, partner to her of the
tears, Immediately laid down her NAL
let with great dignity, and Ostenta-
tlously escorted Miss Robertson from
the ground, saying: 'There now, Til
lie, "Never mind them," etc, all of
which was ineXprcssiblv goading to
he other side.
BY way of showing the two seceders
how unnecessary they were, two
other ladies took their places, and the
game for while was conducted in
the smoothest manner, and the con-
Tersation i'll sugared tones. From the
fact, however, that they came home in
four different directions, it is supposed
that something went wrong. John,
whose duty 1t was to put away the
maliets and balls after ladies used the
grounds, related Oh his return to the
kitchen that he found them there
mallets scattered all over creation, jest
where them gals flung 'em when the
game bust up"
No, although they had all "made
up since, the influences upon the
whole were not favorable to that game
which stirs the feminine soul so deep
ly. By the way, was the woman ever
born who would not cheat at croquet
if she got good chance?
swell, girls, what shall we do to-
day :" at was Bella Chester who spoke.
Now Bella had not been mixed up
i'll the quarrel of the day before. If
there was one thing she did not care
for, it was crOquet without gentlemen.
1t is unnecessary, then, too tell you
that she was crOquettish. But she
was pretty, too, was Bella-bewilder-
ing pretty. And yet she was not so
pretty that other women did not like
her, for they did. There are two
kinds of pretty women.
"Lefs 90 to the springs" said
Helen Winn, and watch them bottling
waters.
"Pshaw! !" said Bella, ''there is only
an old man and a boy there. Girls
she went on, IL have an idea. How
far is it from here to Santa Maria
College 2"
about six miles," said Helen.
'Then I'll tell you what let's do
Wen have the rockaWay team hitched
up, and get John to drive us over
there. It's vacation time now, and
the students have gone. Well have
the monks show us all over the
buildings, the old mission church, and
everything"
They're not monks" said Carrie
Bunner, with an air of wisdom, NIiss
Bunner was Catholic), they are
fathers"
Well, I'd like to know what's the
difference" said Miss Bella, rather
briskly.
I-don't-know," said Miss Carrie,
weakening, 'but you must call them
fathers anyway"
III call them anything they like"
said Miss Bella. But come girls-let's
90 and get ready"
'ln fifteen minutes five of the girls
were all ready. They had simply put
on immense straw hats and very ugly
busters. Their gloves were veterans {;
their shoes substantial, but not beau
titul. In short, they were alfred as
sensible girls should be for ride over
California road i'll summer.
But the minutes passed, and Bella
did not come. John chewed tobacco,
and smoOthed his impatient horses as
they flicked the flies from off their
backs and paved the ground. John
was never impatient. A sweet and
tender restfulness filed his soul when
he was waiting for ladies. He had
driven around watering places many
years, had John.
AT last she came. A simultaneous
CRY arose:
why what ever has kept you so
long?"
Suddenly Helen exclaimed: 'Wen,
| declare If that girl hasn't gone and
changed her dress!'
Eyes, and fixed her HART"
"And put on a clean pair of gloves |"
And changed her boots 7"
1t was all true. Miss Bella had en-
deavOred to shrOude these treasons in
her duster and hat, but it was useless.
She was indeed pretty sight, as she
stood there, with one dainty foot upon
the step. Even John was moved. He
refectively spat on the nigh side, and
made room for her to sit by him.
Miss Bella sprung into the seat. John
was better than nothing. And as
they spun along the road, she laughed
at his well-wOrn stories, admired his
skill as a driver, and when he turned
to look at her she would drop her eyes.
And John? Well, he chewed tobacco.
IT'S wonderfully soothing, in any
form, is the maligned weed.
At last the little town was reached
and John dashed up in style to the
college gates. The ladies descended,
crossing the wide and dreary-looking
campus and applied for permission to
see the old mission church and the
college buildings. 1t was granted
them, and an Olive-skinned Italian
priest was detailed to show them over
the place. He was gentle and cOur-
teous in manner, handsome in face,
and a certain dignity about him which
even the giddy Bella at
first. But not for long.
They passed into the old mission
church. with its quaint statues and
curious paintings. That peculiar re-
ilism which seems to impress the
Latin mind only revOlted them, and