The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-11-19

tage, instead of Mrs. Kane Aliens
mansion.
Its your mistake" said the Squire
to Mr.. Dugby. land, of course, your
loss. Hand me over my eighteen dol.
lars aad tifty-seven cents
The grocer demurred. but the Squire
was firm, and finally departed with the
replaced money in his fat wallet
lie was hardly out of sight before
Mr. Dugby went to the cottage and told
Miss Keziah and Miss Debby the whole
story.
81 am poor man and just starting
in business" he said in conclusion.
81 can't afford to lose such a sum-"
"And you shall not lose it, said
Miss Keziah, who felt as if an icy hand
was grasping her heart. ave are hon
est, though We are poor, AMI you shall
have the money just as soon as we can
get it together"
90, Keziahr' walled Miss Debby
when the. man had gone. "IOw are we
eUer to save that much?'
awe must save it. answered Miss
Keziah, firmly. "'Where there's a will
there's always way We must econ
omize and work harder, too.
II can do without my tea,' said Miss
Debby, signing. Her tea was almost a
necessity to her.
"And we must give up butter, milk
and meat said Miss Keziah 1--WE
can learn to do without them, and self
denial is good for everybody once in a
while"
She spoke cheerfully and tried to
make the best of things; but when Deb
| by had gone out of the room she put
| her head down on the table and cried.
! Did they not make hundred sacrifices
every week of their lives, already Had
they not Systematically practiced self
denial for years and years? 1t was
hard, indeed, to see where they could
do more.
They spoke of their troubles to no
one, but went to work bravely to make
up the money they owed. Penny by
they reioicel when the last of April
they were able to clear themselves of
the terrible debt which had hung over
them like pail.
But they were weak and worn with
the struggle. They were old, and not
able to make sacrifices as we'll as
younger people might have done. Miss
Debby's health had suffered greatly
under the unaccustomed strain, and
the day after the money was paid she
tainted away in the front garden
When she regained consciousness,
her cousin Kane was bending over her,
and she heard him ask Keziah what had
made her i'll. But Keziah did not an
swer. She was, proud, and would not
speak of their troubles.
Squire Allen did not ask the question
a second time. He babe his cousins
| good-by and walked off up the road to-
ward his home. But he had gone only
a little way when the sound of some one
running behind him made him stop and
turn around. To his surprise he saw
the girl who had so long done the wash
ing at the cottage. She had been in
the garden when Miss Debbv had
tainted and had heard the question he
had put to Miss Keziah, which had re-
manned unanswered. ...H...
She was an honest, warm hearted
creature, much attached to the two old
ladies, aud now she told the Squire the
whole story of the sacrifices they had
made, and the self-denial they had
practiced, and the hardships they had
undergone ever since Mr.. Dugby's visit
in January. And she told it with a
simple eloquence which moved the
Squire heart as it had seldom been
moved before.
He said nothing when she had fin.
ished, but she saw by his face that he
was deeply moved, and she left him,
satisfied that the two dear old ladies
haH caar THAR 1orlyoSt dave
And she was right; for week later
Miss Keziah was startled and surprised
by visit from the Squirrels lawyer,
who had come to convey to her the
delightful news that there was no flu,
ture need for her or her sister to labor,
for their Cousin Kane had settled upon
them an income of fifteen hundred dol
lars year.
1t seemed a large fortune to Miss
Debby and Miss Keziah, who haC
known poverty and toll so long, and
they could hardly believe at first thai
it was true. And they never knew what
it was that had softened their cousin S
heart toward them. They never i'm
agined that he had learned how hare
they had struggled to pay for thai
Thanksgiving dinner, which had made
them supremely happy for one day a
least.
But there was no question of Thanks
giving dinner now. Grim poverty haC
forsaken the cottage forever, and not {
year passed that its walls did not echo
the merry laughter of Lavina and La
yina's eleven happy children. -HOrac,
II. Birney, in Chicago Standard.
The Small Barking Dog.
! BURGLAR noun In nannaD,ora IN "