The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-02-11


it, all the same" declared Amy.
"And I'll go with YOU" said May.
"And l, too. if YOU really mean it,"
put IN Ben Allen.
ct Son't be no use, persisted
Mike. But he described as we'll as he
could the part of the Common on
which he had emptied his loads the
Tuesday before. Then he droys of,
still shaking his head and repeating,
pertinaciously as Poe's raven, his re-
frain of "No use 'Twon't be no use ~
The girls really did "mean il" and
next day found them equipped for the
expedition, in their oldest clothes and
hats. Each carried a small hoe, and
they kept their wells down in the car,
fearing te be recognized by some ac-
quaintance in this unaccustomed
guise. II looked hopeless quest, in
deed, when they reached the big Com
mon, and surveyed the huge piles of
rubbish with which they had 10 deal.
/ Nays zeal gave out At once, aEd,
though she made 4 prctensc of using
her hoe, the strokes were rather pre-
tense, and size shrank fastiously from
the dusky cloud which they evoked.
| Amy was of more vigorous stuff, and.
choosing her spot, she plunged in, re-
! gardless of dirt and its consequences,
and had soon made a considerable ex
cayation. Such extraordinary rub
bish as she turned up. Old shoes,
hoopskirts of antiquated patterns, bat
tered and rusty tin pans, broken glass,
/ broken china, broken everything,
tomato-cans (alTavs specially of
dust-heapS), coyerless bowls, scraps of
calico, odds and ends of every descriP-
/ ton. One old andiron was discovered,
| bearing its brass knob above the ashes,
| and was pounced on by Amy as lawful
prize. But its fellow was not to be
found, v hich made it, as Ben suggest
ed, about as valuable as half pair of
scissors. l: was dusty, dirty, depress-
ing search, but Amy's zeal defied dis
enlargement, and she delved and dug
with energy worthy Of nobler cause,
| fndiny considerable amusement mean
while in the motley articles which her
search revealed.
And just to think that al' this is
less than a years accumulation !" said
Nav. The man said this Common
would be filled up by the end of the
wear. and they would have to begin
dumping IN fresh place."
..Oh, dear! what lot of rubbish
there is in the world! 1t quite wears
me out TO realize it," rejoined Amy,
with sigh. We'll, you don't seem to
be very active. l shall begin in 4
fresh place, l think. There doesn't.
seem to- be anything below thiS'cxcept
bed of old papers," throwing the en-
Yelops on the ground as she spoke.
May picked it up.
"Apy." she cried, stop a miphtel
It's vary queer, but I do think this is
aunty's handwriting"
"Why, it's impossible!' - pouncing
on the envelope. 81 can't believe it.
Let me sec. Why, it really is! That
is aunty's unmistakable p. Well, lift
isn't queer that we should light upon it.
Nav, an idea strikes me. Do you re-
collect that great heap of old papers
which aunty threw aside last spring,
when she put the old secretary in or
der? Wouldn't it be strange if it was
thrown into the dust-barrel and dumped
! here ?'
'Let us dig and soer' said May
quite excited.
Dig they did, and their search was
rewarded by the discovery of q great
heap of envelopes, old notes and let
tiers, and bills torn across, all directed
| to Miss Iselin or i'll her unmistakable
| handwriting. Mays impulse and
Ben Aliens was simply curiosity and
the stimulous Of f,lighting on all uncx-
pectcd thing; but some sudden
thought lent to Amy's efforts to
keener zeal. Her checks blazed, her
eyes were bright with excitement, as
she turned over the papers, opening,
examining and shaking each with an
eagerness so intense as to make the
/ others smile. No smallest scrap es-
capped her notice. Suddenly she
stopped, and stood as if turned to
stone, staring incredulously at a pa
per which she had just lifted; a
thick, longish sheet folded in three.
I So strange was her aspect and 50 agl-
tated her features that May cried out,
in alarm: "Amy, don't look so. What
is it 2"
Amy tried to speak, but choked in
the attempt. She put the paper into
NAYS hand, and, after little sirug-
gle, burst into flood of uncOntrolla-
ble tears. Ben, much alarmed, put his
arms about her. She leaned her pret-
/ ty head on h.s shoulder and sobbed
quietly; while May, after a moments
pause, burst into ordinations.
fAunty's will! Oh! Amy, didn't
/ | A!ways say that she made one? Oh!
Amy, dear, isn't it wonderful -? How
did it icome here? Oh, Amy -
And with third repetition of her ais
ter'S name she too began TO cry. Ben
seized the paper while the two girls
hung over his shoulders.
1t really was Miss Iselin's will, drawn
up, as the handwriting proved, by old
Mr.. Allen, about five years before, and
duly signed and attested. Ben rapidly
glanced over the instrument. Its pro-
visions were simple enough. All that
the testatrix died POSSESSED Of was be-
queathed, nithout reservation, to her
beloved neices, May Eleanor Iselin and
i Amy DysaFt Iselin. There was no
j neution whatever of the obnoxious
Elisha, the beneficiary of the first will.
Ben zave shout Of joy as he finished,
waved the paper over his head, and
cried "Habemus -
''Is it really Aunty's viii ?" ques-