The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-12-23
an not wantin' to lose a sllure PAWN

DuI, le3gys bO-InOrrON OnrlSI-
mas!'' Nab sat down on the strange
trunk. clasping her damp, gloved hands
in helpless bewilderment.
'Ihat's what / know" said Peggy,
rubbing her ear with the soap, "but
Miss Malone she says how the rent ain
paid an -"
"But was going to pay itnext week.
and would have last week if / hadn't
been sick and not able to work, as /
told her."
THAT'S so. But reckon the amt
no use in rasin' fuss" said Peggy,
philosophically, shes done paid her a
month rent and she's tuck it. She
sayed, anyhow, she reckoned You was
more of lady'n to want to stay wher'
you weren't wanted. But he won't
come till mornin', you can stay to-
night"
'But what am going to do them"
"Room-rentin' agency down yander"
said Peggy, indicating the direction by
flirt of the floor-cloth. .. d.
Nab opened her fiat little pocket book
and shook its contents into her lap.
Peggy" said she. show many rooms
could rent for dollar and half?''
Dunno" answered Peggy, with easy
vagueness as she picked up her bucket
of suds and departed.
Nor care" added Nab to herself,
/ leaning her head against the cold, white
wall OF her little bedroom, ''neither
does any one else'in the world. How
different from the old Christmas Ewes in
the country, when royal fires roared on
every hearth, and everybody was kin to
everybody else, before so many of them
died, or left the dear, peaceful stupid
old Hollow-and | among them.
And now there is scarcely one left who
would know me-only Aunt Nancy Daw-
son who would have been my aunt really
now, if Ben and / could have kept our
tempers till the wedding day. All, well,
he has forgotten me, but Aunt Nancy
might be glad to see me, and--yes. q
dollar and half will take me to the
Hollow. I'll 90. The room is mine to-
night, and sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof. l will trust in the Father
of the fatherless, who leads us on by
paths we know not Of.
AUNT Nancy-Aunt Na-an-cy''
Dear sakes! don't shrek body all
in pieces, you Ben Brindle; what you
after?"
The door of the little deep-evedkitch-
en- flew open, letting out scent OF
boiling coffee into the clear December
air; blue linsy skirt cleared the open
passage-way, and Aunt Nancy Dawson
popped into the sitting-room, armed
with a broom which she at once pro-
ceeded to devote to the obliteration o.
the string of powdery tracks left by hel
I frin y.ac of
"Knowed there'd be tracks wherever
woman, whisking away briskly, "wha
" out so early fer?"
"We-el' said the old bachelor
rather dolorously, "you see the long ant
short of it is, L m lonesome, Aunt Nancy
-aUtM lonesome"
Jest what YOU orto be-" returned
Aunt Nancy, with blunt candor, "y' owl
fault I've told you to get married
: forty times ain IP''
"But-there amt any one left {,
marry round here as know Of"
Fiddle! amt Their the wider Bar
I ley?"
Eyes, there's the wider Barley,
said Mr.. Brindle, doubtfully, "but yo,
: know she does weigh most three hun
e dred, and is kind of curious and cross
grained like"
There's Melissy Hicks; a Lowell
. housekeeper-couldn't get better -
z mo; she's too good. A teller couI
5 never get bit of rest long as she coul
d. find straw or a raveling to fuss about
9 Wants everything in straight rows an
L no crooks nowhere. She'd put string
a to all the young ones she could find an
d run 'em up on poles like butter beans
!! she could. Anyhow, Aunt Nancy,
D don t reckon | could get married RICH
off to-day, and mould kind of like som
K one to cook Christmas dinner for me
t Not that fellow can't pack the spir
8 of Christmas round in his heart withor
q any dinner, but it would make it seeI
u like old Christmases, and want you
:, jump right into my sleigh and go HON
q with me, Aunt Nancy, and stay all day
n HeyP"
II sha' nt," said Aunt Nancy. with n
waste of empty apology; 'Im agoin
, to Jim Dawson's folkses, across ii
Branch--promised 'em a month age
q an it's saved me cookin' lot of trucl
Is Old Pepper hitched now, n Pm goil
IS to start in just the time it takes me
a get my shawl an green woosted SUI
IS bonnet on. You can 60 along, too.
'e you like"
u mol don't like" returned Bach
+ lor Brindle. They'll fish out all the
Is kin-folks from six counties and hay
u em there, and don't know half of en-
and don't seem to want any crowd t.
rs day--only just them l know. I'll 9
m home and roast sweet potato in I'll
is ashes and cook a spare-rib before IL
" fireplace; that Il be good enough, on
10 the gravy III be full of cinders."
III Bachelor Brindle drove slowly HON