The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-05-20
A MODERN PURITAN.

Stephen Billings had finished his din
ner-a meal eaten at noon By the in
habitants of the thinly settled farming
town of IIillside-and was showing back
his chair, when he heard a rap at the
front door. 1t stood open-for it was
a warm day in the last week of May
and framed delightful view across
slope and valley, view at this moment
eclipsed by the figure of tall and hand
some girl, who stood waiting at the
threshold. . .
"Eh, Miss Sophronyr' said Mr.. Bill
ings, bowling his head to peer at her be-
tween the shaggy gray tufts o1 his
silver-bowed spectacles Won't We
walk IMP Hovfs Mis- NewcombP Chill
'dren dom well to school? Hev cheer,
won ye?-ye look real beat" @ p,
"Mother is well, thank you,n said
Sophrona, hurriedly. Can see you
few moments alone, Mr.. BillngsP'
"Sartin we can-what's to hender?'
said the old bachelor, bluntly. "Tbere's
the gal in the kitchen, busy mostly a
breakin' on the dishes, an she won't
hear; so speak right out, Miss Sophrony,
an git rid ont, for l own Pm powerful
curis to know what's brought yep
The girl blushed it was, in fact, the
first time she had ever been under
Stephen Billings roof. 1--WE come to
see you about the mortgage on father s
farm"
The old man started, Strengthening up
stifliy. 'Ye jest go right straight back
hum, an tell yer father not to send
none o his petticoats to me-. don't do
business with gals" .r. - |t RI
so, Mr.. Billings, father doesn't know
that | came" cried the girl, quickly.
1t is all my own doing; no one knows
word about it. and you muslin tel"
Mustn't, heyP" - '''
"No, you will not tell; you have
no right, for l have come to you
in confidence, and you are a gentle
man, and can not betray me-"
She was pale, and trembled very much,
but there was no installing the resolu-
ton in her voice and glance.
81 amt no gentleman" Stephen
Billings answered. after pause; :" but
If we RELY cum by yerself, amt called
upon, fur s know, to 90 a-givin' on
we away bytattlin'. WHAT we want?"
"Tll tell you the truth, Mr.. Billings,
and III speak as l would if you were
my own father instead of my fathers
enemy"
The old mans face changed sudden
ly, and he pressed his hand hard upon
the arm of the hair-cloth sofa where he
sat; but the girl went on, without pause
or visible hesitation, as if life and death
were in the balance. - don't under
stand business very well, but do know
that father can not pay up the mort
gage, and that you have said that he
must pay, or you must have the farm. /
want you to grant him one year. and at
the end of it, if he can not pay you Mr.
Billings, will. I've come here TO ask
you to do this great kindness to me, Mr..
Billings-not to my father or my moth
er, but to me. And ask you to deal
with me as you would wish to have
man deal by your daughter, if she were
in such trouble as | am. ," 81. ...flir ...
The sweet, passonately earnest voice
ceased, and the speaker came forward
and. sinking into the chair at the end of
the sofa, laid her hand on the old mans
arm. She had proudly refrained from
allusion either to her mothers delicate
health, or her fathers age and rheumat-
ic disabilities. She would not permit
them, even through her, to vainlv sup
plicate this hard man. but herself she
freely humbled for their dear sakes.
The Newcomb farm was small, and the
mortgage but trifling sum, if only
Daniel Newcomb had not been poor,
physically disabled, and through the
misdeeds of others in debt On the 9TH
'er hand, Stephen Billings was rich, at
least for Hillsider; but he was
known to be a grasping as well as
thrifty man, and few people who knew
him would have dreamed of such an at
tempt as Sophronia Newcomb had made.
Yet courage and devotion sometimes an
'swer better than the subtlest worldly
wisdom, TWAS long time since any
one had spoken to Stephen Billings with
this tone of complete confidence in his
doing what'was right whether pleasant
or not, just because it was right; and it
was very long time since a warm
young hand had touched him kindly like
this girlish hand he felt trembling on
his arm. When, after a pause, he
raisei his eyes to hers, his features were
working with unaccustomed and strong
ly repressed emotion.
"Wa'aL I've heered ye," he said,
"and eff I'd had, darter, an she wuz
ter cum ter q man rs we've cum to me
in trouble, We said-rd want him ter
say. Jest We be easy; I'll give Dan'l-
I'll give yer father year. Sho! what
be We dom P' Sophronia had caught
one OF his hands and kissed its brown
freckled back. He rose and walked over