The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-08-19

tlSSineul, answered. Tommy, MS eyes
opening wider in his astonishment ut
says. 60 to Tracey's Halfway House
for square meal.
Eyes, know'd it! know'd itl'' ex-
claimed Nat, exultingly. 1.-The King
said take no money nor nothin' to eat,
an He'd take keer of me. He says
60. an FL obey orders, and instant
ly his tall figure was moving swiftly
down the road.
Tommy gazed after him minute in
bewildered silence and then exclaimed,
emphatically. as he turned away:
my! but amt he crackedr'
With rapid steps Nat hurried forward,
swinging his huge stick and talking to
himself. He had taken the placard as
veritable command to 90 to Tracey's,
and thitherward he directed his steps.
1t was not the first time he had been
there. On previous occasions when he
had passed that way he had been
kindly treated by Mrs. Tracey, and
perhaps that had something to do
with the alacrity of his movement, and
he fastened down the road till it
brought him to small stream, on the
bank of which stood saw-mill. Mr..
Tracey, the owner of the Halfway
House, was engaged at work here, and
he turned aside to speak to him.
I'm on business for the King, and
I'm goin' to your house." he an
nounced, with the digniied gravity that
belonged to his royal commission.
"On business for the King, and goin'
to my house. eh?" answered the person
addressed, a good natured smile cross
ing his kindly face. 'Well, L reckon
that's high honor to me. You've got
tramp afore you, though, Nat-a good
seven miles,"
81 must obey ORDERS" replied Nat,
simply.
"That's right-obey orders. Well,
if you do 90 tell Mrs. Tracey I'll be
not to be uneasy about that money be-
| come"
"What money that?" asked fellow
workman as Nat turned away.
My pension. My claim was allowed
last week, and L got my money-6ve
hundred Enthusiastically. l was fool
ish not to put it in the bank right off,
but didn't, and as 1 didn't have time
to go to town yesterday l had to leave
it at home. reckon it's safe enough,
though, till tomorrow night, and
them
"Hist" interrupted his companion,
suddenly. whats tbatP"
Tracey paused to listen.
81 didn't hear anything" he said.
81 thought | heard some one over
there" pursued the other, pointing to
large, high pile of boards few feet
distant-the boards being piled in form
OF a square, with large cavity in the
center. "Most likely it was rats,
though"
"More likely to be rats than anything
else, there's so many about here,n
answered Tracey. Then he added
iocularly: MAYBE, though, it's them
burglars that's been playin' mischief
round these parts for the last week or
so-may be they're slowed away in that
pile of lumber. My! if l really believed
that L d be uneasy myself, for the chaps
would have heard all / said about my
pension"
"What burglars is thatP'' inquired
the other
What burglarsP Why. man, don't
you read the papersP Why, only yester-
day the Sheriff and his deputies rode by
my house on the hunt for en- Last
Saturday nightthey broke into Lawyer
Burke house, in the village, and
carried off about hundred dollars, and
then on Sunday night they got into the
railroad station, broke open the safe,
and made off with about three hundred
more. That's the biggest of their hauls,
though they've entered several other
places"
The conversation was continued on
this topic for few minutes, and then
dropped. Neither of the men thought
it worth while to investigate the cause
OF the noise, and they pursued their
work for a short time and were then
called over to the other side of the mill.
Just as they disappeared a face peered
over the top of the board-pile from the
inside, another followed a moment later,
and presently two rough, villainous-
looking men came into view, and seeing
they were unobserved, sprang quickly
to the ground and fastened into the
forest.
"Close shave that, as bein' as we was
hid there all last night and all day till
now," said one, as he pushed through
the underbrush.
"Yes; L thought as once them mill
chaps was a comm to look, " responded
the other. GOOD for 'em as they
didn't, an took us for rats; cause the
p'lice be on the lookout now an we
don't want to use no shootin irons an
make things too hot We must move
out lively from ere, Bill"
mot till we get that ere pension"
answered Bill, significantly. THAT
layout were as good as pitched al us,