The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-07-07
CHAPTER XI.

You are going to marry that girl!'
1t was MIR. Killuth who said it, Mr..
Killuth who lay back in his chair, and
looked across the breakfast table at his
morning visitor with keen, cold, disap-
proving eyes. The visitor was Launt
harrington, of course. He had come by
late train to New York the previous
evening, had gone to his hotel for the
night, and, at the earliest permissible
hour next morning, dropped in upon
this old friend, who might be excused
for wondering what had become of his
late compdgnon du Coydge--for Launt
had left precipitately for the other city
with only the briefest of brief notes to
explain his absence:
DEAR X: Going out of town for day or
two. Will see you before go South"
The day or two had heightened its in
definite term into twIce as many weeks
before he returned-returned with this
news at his tongues end, for the condi-
| tons attached to the proposed alliance
sat easily upon Launt's conscience. 1t
mattered very little that the pere and
mere had said he was not to bind their
daughter just yet with n betrothal r ng;
they were not denying him one privi-
| damp his hopes of speedy consent to
a speedy marriage, when their uncon-
cealed reluctance should at last q We
way.
.You are going to marry that girlr'
repeated Mr.. Killuth, as much aghast
as If he had said: "You are going to
murder that girlr' "Good Heavens,
Launt! l had put that fear quite out
of my mind thought-you gave me
reason to think-that they did not en-
courage you.p Hl3 lo llDomB slosg9
They discouraged me by all posi-
Bile means while they could" explained
Launt. "They only tolerate me as a
sutton on probation now; all the same /
am going to marry my darling soon.
Mrs. Oliphant-it is Mrs. Oliphant who
opposes me, by-the-by--has given me
that grain of comfort. Surely, you can
afford to be patient now she said
when our consent is once given, you
| shall have your own way." .ilsr b 1
. What does she object to, unused,
rather than asked Mr.. Killuth. "Your
povertyp Three or four thousand
year IS poverty, suppose, to one reared
in the lap of luxury as Rose Sangerford
was" ..r4 ! iHul irInO il Z
Il don't think it is that. She was
willing to take up that artist, no better
off than myself She doubts and mis-
trusts me, as it is natural a mother
should-more than is natural, | believe.
She credits me with being tickle, I'M
stable, ready to fall out of love as readi-
ly as fell in. 1t ism fatterlng APP
probation, or a true one.''
'1t may be truer than you think.
Look here, Launt, / was your father's
friend, as / am yours, and he was as
madly infatuated, twice in his short life,
as you are to-day. He left your mother
| for La June's siren smiles. How are
you to tell that you arc better than hep"
A dark red flush went swiftly over
the young mans face. All his life he
had resented the wrong done to his
mother, and laid it, along with his faith
er's last reckless act, to the score of the
siren, whom Madame Harrington had
taught him to hate. 81
1--WE will not bring my fathers name
into discussion" he said, coldly. Then,
in a changed tone: "Klluth, YOU told
me once that that UOnian was dead.
DO you know it beyond doubt?"
:" As well as | know anything from
mere report She died of yellow fever,
i'll Cuba, believe" 1.. ~
What became of her childP"
"Her whatp"
Launt told him of that incident of
the library, and Mr.. Quests proposed
search.
ais it not strange that it should have
happened before meP' he asked. II
had 1t on my tongue to tell him of her
death, but found myself growing elk
and faint with the recollectons which
that name brought up. Mrs Oliphant
tainted outright a moment after, and
can't divest myself of the IDEA that
something in the association had its eff
feet upon her."
Little wonder-little wonder" said
Killuth, in what was for him plying
tone. "You don't seem to know,
Launt, that it was Rose Sangerford
whom Rodney France Tilted for that
creature La June. She consoled her
self for her disappointment, but the old
love fingers in her memory yet, it would
seem. And apropos of the passion, what
does Madame Farr ngton say to this
prop osed alliance of yoursp"
What any fond female relative is
apt to say in such a case" smiled
Launt. Has her fears for me, her
doubts if any match to be made be good
enough for her boy, is doubly indignant
that they are not all ready to say yes,
sir, and thank you, the moment | pro-
pose. What is more to the point, she is
seriously thinking of coming North for
the summer. ! stay, in any event. l
doubt very much if | 90 home at all
until l go on my wedding-tour.