The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-11-03
CHAPTER III.


MIR. Pierce's house was commodious,
for he was rich merchant of a rich
town. His friends, and those of his
wife, were numerous. The provision
made for them was on generous and
ample scale, and they had responded
cordially to the invitation sent out to
them.
Mr.. Biddulph, of whom so much had
both that afternoon and evening been
said, was the first to arrive, while only
Tom and Margaret were in the drawing
room. He-Maurice Biddulph-was a
man concerning whom men held differ
ent opinions, and who caused much
speculation in the bosoms of his lady
friends. He was well off, and still
young. He had many advantages, and
there was no doubt that he was man
OF the world. Nor was there any room
for disputing the fact that he was good
looking and agreeable-many persons
said clever, too, but that is matter of
opinion, for which no absolute rule can
be established. He was tall, had a good
figure, and generally light brown APP
pearance, with a closely cut, pointed
beard, and eyes which looked exceed
ingfy pleasant, as rule. He did things
with ease, and as a matter of course,
which some other men, especially very
young men, found it very difficult to do
at all. For instance, every one knew
that the ball that night was given in
honor of Margaret Barrington's coming
of age, and half the bachelors who were
to be there would have been very glad
to make an offering in the shape of Il
bouquet-tlOwers being considered APP
propriate gifts on such an occasion, and
some of them succeeded in accomplish
ing the feat, with more or less elegance
OF demeanor and charm of diction; but
various motives restrained the ardor of
the most part of them: shyness-a
hideous dread of being the only one to
do it, and so becoming the marked man
of the occasion-and again, with that
modest distrust of his own powers of
pleasing which characterizes the very
young man of the present day, the fear
lest poor Miss Darlington should con-
strue the gift as being intended to con-
vey deeper meaning, and so have her
hopes unduly raised. 1t is sad, in the
face of so much tender consideration,
to have to record that Margaret had
been known to make the sweeping as
sertion that boys under sixteen were
often very good fun, and men over
thirty good company if they were clever,
but that anything between those ages,
of the masculine gender, was an un-
mitigated bore.
Mr. Biddulph, being Qet him have
the benefit of the doubD clever, and
over thirty, came, it is to be presumed
under the head of good company; and
he, at any rate, had had the courage tc
| bring bouquet with him. and was also
sustained through the operation of pre-
senting it and his congratulations tc
Margaret-and who will deny that it is
a formidable task to make a congratu
latory speech to sarcastic young lady
in the presence of an impertinent school
boy who has the faculty for seeing some
thing amusing in all that is said anC
done by his elders?
81 congratulate you, Mr.. Biddulph,'
remarked Tom; 49, short, but able, anC
very much to the point, as the news
papers say"
Margaret received the offering with {
smile OF happy omen, granted Mr.. Bid
dulph the dances he asked for, always
excepting the first, and, it is to be pre-
sumed, succeeded in her efforts on be
half of Marion Percival, for Mr.. Bid
dulph was heard to murmur that he
knew Miss Percival-of course, he knew
her-and later was perceived dancing
with her more than once. Margare
was pleased to see that Miss Perciya
appeared to be really enjoying herself
there was bright flush on her cheel
and animation IN her dark eyes.
REALLY, Madge, that girl looks quit,
pretty" observed Mrs. Pierce, condo
scendingly.
"Of course. When is girl to lool
pretty if not when she is thoroughly en-
joying herselfP"
Fancy her chattering away in tina
style to Mr.. Biddulph! l didn't thinl
she had so much conversation in her
Why can't she talk to me in that way
| am sure she is dull enough wheneveI
1 have anything to do with her."
$50 would you be, if you had beer
struggling all day with two headstrons
girls" said Margaret, who never coulC
be got TO agree with Mrs. Pierce plain
tive lament that her children-all chill
dren-if properly managed, were ia
more of pleasure than trouble, anC