The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-06-09
CHAPTER Iv.-CoSTINUED.

S''S'" 49, r''N-fNe
u CHAPTER v.-CoSr1NurD.
"My darling, forgive me! Why did
you not tell me you only met him at the
carnival ball? You don't know what
horrible thoughts possessed me-"
"Rodney, ! do know" steeling her
self for dreaded task. That ground
less jealousy of yours is more appar-
ent than you think. You are accusing
him in your thoughts Of having been
my lover. And-and suppose he had
been, what thenp'
"Mignon, don't torture me.n q.
II want to show you how needlessly
you torture yourself. want-if i can
find courage-to confess"
His face changed, with stony change
she would not soon forget. She threw
herself on her knees and caught his
hands .gN y,o
Listen to me. There was man
who, knowing me as La June, asked
me to be his wife. | soon found him
to be a villain, but just at first was in
fatuated." 'H
"Was that man TendykeP'' H. 5
"Rodney, don't look so. No, no.
in a burst of frightened denial, not brave
enough, after all, to, face. the storm she
had raised. 20 1t was Varick. -
He shook off her clinging hold. The
penalty of his rash marriage was COM
ing home to him atlast. She struggled
to her feet, hesitated, then turned away.
81 would have told yotof this before,
but You would not listen. | aOiU tell
you now whether you choose to hear or
not. promised to marry him, and
broke-the promise, when | learned his
true character. That is all there WAS
of it--no worse than you did yourself. -
sShesneed not have added that lash to
his guilty conscience.
'All? 1t is enoughyS DO you know
that you-lied to meP How can ever
believe in you again?'
He was wounding himself with his
harsh words as deeply as he wounded
her, and she knew it.
.Yes, y she said sullenly, II did lie
to you; but | had to choose between
you and the truth. If you have loved
any man before me you can never be
wife of NINE you said, and was des-
perately bent upon being your wife, in
fact as well as name. | was so foolish
as to believe your love strong enough
to overlook that error, as well as to pro
tect me from the hateful influences to
which | was a most unhappy slave.
was mistaken; you at least have given
me taste of the better life for which
longed.Y s8FA8 sHEB 8sM
Rodney was shaken. He felt his
wrath melting away as he looked at her
One glance, piteous and pleading, Of
the tear-filled eyes was enough to sub.
due him; but Mignon was slow to
give -
81 never really loved any one but
YOU. Oh, Rodney, you know that-you
must know t!'' breaking suddenly into
a passion of weeping NTM : r
And Varick is a thousand miles
away cried Rodney. He could stand
it Eo longer; another moment and she
was in his arms. my darling, my
darling, he shall not part us. No shad
ow OF the past shall do that when you
are all mine now" @ ~
She struggled to free herself.
"Oh, / am afraid Il ami afraidr' she
cried. Rodney, he never really con
scented to give me up 1t is the fear Of
my life that he will appear some day t.
have his revenge. What then?''
This, then'' exclaimed Rodney
holding her close; still, not so close bu
that she could see what threatening
gloom overspread his face. "No maj
shall offer insult or injury to you, anC
live. If would not stand between YOU
and all i'll, Mignon, would be some
thing less than a man." ,,
"And he meant it," thought Mignon
despairingly. lone word of the truth
and he would shoot Yarick down like I
mad dog" ---,-
There was no telling him after that
She waited for days, wondering tina
Varick sent her no message, tortured
with fears every hour when Rodney wa
out of her sight. In her feverish dream
she often saw Rodney foully murdered
stretched on his back, sometimes, wit
blood flowing from his throat; some