The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-03-10

youth, but she hac expected that he .
would have some regard for the woman /
whom he had invited to preside over
his household. and she had hoped to |
make him comfortable; to do her duty |
by him." as she expressed it. Part of
that duty she had performed in the |
most admirable manner; never had the
doctors house been so clean: never
had his shirt bosoms shone with such
luster; but the heart which beat ehind
them she had teen unable to conquer.
Was it her faultP Had she not tried
to be kind, to be patient. to be meek?
Yes, but it was the trying that spoiled
it all, and she lacked the sweet boldness
which love alone can give. She was al
most afraid of that ungracious man, and
she was jealous of Becky. much loved,
happy Becky. At the end of six months
of such life the doctor noticed that
Della looked pale and thin. "Iou need
little more fresh air." he prescribed,
land | shall take you out as often as |
can" Not without some inward fear,
but attired in her very best, Della sat in
the buggy by the side OF her lord. 1t
was balmy spring afternoon, nature
looked so fresh, so bright, so happy,
that little of this happiness breathed
| lbSCll lllO I6lld , Sttu ItuIu. uC uOC-
tor must also have been touched by
these benign influences, for never be-
| fore had he been so kind, so attentive to
| her, so laxative. She smiled several
| times; twice she absolutely la ghed
! She sat little nearer to him, her cheeks
bloomed, and she was beginning to feel
quite comfortable, when, as luck would
have it, they happened to ride past
| Aoll tnrr NNnH
Della said "Oh, look! l wonder
how many people live in such tiny bit
of houseP''
The doctors brow grew dark. 'In
such house as this,'' he said, in his
! most impressive manner, 'in just such a
house as this my wife and lived in the
greatest happiness when. we were first
married" .
Had Della been suddenly shifted from
midas coral strand to Grecnlands icy
mountains the shock could hardly have
been greater. "Hjs wife, she thought.
"then, if she is his wife, what am T."
Peculiar reasoning, perhaps but Della
knew very wen what she meant. All
that evening she sat silently sewing and
answering the doctor's remarks with a
primness of dignity that surprised him.
refuge in thoughts of the old days when
Becky sat in that same chair, sewing,
too, but with such bright, loving looks,
such an Interesting way of saying
thingsl And now, what difference.
What, in truth, was this woman to him?
Not wi e. not even companion, only
housekeeper. % And he gazed at her
retectivelY.. 1t 80 happened that Il ella
who had been maxim desperate efforts
to overcome her sulky mood, looked up
at that moment and caught the full
meaning of the doctors eyes. Ha he
slapped her face she could not have felt
it more, but she gave no sign. With
white fingers that trembled a little, she
folded her work and said: Il am tired,
/ will 90 to my room"
Della did not sleep much that night.
81 must leave him. she de ided at
last. u will not live with him unless
i am real y his wife. n i cannot" Leave
him; but how? She could not 90 back
to her mothers house where questions
would be asked which she was deter
mined not to answer; and besides it was
too near. Where could she 90? A few
, hours afterwards that question was an
i swered She received a letter post
marked denver, Colorado it came
, from "dear Cousin Mamie and as she
read her letter Delia's face frightened
7 - it is Just what | wanted" she said tC
: herself E'..
One evening, when the doctor came
, home, Bridget met him at the door anc
i said: "Missus has gone, sir; she had tt
: 60 a kind of sudden, but she said she
, would write and tell you. ''All right"
! answered the doctor. "Gone to hel
: mothers, ~ he explained to himself. -
suppose there is some sort OF fandangC
going on there" He made himsel
very comfortable. 1t was cool even
. ing, and he smoked his cigar, and pu
!, his feet on the stove, with mo one
!, nigh TO hindcr.n But what the doctor
: really liked was to be hindered; he
y enjoyed watching the mild shadow o
= disapproval stealing over Delia's face; i
= she had frankly and. -briskly expressed
. her opinion, then taken it back pref
: tily, he might have fallen in love will
, her; but Della always relapsed int
meekness. and all was lost. AS tn,
DAYS passed the doctor Sbegan TO mis-
a his houselzeeperF why does she no
q writer Cold blooded creature"
Q The cold blooded creature wrote. He
letter was dated from Denver. 1t said
1 DEAR SIR; thought you would be happie
!; without me- so | came here | am YisltiD
: Cousin Mamie. With best wishes for you
: DELIA BRINsLEY
Il "A pretty letter-and dear SIR t.
e me! Gone to Denver! Who could hav
supposed she hadspirit enough for that
s Little goose! Gone to Denver. b,
: Jovep' =. ..... .........
d The doctor laughed, he blessed him
IL