The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-11-24
+" ONE OF THREE"
by JESSE ForHERGILL,
author Of Probation" ''Thc WelfcIds," Etc.
CHAPTER VII.-CoNr1N1rrp.

A1uh0r OF fTODdJloHs Inc HcUctuS,' ETC.
CHAPTER vII.-CoNT1NuEp.
"He--then of course q mans hands
ought to be stronger than woman's."
Il don't know what they ought to
be. j. know what they are. Oh, they
are very strong. SO is he, though he
never talks about it. / worship him
because he is strong and l1ind.' 9
~ can be kind if | am not strong,''
said Margaret.
5"I can't decide ;yetiwhether you are
strong. When my friend has seen you
l,shall ask him if you are. and shall
believe what he tells me and nothing
else"
you are trying to brighten me, but
youwill not succeed, sad she, smiling
generously upon him. Remember, /
do not say am strong.p
'No, | know; but you might be, even
II you said you were not; and you
might not be, even if you said you were
so, as l said, shall ask him.
''And can you like none but strong
people, RupertP'
Il didn't say that, but 1 like the
strong ones best, just because [ am
such miserable wretch-such feeble
pretense of a person myself
A dark, troubled shade crept into his
pale eyes.
''Do you always sufferp' asked Mar
garet.
NEARLY always. / can't walk prop,
erly. can only hobble. about with
that thing he pointed to his crutch--
''or be driven about the lanes, or down
to the pier to look at the sea. / think
like that the best You must come
with me sometimes. Then think
aboutsthe sea, and strange ideas come
into my head and I,write them down"
DO you2 In verse or prosep'
"Sometimes one, sometimes the other.
Mostly prose, because, though my brains
are rather stupid, they are Just, clever
enough to let me know that shall never
be a poet
"Will you let me see some of these
things that you have writtenp" 's'''
Yes, if you like. Now, you know a
lot about me. Tell me what you can
81, echoed Margaret, startled, and
coming rapidly over in her own mind
what seemed to her her very few and
meager accomplishments. "Oh, can
sing little. and playa little, iand-and
teach II little, of course, she added,
with quick blush.
"Oh, said Rupert, not very enthu-
siastically, ''have you got a lot of those
horrid certificates and things, like Miss
Flint had, who was here beforeg' 9Fk
f'Yes, | have some of thern.s7 4 49,
~"Well, Miss Flint had them written
in her face. You haven't. We won't
talk about them. | want to know
something. May / call you MargaretP"
"Oh, yes, if you like. Indeed, /
would rather you did, E" said Margaret,
with a~sense OF relief in the idea that
this Rupert, whom she liked already,
would not pain her by constantly using
name which did not belong to her.
Their conversation was prolonged I'M
til lunch time, branching off into the
most remote and irrelevant topics, but
ceasing never. Margaret was intensely
pleased at the way in which the boy
threw himself, as it were, upon her
kindness and affection knocking at her
hearts door, to ask if there were not
room for him, too, within that ample
chamber. And there was He confided
TO her small bundle of the sacred man.
uscript which formed the solace of his
hours, he said, when he felt little
stronger than usual, and could sit at
his desk to write Them They had be-
come fast friends, when at last the
sound of gong was heard. and Rupert
said,
That's for lunch, and feel so we'll
to-day, shall go in to it if you will let
me sit next to YOU"
Suppose we consider your place
next to mine. And now, take your
crutch, and will give you my arm, and
we will hobble in together"
CHAPTER VIII
JOHN MALLABARR.
AS they proceeded slowly toward the
dining-room, Rupert suddenly paused.
.'Hstp' said he. ''Whose is that
voice hear, as well as the othersP'