The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-12-08

conversation WIN MIN ABOUT you Jhal
| spoke Of
fare you on Christian-name terms
already" asked Louis, with n slight
laugh. "If he were a French youth,
Miss Percival, he would have begun by
now TO tutoycr you; if German, he
would have made you swear Bruder-
scbaft, or SchwesterschatT, if there be
such thing"
being an English boy, he very sem
sibly calls me by the name which my
godfathers and godmothers gave me in
my baptism"
''All l can say is, that his late in
structress, Miss Flint, was here six
months and am sure he never thought
of taking such a liberty with her. 1
! fear you are no disciplinarian.
''He does not take any liberty" said
Margaret, flushing angrily. ''If he or
any one else" she paused ''were to
take liberty with me, should know
how to correct it,
THAT is a most useful talent to
have" replied he, smiling blandly.
''It is sign of kindly feeling, is it
MOI, Rupert" she said.
''Of course" said Rupert, decidedly.
miss Flint! Imagine any one calling
Miss Flint by her Christian name I! II
she had one | don't know what it was.
Aud Margaret is not like Miss Flint-a
machine for slowly grinding horrid in
formation that one doesn't want into
one. Margaret is my friend'
"Proud distinctionr' replied Louis;
and Margaret's choler rose, though he
spoke in slow, gentle manner, pecul-
iarly his own, and without the trace of
sneer or any i'll will. Perhaps" he
continued, ''by the time Miss Percival
has been at it as long as Miss Flint, she
will be more like a machine and less
| like friend" He looked at her with
a slight smile, as if he had been saying
something rather complimentary than
otherwise.
Margaret's first angry impulse was to
retort that there was not the least need
for her to be friend, or machine, or
anything else, unless she chose; but she
fortunately Cor otherwise) restrained
her tongue in time. All that she could
say was:
81 know nothing about that, I am
sure"
81 liked Miss Flint" Baldwin went
on. She was tough old soul. She
thought discipline the great motive
power of the universe, and order Heav-
en- 5 first law-that was the prophecy
for her! And dare say she was right
in SO far, that by enforcing strict disci-
pline she gained to herself the maximum
of comfort, with the minimum of wear
and tear, compatible with the life she
led But she failed to win the heart of
this ungrateful youth"
Implying that if can win his heart,
| don't know how to erploiter my con-
quest when have got it," said Marga-
ret, involuntarily.
" Implying absolutely nothing was
thinking of Miss Flint, not of you, Miss
Percival, if you can believe such thing
possible, while you are here"
He was atrocious, Margaret thought,
and her face famed. She had never
been covertly laughed at before, and
the experience was a hateful one, in
deed-the more so, in that she had a
desire, which she could not altogether
repress, to be on good terms with Louis.
How could Rupert feel for him the de-
votion he spoke Of? She replied, coolly
and distantly:
mo doubt, if I had the felicity of
knowing Miss Flint, 1 should quite
have understood that your thoughts
should wander to her sometimes
Louis burst out laughing.
Z" Say rather that you have the great
felicity of not having known her."
Rupert corrected her, dryly. "Dr.
Louis and 1 don't agree about Miss
Flint in the least"
81 think her talents were wasted
upon you"
E" l know her talents exasperated me.
/ always connect her with Richard the
Third, and I'll tell you why. Twas not
doing any lessons one day, and she was
teaching Damaris English history by
question and answer-which is an ex-
ploded idea now, | think. Damaris
couldn' remember. Miss Flint glared
at her over the top of the book.
What can you tell me about Richard
the Third?' she said, with full stop
between every word Damaris looked
awfully guilty. She said he had a
hump-back. Miss Flint Strengthened
hers, and said that was matter of no
conse 1uence-she wanted to know
about his character Damaris was per-
fectly and hopelessly ignorant, so Miss
Flint had to tell her at last, which she
did in capital letters, and evide ntly en-
ioyed it-'This King Waded To The
Throne Through The Blood Of His
Nearest Relations Damaris--she's
awfully soft, you know-looked at her,
fascinated, and said: oh, Miss Flintr
Then caught Miss Flint's eye, and l
roared. She never forgave me"
''Now you won't be surprised at my
having such an esteem for her, Mr.
Baldwin said, casually. "And, Ru-
pert. if you turn round, you will per-
ceive your pony-carriage standing at
the end of the pier, and John making