The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-04-05

and Miss Fairfax would be there about
the same time, and would wait in the
dressino.room. she would chaperon
them with pleasure:
Angela was a Fairfax, and descended
on her mothers side from an aristo-
cratic house. which had never paid the
least attention to the renegade daugh-
ter who had married country rector;
still. ANGELA had their blood in her
veins. and derived from them spirit
which. she was wont to say, was all too
fiery and impetuous. Yet all the spirit
of the Fairfaxes and of that other noble
house combined could not give her any
pleasure in the contemplation of that /
drive of an hour and half with Grace
Massey. angry, injured and unwilling,
to the scene of the festivities. Grace |
was ready at the appointed hour, look
inc very handsome, despite her dis
tress, in her amber silk and gauze, with |
the black velvet knots; but her eyes !
were red with weeping, and swollen with !
the tears which had not fallen, and |
her manner was dull and cold in the !
extreme.
ANGELA was so closely shrouded in
! LONG white cloak that it was impossible
to guess at the appearance likely to be
made by herself or her dress; all that
| Grace could see was large, star-like
white flower, reposing somewhere in
| the mazes of wavy black hair which
covered her head, which made her look
like some naiad or nymph, realized in
| flesh and blood-and artificial flowers.
"What trial this is, dearn' sighed
Angela.
|
'Philip's going away. 1t is most dis
tressing. Nothing but sense of duty
the very strongest sense of duty
would have induced me to go to this
miserable ball. am sure l shall not
dance bit" and she sighed heavily.
Grace struggled hard not to say some
sharp bitter things, as she was con-
stantly tempted to do when with Angela.
The remembrance of that dear face
which she had kissed in farewell not an
hour ago, and that alone, held in her
desire to be sarcastic, even sardonic, in
her replies, and she said:
''Yes; l don't expect any pleasure
from it, must say, and in my judy
ment it would have been better not to
90. But I could not refuse Philips
last request"
Il wish it had been in my power to
stay away sighed Angela; "but it
would have looked so very marked, you
know"
Il thought you and my brother were
now definitely engaged He told me
SO" said Grace.
1--WE are, but not publicly. 1t would
have been more than | could bear, to be
openly engaged to >him, and he gone
away, for no one knows how longr'
Grace's rage could no longer be en-
tirely repressed.
"You must Lave very sensitive
nature" said she, in honeyed accents.
ooh, gery" assented Angela.
But to my mind" went on the
downright Grace, al if 1 loved man
enough to marry him, there is nothing
that | should like better than to have it
known that l was engaged to him.
should be proud of it, and l should
glory in it,
"Oh, my dear Grace. how shocking!
, You are so young, dear, you really don t
know what you are saying"
Grace laughed shortly and bitterly,
and remarked:
do YOU mean that have not had as
y
| have never had any, allow me to tell
you, except that agreed to marry one
of Philips hool-fellows when he was
| ten and was nine. But / see we shall
5 never agree upon the subject, so we had
better let it drop
l Nothing 10th, Angela complied with
: the suggestion, and the rest OF the jour
ney vas pursued in unbroken silence.
t They had scarcely entered the dress
ing-room at Mr.. Starkie's before the
. Berghauses also arrived; Thekla ano
+ her mother, the former looking rather
pale, but with certain deeper light
| than usual in her blue eyes. Grace rev
g to her, and began to explain the case
S in a series of low, but energetic wills
pers; while Angela, daintjly arranging
, her very elegant and very artistic dress
$ discoursed aside to Mrs. Berghaus in ;
| discreet undertone.
mr.. Philip Massey has been sudden
ly called away; he has gone to China,
4 believe; so he could not bring us, anC
: of course Grace was so busy seeing hin
f off and talking to him that l offered t.
= write to you in her place"
"Ah, yesn' said the unsuspectins
Mrs. Berghaus, arranging her cap be
G fore the glass 81 only wonder tina
Grace would come without him; she i
Il so very devoted to him.
: Z" He made point of her doing so
It and she did not like to refuse him.
is very good of youto chape-on so man,
!, girls. Four ladies. and only Mr.. Herr
h mann Berghaus to escort us.
!, "And Mr.. Fordyce; he came with US,
! said Mrs. Berghaus, sticking pin int
5 her cap, and contentedly surveying tn
: effect. So we have two gentlemen.
3 "Mr. Fordyce! lndeedr' said Angela
Il in some surprise, as she and the other
+ followed Mrs. Berghaus down stairs.