The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-02-23
CHAPTER III.
SPECIAL VICE.

CHAPTER Ill
SPECIAL SERVICE.
There was none of the usual adorninq
for the weekly cricket match required on
Philips part, ON Saturday, the day fol-
lowing his visit to the Berghauses.
He had appointed to meet his sister
Grace at half past four. and with u
thoughtfulness unusal in one of his
sex, age and bachelor estate, had or
dered dinner to be ready at his lodgings
at six, and purposed dining with her.
He was therefore not going ont of town
at all until he returned from the station
with his sister.
The great firm i'm which Philip was
employed usually dismissed their en-
ployes on Saturday at two o'clock
Philip Massey had seldom been kept be-
enough for that, he would have said
himself, and perhaps with truth. His
department had consisted chiefly of
homework, and his employment had
been regular, if not exciting. There
had been times when he had wished, in
the superabundance of his strength and
energy, that his mission had been a
more active one-times when he had
enyied the more privileged, more peril
Gus tasks of some others, who were sent
| abroad to the ends of the earth now and
| then, on engineering and surveying eX-
petitions, for which, if the discomfort
and responsibility were great, yet the
, remuneration was correspondingly
large, and the excitement, thought
| Philip, must be most remunerative of all.
No such fortune had as yet hefallen him.
To-day, bearing in mind the fact that
he would have two hours and a half to
dispose of somehow, before his sister s
train was due, Philip was in no haste
| to depart, but sat, after all the other
clerks had gone, at his desk, sorting out
papers, and classifying some plans
which had long wanted putting in
order.
Thus employed, he sat at his desk,
| and his pen travelled slowly across the
paper, while the May sunshine streamed
in through the dingy window, and lighted
up his dark face. Philips back was tow
ward door leading into the Office of
Mr.. Day, the head and confidential
clerk, and which. without his knowing
it, was standing half open.
By and by voices were heard grad
ually approaching from a further office,
and then steps entered Mr.. DAYS
sanctum. Half abstractedly Philip heard,
without exactly listening to what was
being said:
Look here. Grey Here's q letter
just come from (murmur, which
sank into indistinctness. and then, more
loudly.) "What became of those peo-
pie, Blake--Black- was the
name, who recommended Byweu to
us?"
HIM" replied the voice of Mr..
Grey, the Junior partner, to this ques-
ton of Mr.. Starkie, the senior; wasn't
it somewhere out Edgcton way that they
went? On my word, | don't remember
them. But you know, think it is only
these Chinese fellows grumbling little.
They like to make difficulties, and the
British Consul at Y must attend to
them more or less, for the name of the
thing. don't think there's anything
in it,
I'm not quite so sure that the
grumbling is quite without foundation,
! for my part, y replied Mr.. Starkie. q
wish very much that you would drive
out to Edgeton this afternoon, and make
Inquiries, quietly. | think it ought to
be seen to-.
my dear sir!" came in tone of
dsmay from Grey, 81 would do great
deal to oblige you, but this is impos-
sible to-day. l promised long ago to
90 from to-day till Monday To-
The voice dropped again. and then
came the words" entirely for my bene-
fit, you know, and Lady Elizabeth
very sorry, but unless it were a matter
of life or death. which it is not, | don t
see how could manage it"
TTo BE Continued