The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-05-17
CHAPTER XIII.
LASH nANg

CHAPTER XIII.
LAST DAYS.
How those four weeks glded by which
Mabelle had consented to stay at the
Red Lees none of the three quite knew
days were literally as happy as they
were long; and if any one of them had
been asked he or she would probably
have owned to an impression that at
Foullaven the said days were longer
and SUMMER, the hours more golden,
than anywhere else in the world.
If Philip was, as Mabelle accused him
of being, somewhat eXacting in the mat
ter of reparation, he was, on the other
hand, equally assiduous to make it man
fest to her how entirely she had mis-
taken him; and he succeeded in the at
tempt, as of course it was certain that
he must. During months holiday and
idleness there was ample opportunity
for him to give this kind of enlighten-
ment, particularly to one who was so
willing to be enlightened as Mabelle,
Philip had been told by the head of
his firm to take as long holiday as he
liked, for that he had earned it; and
though he had declared at first on his
return that he would be lost without
his work, he very soon succeeded in
getting quite accustomed to idleness.
Certainly, every circumstance, all his
surroundings Just then offered rs it
were premium to idleness. The lux
urious summer weather; the society of
two girls, one of whom at least sur
rounded him with every form of petting
and love and indulgence, in her Joy
at having him back again, and her
pride in his cleverness and capacity.
For letter had come from Mr.. Starkie
to Mr.. Massey the elder concerning his
son, and what he had done which let
ter the gratitied father had not been
able to forbear reading aloud to the
womenkind, and on hearing which
Mrs. Massey had wiped her eyes, and
Grace had danced for Joy and prayed
that the letter might be given to her
for an heirloom; while a third lady had
sat in the background, with down-bent
head and glowing face, biting her lips,
and feeling her heart beat wildly.
Upon this scene the object OF it had
entered, and inquired what was the
matter. Being presented with the letter,
! he had read it, while all eyes were
fixed upon him, and looking up, with
a flush upon his face, bad beheld all
those eyes, and breaking into some
what embarrassed laugh. had kissed
his mother, saying:
"Flummery! We always said there
was no one like old Starkie for putting
| the paint on thick
- ''It's kind of paint that l like to see
laid on thick, " ,retorted Grace, captur-
ing the letter, which went to repose in
her archives; and ever after she made
more of Philip than ever; nothing was
too good. or, indeed, good enough for
him. and she went near to kill him with
kindness.
But, as has been said, he took very
kindly to it. The man who had been
so restless and so uHtiringly energetic;
who had worked SO hard amongst what
Mr.. Starkie designated the incOnceiva-
BILE nardships of desolatc land scarce
trodden by other civilized foot than his
own-like Robinson Crusoe, Grace said
whose frame had been made harder
by his hardy life; who had been content
to sleep on mating spread on the
ground, or sometimes on the ground it
self, 'under the beautiful stars and
who had worked with his hands as hard
as the commonest NAVY under his or.
ders, now reconciled himself with the
utmost af1ability to the dolce fur nie,1tC
of summer holiday, to aimless strolls
over the cliffs with Dr. johnson and one
or both of the girls, or to lying
stretched out upon the top of the sale
cliff, while one of the young ladies
read Browning or Tennyson, or what
soever other bard happened to be mos
in favor at the moment; to sitting by
moonlight in the scented garden, anC
talking the veriest nonsense in the shape
OF ''chail'' with Grace, and sometimes
Mabelle, which it can enter into the
heart of man to conceive; to long jog
trot drives in the pony-phaeton Galway!
with DIR. johnson and the girls) owe
the breezy roads to distant woods, or t.
some of the famous country-seats witt
which the neighborhood abounded
FRO BE CONTINUED