The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-04-12
NOW THEN
MADE OR MARRIED.
by JESSIE FoTHERGILu,
Author of "0ne OF Three" "Probntion," "The
Weufeds," Etc.
CHAPTER XII.-CoNT1NUEp.


Thus the weeks flew on. and trace,
despite the vivid hopes and fears of her
private life, continued diligent student
ut the college courses. Occasionally she
and Mabelle Fairfax would take their
way together, to or from school and
college; when the hours of their classes
happened to coincide Grace could not
resist Mabelle, despite her active dis
like to the girls sister, and all her ways
and works; and Mabelle appeared to
derive a pleasure, intense, though al
most timid, from the society of Grace.
'.She is wonderful child" Grace
said to Thekla one day. II am GER
tain she is really clever. She seems to
have read almost everything; she says,
when her father was alive she had moth
ing to do but read to herself and him.
fancy she was kept in the background,
and so had time to improve her mind,
and sense enough to do il. But she is
awfully old for her age; she is only just
sixteen you know"
Indeed, Mabelle was in many re-
spects very old for her age, while in
others she was really young. A shad-
ow had undoubtedly brooded over al
most the whole of her young life; inter-
course with none but persons older
that herself had forced some of her
powers to an early maturity, while a
strong, sweet and unselfish nature had
quietly received and accepted the burden
of poverty and reversed circumstances,
which to Angela had appeared so great
a calamity, such an unheard-Of woe,
that almost any means of escape from
it presented itself to her mind as legiti-
mate. From the first it had been Ma
belle who had acted and done, who had
devised WAYS and means, who had faced
the world; it had been Angela who had
snatched ut the gifts sent by the gods,
while grumbling that they were not
better.
Since Philips departure, Mabelle' S
spirits appeared to have revived some.
what. 1t would have been impossible
to say what the child had in her heart
what vague rejoicing that Philip was
out of harm's way, or what misty hopes
that in years absence, amidst new
and exciting scenes, he might, perhaps
unlearn something of the passion thai
had possessed him when he departed
When the time for lessons begar
again, Angela, like other people, wa!
forced to work, and Mabelle's sad little
face even began to wear a smile now
and then. Like all healthy natures
she turned gladly to work as tonic
and a bracing influence, and like many
inexperienced natures, she imagined
that what to her was so good anC
strengthening must necessarily worl
wonders in every one else. Mabelle saw
the relationship between Philip and he
sister with her own eyes, not with An
gelas, and to those eyes it seemed
good and beautiful thing that maj
should 60 out into the world and work
and that the woman he left at home be
hind him should not be ashamed t
work, too, when the end in view wa
mutual union and happiness. So sh
looked at the matter, and imagined tina
other eyes would see it in the sam
light.
She had been thinking the question
over one afternoon, late in October, a
she sat alone, preparing her tasks 70
the following day, 1t was one of tn
afternoons on which Angela's time wa
entirely taken up with several musi
lessons. and she would not be at HON
until nearly five. 1t was approachin
that hour, and the room was grown
dark, when Mabelle. unwilling to dra'
down the blinds and expel the In.
CLEAN of daylight, took her Sch Her
the window, to catch the last pale bear
of even. while she did her need {
translation for class.
1t was passage from the 'Jungfra
Won Orleans that she had just transla
ed, and turning from that monotonous,