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

Ou iluSt hfOW ptllSCllN Ntll my |
reason for wishing TO 90, said Mabelle. |
looking up at him with something like |
Indignation at what appeared to- her the |
widest prolongation of an ordeal which |
was becoming uncomfortable to her.
E" On my soul and honor, all | know |
is that Grace came to me In state of |
much agitation. babe me put down my
book and not be so law, and when |
asked her in what way | could best
show her my activity in pleasing man
ner. she pointed out of the window to
your figure, and said: I've had a
quarrel with her, and you are at the
bottom of it, She says she wants to 60
away. Go and make it up with her.
with all my heart / replied, If you
will tell me what / have done to offend
her. Il don't know ghe said. but if
you will 90 after her, she will tell you,
l am sure, and you must make it up
yours. so | came. Nov, Miss Fairfax,
will you explain? Hon. have | offended
you?''
1T is not that you offend me, but |
am sure | offend you,' said Mabelle,
looking up with face literally aflame,
and confronting the calm, bronzed face,
and the steady dark eyes of Philip
fixed earnestly upon her own. A look
of surprise was dawning in them as he
said:
"Offend me- | am afraid | am still
in the dark. How could you by any
possibility offend me? Your
81 mean that even to look at me must
arouse painful recollections in your
mind. 1t can not be pleasant to you for
| L.. ,fta Il
have forgotten the last time we met
and--and-Angelam
The word was out, and dead silence
supervened, during which, after one
flash from Philips eyes, his countenance
scarcely changed. He looked thought
fully at the head of DR.. johnson, while
he still gently stroked back the ears of
that companionablc friend of man; and
the movement of his hand maintained its
regular, unexcited rhythm. Mabelle
sat looking at him breathlcssly, and
doubt, fear, bewiderment, succeeded
one another in mad chase through her
mind, as she saw, first that dubious
flash of his eyes, then the still more
dubious half smile which curved his
lips, and then the unshakable gravity,
without trace of sternness or dis
pleasure, which followed. He did not
speak; he seemed to be lost in reflec-
ton, till at last, looking up to Mabelle.
after what appeared to her week
of agitated emotion, she found his eyes
as calm, as steady, as serene as those of
a child.
care you angry?" she murmured,
timidly touching his arm. Il did not
mean to say that; but, oh! l have
never forgotten it, and now / believe
, you hare"
, Philip arrested the hand and held it
! in his own as he said:
do you think me SO vindictivc, Ma
BELIEF r
you have been so dreadtuliy in
jured!" she said.
J you really believe me so vindic-
tive" he repeated, and though he was
amused he found he could not smile.
Il remember you suffered dreadfully at
r that time. You were punished for a
sin which you could not have commit
ted if your life had depended upon il.
, You were ill, and before it all came out
: you had endured tortures. | remember!
Grace wrote me about it at the time,
, but at the time, instead of plying you,
l was, am afraid, hardening my heart,
and oursing your sister"
A little quick sob broke from Mabelle
as she tried 10 draw her hand away, but
; could not, and Philip went on:
= ''And it is you who suffer still. You
: are so constituted, / suppose. All the
= consciousness of your family was
bestowed upon You, and you have toe
much of it. and others have too little
< And you imagine me nursing anger in
J. my heart against you; cherishing envy,
u hatred and malice all these years!
L must say you have as nearly Us posi-
BILE succeeded in offending me. II
n shows me that l must have behaved
e abominably in my first moments of dis
e illusiVpism for you TO have thought thu,
e of me. ~
o OF course, by this time Mabele was
dissolved in tears, with DR.. johnson by
e her side in an attitude of profound
# melancholy, his head and ears dropping
/ with a dolorous curve. She managed
to say, however:
l. "And you mean that you have quite
. quite got oyer-forglyen, | mean tina
'Inever loved your sister for one mo
y ment, after | found she had lied to me, >
It he said, in q voice whose hardness drieC
}. Mabelle's tears like magic. "On tn,
: contrary, | hated her with an unreaSon
ing, contemptuous hatred-a bad feel
d ing--for, after all, she was made so
/ What enraged me was that | could not
# with my love for her, shake off its eff
fects upon my mind and character
; That was impossible. My love for he
It had made me soft, [ suppose, and he
is deceit made me hard and hard anC
= rough l shall remain all my life in conse
g quence. No doubt you know. Mis-
= Fairfax, that there is said to be a tid
II in the affairs of men-and there is also
a generally speaking, time when tn,