The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-11-22

ated rs was l felt that nv only
chance of life was TO lie still and con-
/ vince, if could, the persons in that
room of the truth of my assertion.
Nothing could be gained, but every
/ thing would be -Ost By resistance /
was strong, but even If all the senses
had been mine. [ doubted If ] could
compete successfully with the man who
| held me down. could feel the nervous
power of his hands and arms. Certainly,
now that was blind and helpless, the
struggle would be n short one. Besides
he had companions, how many knew
not, ready to help him. The first move
ment | made would be the end of ev-
erything so far as was concerned.
/ made no further attempt to rise,
but lay rs still and unressting as the
PROSTATE form across which l had
fallen. Every moment seemed an hour!
Think of nv situation. A blind man
in strange room in strange house
held down on the body of man whose
last groan he had just heard-held
down and at the mercy OF those who it
was certain had Just taken part in
black and cowardly crime! Unable to
look into the faces of the murderers
around him and learn whether their
looks meant life or death to him! Ex-
pecting every moment to feel the sharp
stab OF knife or the fiery sting of y
bullet! Seeing nothing and feeling
nothing save the hands upon his throat
and the dead body beneath him. Even
hearing nothing save that stihed moan
inc in the distance. Can the widest
flights OF fiction show parallel to my
case?
Since that night have quite disbe-
lieved in the possibility OF peoples hair
turning suddenly gray. II such thing
can be must have left that room with
the locks of an old man.
can only say that even now as, after
the lapse of years, write this; even as
| see everything around me safe, still
and at peace; even though | know the
ones | love are close at hand, my pen
trembles, my blood feels chilled and q
faintness steals over me as the recollec-
ton of the most terrible moments in
my life comes to me with vividness |
can not describe.
1t was well for me that l could keep
still and cry again and again: al am
blnd-look and see" My quiescence,
the tone OF my voice, may have turned
the balance on which my life hung
may have carried conviction to my
hearers. Presently the strong light of
a lamp was perceptible to my obscured
vision; lamp placed so close to me
that | could feel its hot glow upon my
face; and | was aware that some one
was STOPPING or kneeling down and
peering into my eyes. His breath
! 81 elN Oh
excited breath-hOw could it be other
wise after the deed in which he ha6
just taken part?
! At last he rose, moment afterward
the restra ming hands moved from me,
and then, for the first time. j began to
hope that my life might be spared.
{ And yet none of those around me had
spoken. Now heard voices: but whis-
perng so softly that even my sharpened
ears could not catch the purport of q
single word, although l could gather
, that three persons were engaged in that
hushed consultation.
All the while, like dreary and fit
ting accompaniment, ! could hear that
stitled moaning u woman's stited
moaning. l would have given all l
posessed-all save life-in exchange FOR
| a minutes sight, that might have been
able to comprehend what had passed
and what was passing around me.
Still the whispers continued. They
, came thick and fast, running into and
| interrupting each other, as from men
in hot but guarded discussion. 1t need
ed little intelligence to guess the sub
iect of that debate! Presently they
[ died away altogether, and. for time.
the only sound that | heard was that
[ terrible, mutlled moan-that continued
with dreary mono.ony.
A foot touched me.
: "You may stand up" l heard some
: one say.
5 When l burst so recklessly into the
> room [ fancied the exclamation with
r which l was greeted came from foreign
. lips, but the man who now addressed
: me spoke in pure English. By this
time | was beginning to recover self
| possession, and was able to make a
7 mental note of these facts.
| Thankful at being allowed to quit
= my CHASTITY couch, rose AS L could
D think of nothing better to do, stood
motionless.
I "Walk this way-straight on-foul
9 PAGES" said the voice. l obeyed.
! The third step brought me in collision
I with the wall. No doubt this was AL
extra test as to the truth OF my state
ment.
A hand was placed upon my sboul
der, and was guided to chair.
: "Now, sir" said the speaker who
had before addressed me, "tell us, in
. as few words as possible, who you arc
how and why you came here. BE
: quick, we have no time to spare"
L we'll knew they had no time tC
spare. They had much to do-muct
r to hide. Oh, for the gift of sight fol
= one moment! l would purchase it
r even ii the price were years OF dark