The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-05-10


1t was with heart full to overflow
ing of a reasonless fear and excitement
that, when the hymn was over, she
dropped upon her knees, end covered
up her face with her handS while the
benediction was being given.
As they went home they were much
more silent than they had been when
they came. Hermann drew Grace's
arm through his to help her up steep
hill, and Grace, as ii to say to Mabelle:
you. too! you shall not be left out in
the cold, clasped her friends hand in
hers. The cleaning was falling, the
sky grew gray, and the stars began to
peep forth.
Although they had reached the top of
the hill they still continued to walk,
hand in hand, and arm in arm, along
the upland road, and through the dewy
fields, slowly and silently, as if they
would have kept the precious moments
by them little longer
"Ah," at last said Grace, with sigh,
''close at home now! And here is
mother beside the gate, and father with
her. looking out for us.
They approached the gate beside
which, indeed, stood Mrs. Massey, her
hand resting on the shoulder of a man
who, leaning upon the gate, looked up
to her. 1t was Grace who, suddenly
snatching her hand from her lovers
arm, made bound forward, exclaim-
ing in stiied voice, between laughing
and crying:
"Philip? Oh, Philip
Mabelle stood on the instant, feeling
| herself suddenly as cold as ice, fast as
| if rooted there by magic, while her heart
| beat almost to suflocation. What n
| fearful, terrible cOntretempS! What an
| unfortunate wretch she was to be
doomed thus to be here, poisoning Phil
| ip's meeting with his loved ones!
There was q scene of wild, incoherent
! gladness going on by the gate. Grace,
wild with her JOY, questioning, and hav-
| ing no time to be answered; first hug
| ging Philip to her heart, and then push
ing him away, that she might the better
look at him and see how much he was
| changed.
"You are changed! l am certain you
have grown ever SO much bigger and
broader, and so brown. Oh, 1 am
proud of you! Iwish you had been at
church with us tonight. How every
one would have stared at you! Oh,
1 can hardly believe tit is too joy
| fulr'
Don't you think we are almost dc
trOp here, Mabelle?n at this moment
said Hermann, aside to her. He spoke
kindly, for he had not failed to see her
look of utter CONSERVATION, and even
fright, and Grace had made him par
TALLY acquainted with the facts of the
case, so that he thought in his good
natured soul Poor little thing!
Deuced uncomfortable for her, and
dare say she'd like to get out of it"
mot you," replied Mabelle. in a
rapid, distressed whisper; ''but for me q!
Oh, Hermann, what am | to do? Help
me to get out of the way! can not in
trude myself upon them again to-
night"
She thought she perceived chance
of escape, and was going to slip by, be-
tween Grace and Mrs. Massey; but
| Grace, in the midst of her transports,
noticed this attempt at flank move
ment, and caught Mabelle by the hand.
'Where are you going?" she cried.
"Come here! Philip, this is Mabelle
Fairfax. l don't expect you would have
known her, would you?"
With which she, as it were, thrust
forward the terrified Mabelle, who
looked up With kind of desperate cour-
age, and beheld--P Philip Massey, indeed,
but not the Philip Massey of old days,
whom she had always liked, with feel
ing of sisterly regard and sense OF
equality which had left no room for en-
barrassment. This Philip Massey was
quite different, and in contact with him
she felt herself sink into the merest
child. He was so grave and self-con-
tanned, so entirely man, so utterly re-
moved from boyhood and boyhood' s
follies, that she waNstartled, bewildered.
Not day had passed, since that fatal
morning three years ago, on which
Mabelle had not thought of Philip and
the wrong her sister had done him, but
she had always thought OF him rs some
thing quite different from this. She
could not imagine this man madly in
love with Angela but there was some
thing in the air which made her think
1T would be dreadful to be in his way
when he did not want one! | could not
bear it, and | must get away as soon as
| can. To think that Angela Tilted him
for Mr.. Fordyce! Oh, DEAR"
Ali this had passed through her mind
as it were in parenthesis, and now she
heard Philip saying;
This Mabelle Fairfax! Yes,
should have recognized her anywhere. u
He took her trembling. nerveless
hand, spoke two or three words, asked
her how she was, glanced with sort
of amused surprise at her evident en-
barrassment, at her blank face anC
wide-open eyes, and then, as ii he had
hardly seen her, turned to Hermann
Berghaus with such hearty greeting,