The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-01-05
81 am glad of that" said Margaret,

al am glad of that, said Margaret,
beneath her breath.
81 said l was sorry there lad been
quarrel. Perhaps, 1 said, it would soon
be made up"
Never said Margaret, frowning-
"Then," said he, after pause, and
speaking very quietly and gently, will
you tell me, Margaret, if there will be
any chance for mel don't say now,
but eyerP"
A pause. She sat with pale face
and agitated breast, her hands elasped
before her. Then she summoned up all
her resolution, and tried to look at HIM
firmly as she spoke the word: "No!"
but the lookshe met shook her to the very
soul. Hard hit was small way in
which to express John Malabarr's
wound. But having once said it, ut
tered "No!' although in the softest of
tones, she chung to that monosyllable
as to her only hope.
Needless to follow out the scene in
detail. Before it was over, she was
crushed and art-broken-more shat
tered, if less desperate, than himself.
Nothing could ever be so terrible
again as this. 1t was nothing short of
torture to have to see his heart laid bare
before her--to have to realize the
strength of the passion with which she
had inspired him-to see his blanched
face--to hear his broken yoice--to be-
hold Tie utter breakdown of everything,
of firmness, pride, everything, in the
agony of his pleading, 1t was no
boys quickly burning passion. 1t was
the deep love of a deep nature. 1t was,
as he said to her once during the inter-
view, "such love as one can only, go
through once; two such passions in a
lifetime would kill man." She still
maintained her "Nor' replying to no
arguments, answering no questions;
unable to realize anything save that she
must refuse.
At last she rose from her sofa, on
which she had thrown herself, and
looked at him, repeating the word for
the twentieth time beneath her breath,
and with gaze that was like an appeal
for mercy No one ever appealed in
vain to John Mallabarr for forbearance
no woman, or child, that is. The
look did what her voice had been una
BILE TO accomplish. He stopped, looked
at her with his haggard eyes from his
white face, and said;
perhaps am forgetting myself
don't quite know what | am doing; but
think--I must not say any more TO you"
With that, and without another syl-
lable-without farewell look or vale
dictory word-he left the room, never
looking behind him. Hard hit in
deed.
Margaret, putting her arms on the
mantel-piece, buried her face upon
them, and stood there for some time, toe
prostrate---in spirit, at least--to move,
II went out to see Hfe," she thought,
YEARLY. ''If that is part of life, better
never be born"
She reused SO far at last as to ring
for her maid and tell her that she was
i'll and could see no one more that night
Then she dragged herself up stairs
locked herself in her room, and flung
herself upon a couch, to sweep out the
night there" to think of Mallabarr go
ing out from her presence into the
blackness of night, hopeless mar
marred for the rest of his life through
love for her.
at used to be one of my Dreams!
she thought, "that no man who loyeC
me should be the worse for it, but the
better; and now, what of Johnp what o
Louis? what of myself ? miserable
mischief-maker that / am J" W
/ nII A DrER WIT