The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-02-28

no scruple in asking for all she wanted,
and my instructions to Priscilla being
that no money was to be spared in min
istering to her comforts, piano had
been sent from the nearest town.
All her skill had returned to her.
Her voice had come back even stronger
and more sweet than of old. Again and
again she held me entranced as she had
held me once before, when little ex-
pected the fearful ending TO her song,
or that my fate and the singers were so
closely interviewer.
was surprised, therefore, when this
evening she turned on the doorstep and
said: mot tonight. Leave me, please,
for tonight"
| urged no objection. l took her
hand and babe her farewell until the
morrow. would go and wander by
starlight and think of her.
AS we parted she looked at me
strangely, almost solemnly.
GILBERT" she said, speaking in
Italian-for Priscilla was now standing
at the open door hall pray for the
past to return or that should never
TcIutIlDeT lLs w HUI Will DC lAC DCob
for me-and for you?"
Without waiting to hear my reply,
she glided past Priscilla, who stood
waiting for me to follow her.
Good night, Priscilla, / said, 81 am
not coming in"
''Not coming in, Master Gilbert! Miss
Pauline will be vexed."
"She is tired and not quite well. You
had better go to her. Good night"
Priscilla came out to the doorstep
and closed the door behind her. There
was something in her manner which
told me she meant on this particular oc-
casion to resume what she could of that
authority she had been delegated to ex-
crcise over me during my tender years
an authority / did not dare to dispute
until long after Ihad been invested with
jackets and trousers. | have no doubt
but she would have liked to seize me by
the collar and give me a sound shaking.
! As it was she was obliged to content
herself with throwing a world of sorrow
full indignation into her voice.
"She may easily feel i'll, poor young
lady, when her husband lives ut one
house, and she at another. And here s
everybody roundabout trying to find out
what relation you two are to each other
asking ME all sorts of questions and |
mustn't say you are husband and wife. "
'No-not yet.
"Well, I'm going to- Master Gilbert.
If you won't tell the poor young lady, l
shall. I'll tell her how you brought her
home and sent for me to take care Of
her-how you tended her and waited on
her all day long-hOw you shut yourself
} up for her sake, never seeing an old
friends face. Oh, yes, Master Gilbert,
I'll tell her all; and III tell her how you
went into her room and kissed her ere
you started on that FOOLS journey,
7 wherever it was. She'll remember
t everything fast enough then"
, 81 command you to say nothing"
l give needed too many commands o.
l yours, Master Gilbert, to mind breaking
one for your sake. I'll do it, and take
the consequences.
: Feeling that the explanation, if made
by Priscilla, would not only sweep away
a great deal of romance, but also might
: precipitate matters and make them fal
I more difficult to adjust to my own salts
, faction, | was bound to prevent her car
rying out her threat. Knowing from
$ old experience that although the good
soul could not be driven, she could be
=, led / was obliged to resort to cajolery
! SO | said as one asking boon:
u u "You won't if l entreat and beg yor
~ not to, my old friend. You love me toe
:, much to do anything against m.
- wishes"
. Priscilla was not proof against thi'
= ', appeal, but she urged me to proclaim
4 the true state of affairs as soon as pos
% sible.
. "And don't be too sure, Master Gil
BERT she concluded, ''as to what sht
y remembers or doesn't. Sometimes
Il think she knows deal more than you
n suppose"
II Then she left me, and went wander
inc about thinking as to what meaning
- to attach to Pauline's parting words.
. (Which will be the best for me-ant
= for you?"-to forget or to recallP How
~ much did she forget-how much dit
she recallp Had those rings on he
I. hand not shown her that she wa
10 wifeP Could she help suspectn!
:, whose wife she was? Even if she re
20 membered nothing about our strange
y hurried marriage, nothing about on
y, subsequent life together, she found her
10 self after that interval of oblivion, as i
- were, under my charge; found that
y knew all the tragic circumstances o
70 x, her brothers end, that l now returne,
~ from a journey of thousands of miles
-, undertaken to learn the fatal particu
-, ~ lars. Although she might not be abb
L, - to account for it, she must by this tim
" know the truth. Keeping the ring OF
her finger showed that she did not dis
pute the fact that, somehow, she wa
~ ~ welded. Who could be her husban
>, save me?
10 "Yes, by the evidence the situatio
~ offered, determined that she had al
Z ,.;crht oOralusiOn. and FIJI