The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-06-19


GUS silver mugs. Don't be fool"
was the somewhat petulant reply.
"When you know my pet aversion to
bay parties, why wish me sacrificed to
sisterly solicitudeP Swinburne gives as
much of the sea as one wants, and here
is the atlantic, with the last instalment
of I'm the Clouds" So you can jour
ney from the mountains to the ocean
without the agony of up-grades, stupid
decks, stuffy cabins and dinners, whose
indigestible memories are a meLdnge of
cold fowl and chow-chow, chocolate
cake and ciderish champagne" In the
anxiety to catch flux tide Nettie had
snatched hasty kiss, given Collins her
instructions and was gone. Gold
thwaite's horses were restlessly stamp
ing before the door, but stealthy feet
stole along the passage, gentle pres
ence filled the room where the sufferer
lay alone in his wheel chair, and placing
the magazine, neatly cut, upon the arm
extension, some one said: "Dear Tade,
too bad to leave you all alone. wish
| might stay. What can / do to make
you happyP'
'Love me-" he cried, frantically
clinging to the hand as the drowning
to straw.
"Why do that now, you silly boy.
Aren't you Netties brotherP Why
shouldn't 1 love you-very, very
much, and STOPPING, a warm kiss was
left on the pain-drawn forehead.
For hours and hours Ted sat lust
where she left him, his head thrown
back against the cushions, his eyes
closed, the magazine upon his lap I'M
turned, the dinner by his side untasted.
From time to time Collins looked in to
urge his being wheeled out upon the
porch to enjoy the splendor of the bay,
the glitter of the sunshine.
81 will ring when | need you," was
the almost fierce reply, angered at being
reused out of these rapt musings. How
that kiss took possession of his forehead!
Her own-her very own-a voluntary
one. Why had he not pinioned her
then and there and told her how he
loved her? Wilder and wilder sped i'm
agination, as leaving the body far be-
hind, it sported in illusory realms of
sweetness and health and rest-her arms
his shelter, her bosom his resting-place,
her voice his inspiration and her smile
his heaven. Every once and awhile, with
a great shuddering, soul and body
would seem to come together again, as he
sat up and looked out drearily upon the
glittering sunshine, the blooming flower
beds. Oh, heavens! He, the dishonor-
ed, despised, deformed. The cruel
mookery of fate; natures healthy long
ings in such unhealthy shape. The
misery Of consciousness being unsup-
portable, back to his mind orgy he went;
her face in the sunshine, her form in the
shade-flicker, her caress in the breeze
that lifted and let fall the rings upon his
forehead. The room flooded, fell into
shadow, and then into moonshine. His
brain reeled, his limbs ached, his heart
was b ounding wildly. Collins, in the
destinations of the housekeeper, had
forgotten him; should he ring to be re-
moved or await and try to gather from
her face what such professions meantP
But it was too late; there they were;
jolly voices and light wheels over the
gravel. The curtains would screen him
where he lay "You and Mr. Goldth-
waite sentimentalize in the moonlight, -
Nettie laughed lightly, springing out,
"while l 60 and put these traps away,
Of course our dear boy is in bed hours
and hours ago" Almost within arm S
reach Parquette swung herself into the
hammock, her drapery decorously adj
Ejusted, tiny bootines silt over the edge
of her air canoe and a kerchief knotted
sailorwiSe under
"The archest chin
That mockery ever ambushed in"
Ted could have reached and touched the
wind-blown tresses. ga Lorelei, Undine
and Tethys IN modern yachting cos.
tune" Goldthwaite protested admir-
ingly. Zone almost looks for some
cruel wave to upset your canoe anC
write out this enchantment. BY the
way, why did you insist upon that mon
ster's going along with us to-dayP HI
affects me horribly My sensibilities
J like Goethes, are only for the beauti
, full. And do you know, half believe
he is gone on you--a sort of Beauty ant
| the Beast affair with the final meta
morphosis left OUT lyon shan
| speak so unkindly of Nettie's brother,
: the girl said, springing erect and warm
ing to the defense. 81 know you wrong
= him. He doesn't dream of such thing
5 These unfortunates are sacred, set apar
} from cruel jesting, That is the hardes
1 part of it, to behold yet never to grasp
S as we may, the beautiful, the grand ant
S the ideal" There was writhing as o
r some serpent upon the floor, wall,
a gasp, gurgle. 1t was unearthlp, ter
# rible, piteous. Goldthwaite's Levitt
o turned to horror. Parquette, springin
II up, murmured: ''Tade,n and Nettie
n breaking the dish she was placing
l. sprang across the hall screaming
o Lights! lights! lightst" Lights wer
d everywhere. The spasm was hear
o rending, the face ashy, shrunker
Il deathly. Nettie moaned aloud, Gold
/, thwaite fed for doctor, but Parquett
k kneeling beside the chair, took tn
n quivering form into her clasping arm
is laid her face upon the distorted fes