The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-05-03
I suppose / am to be worried int
fever shout this Miss Hutton

angry tonight; say enough to Keep
things smooth until next week is over
1 don't want him to be sulky at my
Wedding
So Antony found his mother in one
of her gentlest moods. She listened
patiently to his confession of love for
his sisters late governess, aud answer
ed:
Have not always wished to make
you happy in your own way, Antony !
If Miss Hutton is necessary to your
happiness, why, will speak to father
about her after Ada's wedding. 1t
won't do before it, indeed it won't
Antony was very grateful. Love is
always hopeful, and he went to see
Mary that night. quite confident in his
mothers final success. A few days
afterwards Ada was married to the
richest commoner in Airedale, and the
presumptive heir ofTowton baronetcy.
Aske was deeply enarmored of her
beauty, but by no means the man to
be its slave. Many things rivaledAda
in his heart, even in the earliest days
of her married Lie; his estate. his
hunters, county matters, and politics.
He was an Englishman of the old
order, aud had no very exalted ideas
of women, except as the mistress OF
households, and the mothers OF chill.
dren. Ada's efforts to establish n fe-
male autocracy inAske hall soon came
to disastrous failure. At first George
pooh! poohed ! her orders and tried
to laugh away her petting and tears.
But he was not the man to put himself
out of the way for an unreasonable
woman, and even this concession was
soon given up.
In three months it had come to a
simple announcementofh of his intentions,
aud perfect Indifference as to how
she accepted them. Thus he would
say:
Ada, am going to meet the Tow
ton hounds in the morning: you had
better 90 with me-a gallop will do
you good
But if Ada met the request with q
negative of any kind, he accepted il
without denur; and if produced tears
or complaints, he generally began TO
whistle and left the room. This rude
ness brought on passionate attacks of
hysteria, and George went to the hunt
and sent the family physician to watch
her through them.
Very soon poor Stephen had q
double burden of household trouble 10
bear. Ada began to bring her wrongs
and humiliations home, and Mrs.
Thirske warmly espoused her cause.
A complaining daughter and a weep
ing wife were enough to make the
most splendid house miserable, and
they were but the elements out OF
which far greater troubles were to
come.
In the meantime Antony's affairs
were equally unsatisfactory. Mrs.
Thirske had spoken to Stephen about
Mary Hutton, and for the first time in
her married life admitted q failure.
Antony would not believe that she had
done her best, and he forgot in this
one denial the ninety and nine un-
reasonable favors she hsd before pro-
cured him.
Stephens opposition to Miss Hutton
was sulky anu positive. He dare not
in the first place, disobey his wife's
orders to forbid the match. In the
second, he was angry at the authors Of
this new element of discomfort in his
home. In the third, he was not pre-.
pared financially to support another
household. Ada's settlement had been
drain on his business !; he had Other
losses, and another wedding and
house-furnishing, with the increased
allowance necessary to maintain it,
was really beyond his present means
He was quite sensible of this last
reason, but he did not want to admit
it even to his wife and son, so he sui
lenly and authoritatively forbid An.
tony to marry any Que at present ;and
for some months there was growing
feeling of anger between father and
son. Then one day, after a stormy in
tervlew, Antony left his home with
out a word Of farewell, and Stephen
too proud and angry to seek after him
had to bear, in addition to his own
sorrow and disappointment,th the moth.
er's fretful reprOaches and anxiety.
The very day on which Antony lef
his home Ada returned TO 1t. There
had been between her aud George
Aske a wesrisome succession of fierce
disputes, and at length, in a monen
of intense passion, George had struck
his wife. Mrs. Thirske was dumb be
fore two such sorrows, aud was reall,
ill, and Stephen was dangerously an
cry.
Aske suffered three days to pass ant
then sent for Ada. Ada refused t.
return, and Mrs. Thirske supported
her in the refusal. In week Aske'
messages became SO insolent tina
Stephen was compelled to reply Il
them, and the poor father, against hi
sense of what was best for his chile
and himself, was forced into support
ing the refractory wife. Intolerabl
words passed between the husbsn,
and father. and when they next me
they instantly gave each other tb
Yorkshireman's warDing-a word All,
a blow, and the blow first.
After that it was open enmity, ant
Stephen was well aware that he wa
Ill lorma6 tn fivht so rich and an b,tte