The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-07-30

Rlthwaie, anil before Christmas
fy We're married.
&rue, he had been compelled to
I've up a great deal more than he
t*ed but he promised himself plen-
In OF post-marital compensations.
4Eabeth insisted on keeping her
9Nn house, and as Steve had really
#Ehouse to offer her, he must needs
4to Braithwaite Hall as the hus-
eapd of its proprietress. She insisted
nRpn his removing his office to
iHallhwaite. a small village, offering
HRAe of The advantages for killing
lsfne which "A large city like Leeds
01A +; and she had all her money scru-
ppiously settled on herself for her
own use and under her control.
| sieve felt very much as though his
WIG had bought him, but for "a little
ss;;p sisaet tiknar1gtf ofalaAasizaRunzaR a.
Yfeat heiresS, the brida1 FESTIVITIES
and foreign travel compensated for
the loss of his freedom. But when
they returned to BraithWaite, life
show I'd far more prosaic side. Mrs.
Gaskill's economical disposition be-
came particularly offensive to Steve.
She inquired closely into his business
and did not scruple to make unpleas-
ant witty remarks about his income.
She rapidly developed, too, an au,
thoritatiye disposition, against which
Steve daily more and more rebelled.
The young couple were soon very
unhappy.
The truth was that great transi-
ton was taking place in SteYe's mind
and times of transition are always
times of unrest and misery. The
better part of his nature was Begin
ming to claim hearing. He had now
seen all that good society could show
! him he had tasted all the pleasures
money could buy, and he was un-
happy.
She had no ennui and nc dissatis-
faction with herself, There was her
! large house to oversee, her garden and
cOnSeryatOrieS, her servants and
charity schools, her toilet and a whole
colony of pet animals, Her days
were so short for all the small inter-
ests that filled them and these inter-
ests she would have willing shared
with Steve, but to him they soon be-
came intolerable bores.
Under such circumstances he might
haye found his work in the ordering
taga Ips 5stIgarIas OF his wife $ large
4 estate, but Elizabeth was far too eau
tlous to trust her business to untried
/ hands. Her fathers agent was her
agent; her banker managed all her
Investments her park and farm and
gardens were all under the care of
old and experienced servants, who
looked upon Steve merely as "Misie's
husband"
In the second year of his marriage
he began to haye some thoughts
which would have astonished his wife
could she haye thought it worth
while to inquire what occupied his
mind in the long hours when he
paced the shrubbery, or sat silently
looking out of the window. But
Steve was now ready for any en-
ployment that would take him out
of the purposely dependent life which
he had so foolishly chosen for him
self.
One day. greatly to his surprise,
Elizabeth said to him:
"Steve, | nave letter from cous-
in of Mothers, who lives in Glasgow.
She is going to Australia and wants
mc to buy her house. She says itis
Il great bargain, and | wrote to Bar
rett to go and see about it. l have a
letter this morning saying he is too
i'll to leave his bed. l wonder if you
could 60 TO attend to it ?"
Anything for change. Steve
showed very proper business.like
interest, and said:
"Yes, would be very glad to CO."
"Very well [ should think you
knew enough of titles and deeds and
conveyancing and all that sort of
thing. l will trust the affair to you,
Steve"
So the next morning Steve found
himself on the Caledonian line, with
Gl0O in his pocket, and valuable
piece of business on hand. The first
twenty miles cut Of Leeds he enjoyed
with all the abandon of bird set
free. Then he began to think again.
AT Crewe he missed a train and he
wandered about the station, fell in
talking with the engineer of The next
one who was cleaning and examing
the engine with all the love and pride