The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-19


ment stopped at Brierley mill.
Wounds that men give themselves
heal slowly. Benjamin had declared he
would marry, if he liked, and have such
friendship as was going. But he sought
neither woman's love nor mans liking.
lie virtually closed his house, for he con-
fined himself to the little psrlor in which
he sat, and the room in which he slept.
He dismissed all his servants but an old
woman, and man who attended to his
horse and gig and pottered about the gar
den at odd hours.
He devoted his whole life and energies
to the mill which Joe had despised. He
built wings to it, and two stories more
aud chimney that overtopped all the
chimneys far and near. He filled it with
the finest machinery and with picked
"hands." He utilized every drop of water
and every ounce of steam so cleverly that
people said, " If there wer the power o. a
blue-bottle flv, ovid Brierley wad turn it to
account" No one could have supposed
from his busy. active life that he was at
heart an unhappy and bitterly disap-
pointed man.
In the meantime Joe took his existence
with certain measure of content, and
Aunt Martha watched over his comfort
with that pricelessly commonplace love
which does not disdain the oversight of
very inferior details which can superin-
tend meals and oversee stockings, and il
not to be frittered away by continual
small demands on forbearance and svmna-
thy. For in scarcely any respect did Joe
fulfill Martha Thrale's personal hopes and
desires. He turned out to be essentially
society man instead of chapel man.
He went to balls and parties, and dressed
elegantly, and visited in the grandest
houses. "Old Brierley's only son " was
not young man to be held of no account
by mothers with large families of dangh-
tiers. And, without effort, " our Joe =" be-
came the favorite of very fashionable
social set.
Of course IS 900 will not last forever,
even if man is nowav troubled about his
board and lodging bills; and at the end
of four years. dressing, and visiting, and
driving, Joe's credit was no longer
represented by four figures. However,
| he was now prepared to go into business,
and he told himself that the large circle
of friends he had made would repay the
expense of making them. He took a
handsome office. and announced himself
AZ " Solicitor and Conveyaucer." But
Yorkshiremen are proverbiallv cautious,
and a young, good-natured, fashionably
dressed man was not their ideal lawyer.
Joe could not look crafty or wise under
any circumstances, and the first year he
did not make enough to pay his rent.
Nevertheless, he did not in any way
curtail his expenses. When the summer
holidays arrived, he went, az usual to a
fashionable watering.pla He admitted
to himself that it might be the last sum-
mer he conld afford the luxury, and he
was determined to make the most of his
pleasure. No face was so bright, no heart
so gay, no one so entertaining and 80
popular. At the beginning of August,
Miss Elizabeth Bradley came to Harro.
gate. She was great heiress, and very
handsome girl. Joe was attracted by her
stately beauty, and her large fortune was
no drawback in his eyes. He paid her
some attention, and it was soon evident
that Miss Bradley regarded him with
marked favor.
Then Joe began to consider seriously
| the advantages of rich wife. His pro-
fession had been, as vet, failure he had
| adopted it in a kind of bravado, he did
not really like it, and he had no special
genius for it, In his heart he knew that
he was hardly likely to be successful
lawyer. His money was nearly gone, his
father practically dead to him, his aunt
| poor, and it must be confessed that four
years luxury and indulgence had made
him far less inclined to face the strife of
life than he had been on the night when
he elected to take his own way and Sc 900.
On the other hand, Elizabeth though
beautiful and rich, was not Joe's ideal
woman. She was proud and authorita-
tive, and had the reputation of being
smear" and economical in money mat
| tiers. Still, he was inclined to believe
| all women are what Yorkshire.men call "a
soft lot; - and the domestic and social ex-
perience had led him rather to overesti-
mate the natural masculine influence. He
was quite sure Miss Bradley would enjoy
agreeing with him and obeying him as
much as all other women had done. Still,
as matter of form, he asked Martha
Thrale's advice.
A fool is niver big fool till he gets
hisself married. Thou hesn't made $50
in twelvemonth, joe"
81 know that, aunt; but Miss Bradley
has $4,000 year. with Bradley Manor.
That's something"
"Happen it is, and happen it isn't. No
brass is 80 easily added as that got by
wedding; and if ia wants to marry sc 900
year, do it, lad, thou'lt be none too good
for it,"
This little spice of contradiction was all
that was necessary to confirm Joe in his
intentions. Still, before the marriage
was arranged, he bad to give up great
deal more than he liked; and as he had
no home to offer Elizabeth, he was in a
manner compelled to go to Bradley Hall
as the husband of the proprietress. But
perhaps the hardest condition Elizabeth
made was that he should remove his office
from the city to Bradley Moor village, a
small hamlet offering no advantages for
either business or pleasure.
Josiah Perkins had the management of
the Bradley estate, and about week be-
fore the intended marriage Joe and Eliza
beth rode over to his office for the pur-
pose OF signing some papers. The business
was pleasantly transacted, and the lovers
were cantering up the street together,
when Benjamin Brierley's gig stopped at
the lawyers door. Perkins, shading his
eyes with his hands, was watching the
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