Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1890-09-06
sisters. So he set himself to win Miss
Braithwaite. ard before Christmas they

ND great deal more than he liked. but
lie promised himself plenty Of martial
coinpelsaticns Elizabeth insisted on
retaining her own house. ard us Steve
had really no house to offer lier he
must needs 20 10 I}raitllwaite Hall as
the husband of the proprietress. She
insisted upon his removing his office to
Braitllwaitc,. IL small village. offering
.noneiof. the advantages for killing time
which al:lrge city like Leeds did. and
she had all iier. money scrupulously
settled upon herself for her own use
md underslinr absolute control.
Sieve feltsvrry much az if his wife
had bought him. but for IL little time
the eclat OF having married Il great
heiress. the bridal festivities and for
eign travel compensated for the loss OF
his freedo. DIT when they returned
to I3raithwaite life soon showed him a
far more 4prosaic side Mrs Gaskill's
economical disposition soon became
particularly offensive to Steve. She
inquired closely into hissbusiness. and
did NOT scruple to mako unpleaslntly
witty remarks about his income. She
rapidly developed, too. IN antllorita-
tive disposition. against which Steve
daily more and more rebelled. The
young couple were soon very unhappy.
The truth was that n great transition
WIS taking place in Sreve's mind, and
times Of Transition. arc always times of
unrest and misery The better part OF
Ills nature was beginning TO claim n
hearing. Fle haul seen now all that
good society could show him: he had
tasted of all pleasures money Gun buy.
and l.e was not happy
His wife had no ennu and no dissatr
isfaction with herself There was her
large house To oversee, her gardens and
conScrvatories. her servants and charity
schools. lIcr toilet. and Il Whole colony
of pet animals. Her days were too
short for I'LL the small interests that
filled them; and these interests she
would willingly have shared with Steve,
but to him they soon became intoler
able l,orts.
Under some circumstances he might
have found his work in the ordering
and investing Of his wife's large estate,
but Elizabeth was far too cautious
woman TO trust it in untried hands
Her fathers agent was her agent; her
banker managed all her investments:
her parl: and farms and gardens were
all under tllc care Of old and expert
enrnl servants. who looked upon Steve
merely as "Miss;s' husband"
In the second yearof his marriage he
began to have solne thoughts which
would llnve aStonishcd his wife could
she have Thought it worth her while to
inquire what occupied his mind in the
long. moody hours when he paced the
sfrubbcry or sat silently looking ont
Of the window. But Steve was now
ready for any honest thing that would
take hin ont of the purposeless. de-
pendent life which he had so fooIishly
chosen for himself
One day. greatly TO his surprise,
Elizabeth said t., h III:
Steve. ! have a letter from cousin
of my mother's who lives il Glasgow
She is going to Australia and wants me
to buy her house. Size says it is q
great bargain. and ! wrote to Jarrett
to go and sec about it. have II let.
ter this morning saying he is too i'll to
leave his bed. | wonder if you could
90 and attend TO it?
Anything for change. Steve
showed q very proper business-like in
terest and said:
Yes. | would be very glad TO go.
Very we'll should think you
knew enough of titles and deeds and
conveyancing, and all that Kind of
thing. will trust the affair TO you.
Steve.
So the next morning Steve found
himself on the C;,ledoni;.n line. with
Gl0O in lis pocket and Il veritable
piece of business ON land The first
twenty miles o;it of Leeds lie enjoyed
with the abandon OF bird set free.
Then lie began TO think again. At
Crewc he missed II train. and wander.
ing about tile station fell into talk
with the engineer of tho next one, who
was cleaning and examining his engine
with all tile love and pride IL mother
might give to a favorite child.
The two men fraternized at once. and
Steve made the trip over the C'ledon-
ian line in the cuddy Of tlle engineer.
who was fine young fellow. lone Of
seven. he said. ali lnachinists and
engineers. The young mechanic was
only serving his time. learning every
branch OF his business practically. He
had brothers WHO made engines, and
he hoped to do so sor,e day.
Inspitc Of Ills soiled face and oily
clothes Steve recognized tllat refine
ment that un:aas with education. and
when his new friend called upon him
at the Queens hotel lie would not have
been ashamed OF his appearance. even
in lis most f;lstidioua days
.'Nlr. Dalryinple. ! am glad to see
you" said Steve. holding ont both
hands to linn.
II thought you would be, sir; it is
not ofter.I am mistaken in my lkings.
| will 60 with yon HOW TO see my fa-
theirs works if it suits yon."
Never hntl such 1t place entered Ste
phen Caskill's conception; the I'M
menso furnaces. the hundreds Of giants
working around them. the clans OF
machinery. the mighty struggle OF
mind with matter of intellect over the
clements. was Il revelation. He cnvicd
tI,oeo CvcIors in tlIcir leathrrn masks