The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-03-19
CHAPTER XVII.
rEE CROWNED HEAD.

Once more the prinroses had unrolled
their soft crinkled leaves and opened
their yellow stars in the hedge banks
of Eastmeon. Once more the spring
scents rose from the earth, and april
sprinkled the velvet MOSES with sun
beams and glittering tears. The trees
were budding in the old Savoy church.
yard: the grass and ivy, newly washed
with gentle showers, had put on the
freshest green and Olive thought Of
quiet country places far away. Good
news came to her from the little vii
lage among the downs. Jane and
Aaron were to be married in June. and
both were wonderfully happy and well
contented with their lot The free air
of his old home had driven Aaron clouds
away; a grave and quiet man he would
always be; but great deal OF his
awkward shyness was gone. He was
prospecting; old Bartlett relied upon
him as a son. People had learned to
respect him and have confidence in
his Judgment Michael had been
horn for the city; but Aaron was man
who needed the simple influences Of
rural life.
Michael's father, the drunken black
smith, had possessed a battered cottage
and piece of ground in Eastmeon.
The cottage was a mere ruin, and the
bit of garden was SO small and unpro-
ductive that when the blacksmith died
it was difficult to find another tenant
Michael could not afford to repair the
dwelling, and was glad to let it to the
first person who was willing to live in
it, man we'll stricken in years and very
poor Busy with his own grand
schemes young Chase seldom bestowed
thought on his sorry little property at
Eastmeon; but one day there came a
letter from lawyer, saying that a
client of his desired to buy the land and
build a house on it. When this letter
came to Michael it afforded him a faint
CLEAN of satisfaction.
Mrs. Michael Chase, after waiting
many day, had married beneath her
rather than remain single. Michael was
a rising man; he was extremely useful
to her brother; he had shrewd head
and knew how to take care Of money.
Moreover, he was good-lool1ing and had
the art of adapting himself to the
society into which fortune had thrown
him His vulgarity was of that subtle
kind which only betrays itself on rare
occasions; he had no coarse tastes; nc
love of vice. On the whole, he was a
wonderfully presentable specimen OF
the young man who had made his own
way; and Miss Battersby was not un.
willing to follow her brothers. advice
and accept him as husband.
But it is an ill thing when the wife
holds the moneybag and the husband
carries an empty pocket. Mrs. Michael
had temper, and felt that there was
no need to control it. She did not deny
herself the pleasure of reminding
Michael of her generosity in keeping
him well supplied with cash. She set
her foot upon his neck every day of her
life.
To do him justice Michael bore all
with exemplary patience. In giving up
Olive he had given up the best thing IN
his life. The chance offered him by the
Battersbys had been too splendid to be
thrown away. and SO he had parted with
his pearl of price without hesitation.
Olive had developed absurd fancies;
she was disposed to undervalue him; it
was best to bid her good-by. Neverthe-
less, he had not been wholly uncon-
scious OF her worth.
Sometimes when Mrs. Michael had
been little more exasperating than
usual he world call up avision Of his
old love, with her soft eyes, her gentle
voice and her tender hands, all ready to
do his bidding. Once in his life he had