Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1892-05-04

!. >ome to Michael Il Afforded him a faiut
Joan Of satisfaction.
;: Mrs Michael Chase, after waiting
many n day, had married beneath her
rather than remain single Michael was
q rising man; he was extremely useful
to her brother; he had a shrcwd head
and knew how to take care of money.
Moreover, he was good-looking 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: no
love of vice. On the whole, he was n
| 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 a husband.
But it is an i'll thing when the wife
holds the money-bag and the husband
carries an empty pocket. Mrs. Michael
had n 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
Sattersbys 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; il
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 a little more exasperating than
usual he world call up "A vision 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
been loved and he could not forget it.
When the lawyers letter came to him
early in the spring he held up his head
and talked loftily of his little property
down in Eastmeon. Mrs. Chase was sur
| prised and treated him with slight in
| crease of respect. He decided that he
would go and look at 1.-The property"
himself. In truth he needed change of
air and scene, and the thought of re-
turning to the old village thrilled him
with painful kind of pleasure. Only
a little while ago he had hated TO hear
the place mentioned, but now that his
ambitious desires had been granted he
could afford to revive old memories
The sight of familiar scenes and the
scent of the fields would be pleasant to
jaded man. The wear and tear of an
eager life had told upon him of late.
| lie had consulted doctor and had been
| gravely cautioned against worry and
overwork; but this is worrying and
overworking age, and he did not sup
pose that ne was feeling any worse
than most of the men he met every day.
Loves keen eye would have detected
serious symptoms, but love did not
cross Michaels path nowadays Once
or twice Edward Battersby had care
lessly remarked that he was Cooking
seedy," but no one entreated him to
take care of himself, nor saw that he
was often unfit for the commonest
duties. He had never realized his own
| delicacy of constitution - never once
suspected that his fragile body could
not meet the demands made upon it by
strong imperious will.
Even after the doctor had spolxen he
mind. Surely they were not worth
many thoughts breath of country
air and n walk in the fields would set
him up completely. He resolved to
spend at least two or three DAYS at
Eastmeon.
He had not heard of Aaron's return
TO the village. He had thought il prob
able that Aaron or Samuel Wake would
have come to heap reproaches on his
head. but Olives champions were ST.
lent. Nor had Olive even deigned to
write an answer to his cruel letter; he
had received a packet containing the
trifiing presents that he had given her.
and that was all.
He decided that he would not stay in
an inn If he could find other accommo-
dation- There were two inns in East
neon, one new and the other old. OF
the new one he knew little, and the old
one was kept by Aaron Fenlalxe's faith
er and was far too humble an abode for
MIR. Chase. Moreover, he did not want
10 have any talk with old Fenlake
about his son.
And then he remembered the Bel
thorpes, father and son, who lived i'm
the old courthouse. They were we'll
TODD farmers, and young Belthorpe had