The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-05-18
CHAPTER XVII.
THE CROWNED HEAD.


'of Eastmeon. Once more the spring
scents rose from the earth, and April
sprinkled the velvet mosses 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 we'll
contented with their lot The free air
of his old home had driven Aaron's clouds
away; a grave and quiet man he would
always be; but a great deal Of his
awkward shyness was gone. He was
prospering; 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.
Michaeps father, the drunken black
smith, had possessed battered cottage
and a piece of ground in Eastmeon.
The cottage was mere ruin, and the
bit Of garden was 30 small and unpro-
ductive that when the blacksmith died
1t 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
IL, man well stricken In years and very
poor. Busy with his own grand
schemes young Chase seldom bestowed
a thought on his sorry little property at
Eastmeon; but one day there came a
letter from q lawyer, saying that a
client Of his desired to buy the land and
build house ON 1t. When this letter
came TO Michael II afforded him faint
CLEAN of satisfaction.
Mrs. Michael Chase, after waiting
many day, had married beneath her
rather than remain single. Michael was
q rising man; he was extremely useful
to her brother; he had a shrewd head
and knew how to take care of money.
Moreover, he was good-loolking 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 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 a husband.
But II is an i'll thing when the wife
holds the money-bag and the husband
carries an empty pocket. Mrs. Michael
had temper, and felt that there was
no need TO control 1t. 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 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 a slight in
crease Of respect. He decided that he
would go and look at '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 a painful kind Of pleasure. Only
q 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.
He had consulted doctor and had been
gravely cautioned against worry and
overwork; but this Is a worrying and
overworlSing age, and he did not sup
pose that he 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 Michael's 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
lelicacy Of constitution - never once
suspected that his fragile body could
not meet the demands made upon It by
q strong imperious will.
Even after the doctor had spoken he
steadily put his ailments out of his
mind. Surely they were not worth
many thoughts. A breath of country
air and 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
10 the villane. He had thought 1t prob
able that Aaron or Samuel Wake would
have come to heap reproaches on his
head but Olives champions were al