The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1892-07-15
-shali we 90 back nowP" the farmer


thought Of seeing Aaron here.
~ fancicd that young FcnlalSc was
In London" he said after pause.
"Hc has come here TO manage old
Bartlctt's MILL" Bclthorpe replied.
"And he Is TO be married to Jane Chal-
lock In the summer, | am told"
No more was said about the FcnlalScs
or the Challocks that evening, and IL
seemed to Bslthorpe that his guest did
not care To hear much of old friends and
ncighbors. They talked politics and
discussed business matters until IL was
time to retire for the night. And then
| Michael. with some slight awkward
ness, remarked that he must return TO
town to morrow.
II thought we should keep you here q
week at least" said the farmer. in a
surprised tone.
can't allow myself such long holiday.
Mrs. Chase is nervous about my health,
and must go back tomorrow.
well. Chase, you really do look as
II you had been ncglccting yourself
My wife would be nervous enough il I
looked as YOU do" Belthorpe said kind
ly. Perhaps you can persuade Mrs.
Chase To come with you into the coun-
try"
1--WE shall 20 10 the seaside later on"
Michael answered with q prcoccupied
air. II have been thinking about Ann
CralSe," he added, putting his hand in
his pocket. Twill YOU give her this
from me, Bclthorpc? And tell her
that | shall not forget her in the fu-
turc."
lie laid n fivc-pound note on the table
and went quickly out of the room.
That sudden encounter with Aaron
had set him quivcring with annoyance
and pain. He had come here tor peace,
and the flash in Aarons eyes had cx-
pressed wrath and bitter contempt. II
he had been the man he once was
Michael would have given only n scorn-
full thought to his old companion; hut
he had changed greatly, and al his
GOODNESS was gone. Ill-hcalth and Mrs.
Chasc's temper had deprived him of
that sclf-assurancc which had helped
him 70 overcome many obstacles. lie
was shaken and worn, his nerves were
out of order, and he found himself
longing foolishly for some tender voice
to soothc him in his loneliness tonight.
The crowned head, more licndiSh than
ever by candlclight, attracted his eyes;
he almost fancicd that it smiled, "a
wicked smile Of subtle meaning, and
turned away from il with disgust.
There seemed To bc no chance for rest
for him. He was miscrably walicfui,
-. -
head TO foot. There was no help FOR it,
he must take sleeping draught, al
though he knew that it was not Il wise
thing to- do He had had recourse TO
these draughts often of late.
After he had swallowed the opiatc he
went To the window and threw it open.
The air was sweet and cold and seemed |
tn revive him. He let il blow i'm upon
his hot face and then throw himself, /
half undreSscd. on the bed. He meant !
to lie there thinking for few minutes
before he closed the window and put
out the light. Even now he was not !
sure OF getting any sleep; the draughts |
had failed sometimes To produce the I
desired effect. And tonight he was so
restless and widc-awalle that it seemed !
as If nothing on earth could lull him
into oblivion.
As he lay there, gazing out 1T the |
star-sown night, he felt that he would /
have given much to have seen the faces |
of his old friends looking kindly on him /
again. He had gained So many dcsra- |
bic things that il was absurd To lie here /
pining for u little friendliness from com /
Onl &c
even in successful lives, when nothing !
seems 30 precious AS those poor treas
ures that we laughed Mt and threw |
awSy long ago.
How happy that pair had looked, rs !
they stood, side by side, watching the |
dow Of the water! let it was only
very common kind of Joy that they were |
feeling, and il might have been Mi |
chacls too. lie had held II in his grasp |
and tossed il from him; IL was gone for |
ever, and he had only just begun To re-
alizc its true value. What had he gained /
in exchange? Shrcds Of interest, given \
sparingly by woman who had never |
loved nor been loved, barren glittcring I
days, whose monotony was only broken /
by Mrs. ChaSe's frantic efforts To get I
into society!
AS he thought of those frantic efforts, /
he laughed with sudden scorn of her
and of himself. He was beginning To
know something about them now
those disappointed women who have
climbed IA little way up the social
ladder and then stuck fast. lie had
seen their frenzy when some other
woman, poorer, hut more attractive,