Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-09-04
THE VANDERSTEENS'
CAMPAIGN.
&c. G. Furley.l


can whose finances permitted him to visit the
Old World. but with distinct intention Of in
vading and conquering English society, pos
sibly of settling on English soil, but this
formed no essential'part Of their plans.
Il don't know that its worth while actually
TO marry any Of them" said Mrs. Oppenteim.
Mrs. Oppenheim was the guide, philosopher
and friend of the young ladies', having her
self passed two most successful seasons in
London, and she declared, having aroused
hopeless love in the breasts of innu-
merable Englishmen and intense jealousy in
those of English ladies. ,"Englishmen don't
make such kind, obedient husbands as Ameri-
ssna," said this experienced lady; 'they are
tyrannical and dreadfully stupid; but it al
ways enhances girls value with men on
this side to have it known that she has re-
fused few Englishmen. At least / should
not advise you to accept anything less than
the heir to an earldom.. and then only if he is
young and handsome. But the great point is
that you'll be presented at court, which at
once gives you right to the best society
here-it's sort Of certificate of merit; and
Lady Barbara knows her work, and won't
take you to any but the best houses, SO am
u
last caution! don't get too intimate with any
Of the people on board ship, unless you are
quite, quite sure that they are the sort you
viii want to keep up with afterward. l was
terribly plagued by woman who went over
with me. had been civil to her when we
Nsre crossing, and the result was that in
london she was always bothering me. After
She read in the newspapers that had been at
Tue drawing-room she prosecuted me to pre-
sent her, till was forced to insult her in
seHHefense."
3Mapy more advices and warnings did Mrs.
Qpbenheim give her young friends, till both
veleria and Ermyntrude felt that if their
career in England was not successful the
failure would be due to their own laundering,
RH who was less likely to blunder than these
HWtely and self-possessed damsels! Very
B8h of heart were they when they stepped on
Mard the Cunarder that was to convey them
10 The scene Of triumph; and when they sat
Ebwn to partake of their first meal with their
@low passengers, very careful were they
DOT to risk too intimate acquaintance with
any of them. There was only one, they de-
Wded, after privately discussing their COM
panions, that looked at all worth cultivating
ma fair-haired, handsome young Englishman
.Abpt he had been conversing with the peopli
Hkbr him with so much animation that thev
Selt sure he could not be any one of impor-
tapce.
" shouldn't think he was anybody" said
Taleria refectively, "though he does look SO
afistocratic, but then you can never guess at
hp Englishmans position by his being civil
al round. They never seem to think it nec-
sary, even the highest of them, to keep
their interiors at a distance"
"That's because they are surs that the dis
tance is so immeasurable that no one will at
tempt to traverse it," returned Ermyntrude q
little bitterly, remembering one or two occa-
Eons when her social interiors had not seemed
10 conscious that she stood far above them
As might be desired. ~ wonder what his
name isl" she added.
II heard some one call him Mr.. Ellis"
"Ellis! You can't learn much from that.
xslike name like Cholmondeley or Gros-
Yenor; that you don't often find outside the
'Peerage;' then you know where you are,
but Ellis might belong to any one."
"Let us look up the 'Peerage,'" suggested
the younger sister.
They searched that interesting manual,
without which no American woman's library
II complete, and found that Ellis was the
family name of the earl of sussex
"What does it say about him"
"He is an old man himself, born 1902 His
eldest son, Lord Eastbourne, born 1873, mar
fled, 1858, Lady Louisa Frederick le Mar
Chant, only daughter Of the marquis of Fox
land, and has issue: Hugh Rodericl, Her.
bert le Marchant Ellis, born 1865"
With one accord the sisters ceased reading
and exclaimed: "Can it be he!"
They made an effort to discover if their
fNlow-passenger was indeed that scion of the
noble house of Sussex. Leaving their state
room, where the absorbing study of the
aPeerage" had been carried on, they went on
deck, where they found Mr. Ellis discussing
Christian names with some other gentlemen
zones godfathers and godmothers occa-
sionally make blunders in the names they
give one but society always sets the matter
right" he was saying. II know man who
was christened Launcelot, but whom every
Bfdy calls Dolly, for no otter reason than
thdt it seems to suit him better. myself am
atE:cted with string of names long enough
to serve whole family if economically use l.,
but they are all contracted into Dick"
The Misses Vandersteen heard only the lat
ter part Of this speech, and ray of disap-
pointment shot from the eyes of each. This
was not the Hon. Hugh Roderick Herbert le
Marchant, but some commonplace, uninter-
esting, middle-class Dick! They walked
round the deck, end as they again passed the
gentlemen they Nard the obnoxious because
plebian, Ellis say, in answer to some ques-
tion, "No, did not spend much time in the
cities. I wanted to make some sketches, and,
with the exception of some of the older parts
of New York, l found nothing of interest in
the northern towns. spent most of my
time on the Hudson till winter came on, and
then Went south. Now, New Orleans is a
place"
The Msees Vandersteen listened to no
more, but crept away to their cabin to hide
their disappointment.
"To think of his being only an artistr'
sighed Valeria.
"But some artists are in society,"" sighed
Ermyntrude, who had been more deeply
struck by the strangers good looks than her
sister.
"Notwhile they are so young as he Is" re-
piled Mis- Va ndersteen sententiously
Next day WIS rather stormy, and many
ladies Were sick, among them the Misses
Vanders;ccn. Their maid was also i'll, and
unahie to al tend to them, and the stewardess
had too in, Aids goods to look after to give as
mach attention to the Misses Vandersteen as
these young ladies required. Indeed, they
would have Jared badly but for the
kindness Of young girl named Alice Bar
clay, VINO was going to Europe for
the first time with her parents.
VIXEN they were able only to lie on a sofa
in the ladies' cabin, she was ready to fan
them, read to them, get them champagne OF
iced-water, as their capricious fancy dictated
In short to make herself essential to their
comfort. While they were i'll and weak they