St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-26
A DUCHESS DILEMMA.
The Trouble She Experienced in Breaking Her Sons En-
gagement With the Girl He Loved.

AL" iAS1 ~ - NV " NA'S OhOtA
lie from Nice-perhaps this will tell us
something-she knows the Glanmeres
so WE'LL" and the duchess hastily
opened another letter in a thin foreign
envelope and read:
dearest Katharine Il do not
wish to be off1cious and disagreeable,
but l do think it right you should know
that Eliot is making herself very con
SpicuouS here with a family called job
son. ("Good gracious!" lnterpolated
the duchess, ''what a dreadful name.
Dear Maud will soon stop that.") They
are staying at his hotel, which is doubt
less how he met them, and for the last
fortnight, wherever they go, Eliot is in
their name. The mother quite too i'm
possible; the daughters, pretty in a
flashy, underlined style. and ridicu-
lousy over-dressed-noisy, fast, and al
together terrible. Alice Glanmere, who
stayed at the same hotel, was Mortified
to see Eliot i'll such company. She n
her charming girls have now gone to
Florence. She tried to persuade him to
go with them, but he was so infatuated
with Miss Maud JObSOn -"
The Duchess voice, as she read. had
become more and more agitated. When
she came to the name she positively
screamed.
"Miss Maud Jobson! Oh Frederick!
this is too terrible! How can we stop
this horrible thing? Miss Maud Jobson
how can Eliot be such a %fOol-tO think
we should allow it?"
But, my dear, ! thought you told me
Eliot was engaged to Lady Maud Full
lerton?" The duke, having got n
idea in his head, had not yet grasped
the second.
$50 l thought-so l hoped-but this
letter throws a new light" and the fran
tic lady sank into a chair, with her sons
letter in one hand and Lady Jane Crom-
lies in the other.
We must go to Nice, at once-tele-
! graph-do something. Oh! what shall
l d0?"
us there no letter from George?"
asked the duke.
II never looked. Yes, here is one,"
and the duchess hastily opened and
! read the following:
"My Dear Aunt: Eliot tells me he has
written to inform you of his engagement.
Ireally do not know what to say about 1t
i was as much surprised as you no
doubt are. Fact is, l felt a little low
myself, and went away for a few days
change. IN. Bile did not think it
necessary to explain that the 'lowness'
was chiefly in a financial point of view,
and that he had gone to Monte Carlo
and enjoyed a very successful week
there. And when | returned Eliot in
formed me that he was engaged to Miss
| Maud JObson. l was not aware he even
knew these people, who, though staying
at the hotel, we had never spoken to be-
fore | left. L begged him to write and
consult you and my uncle before any
thing was settled, but he answered that,
although he should, of course, write to
you, everything was settled. do trust
you will not think | I'm to blame in the
matter. Believe me, your atfectiOnate
nephew, GEORGE CHATFIELD."
at must be stopped! Let us tele-
graph to Eliot to come home at once. 1t
cannot be allowed. Jobson! She says
her waist is only seventeen inches. ~
The duchess groaned as she read the
words.
kilograms were at once dispatched to
Lord Eliot and his cousin, urging imme-
diate return; and the duke and duchess
left PanShere to meet their son in Lon
! don, having telegraphed their intention
to him.
The days before the travellers could
arrive were terribly long to the anxious
parents, but at length a telegram came
! from Dover.
"Shall be in town by lunch time.
GEORGE CHATFIELD."
"Why does not Eliot telegraph him
self?" they wondered; but when at l
O'Clock Lord George alone entered the
room where his uncle and aunt sat
eXpectant, they both exclaimed breath
leSsly:
"Oh, George, where is he? Has he
not come home?"
Eyes; he has come home, but SO have
the Jobsons, and they have persuaded
him to go with them straight to Brigh-
ton, where they live"
$40 Brighton 1--we must follow at
once. Oh, George. how could you allow
him to suppose for one moment that we
should consent to this! How did he
ever meet these people?"
swell it appears that Miss Maud Job
son has a much cherished poodle, and
one day at Nice the animal was nearly
pened to be standing near and seized
the creature from under the advancing
wheels just in time to save its life. Mr..
and MIR. Jobson, full of ELUSIVE graft
tude, and nc doubt knowing who the
rescuer was, made no end of fuss owe
the courage, promptitude, etc., that
had saved their pet, and having
thus made the acquaintance, con-
tinued to follow it up by every
means in their power. Darling Boo
boo's brave rescuer' must accompany
them for drives, walks. to the play, etc.
They had their places put next him at
the table d'hote-and Eliot, never hav-
ing been regarded as a hero before ="
and Lord George smiled deprecatingly
at his aunt, who made a gesture of dis
gust and Experimentation kindly to
the homage. In fact, when 1 returned
to Nice he informed me of his engage
ment. Of course | wrote to you at once,
and | believe Eliot did so also"
There was nothing fol- it but pursuit
to Brighton. And there that evening
the duke and duchess had a long, and
on IN side, stormy interview with their
son and heir. They argued, entreated
and even t~hreatened-it was no use
Lord Eliot, like most weak people, was
terribly obstinate. He had made up his
mind to marry Miss JobsOn, and oppOSi-
ton only made him more determined.
1--WE must now try the other Side,"
moaned the duchess, as her son left the
room. Surely they can be bought off"
Next day the Duchess of Skye drove
"Such a good house," she sighed. mo
lack of money, l fear, which will make
it so much more difficult to buy them
off," Mrs. Jobson was at home. and the
house inside bore many evidences of
wealth. 1t was gaudy, ostentatiouS,
vulgar-much gliding, huge mirrors,
brightly colored. new. The duchess
groaned in spirit as she recognized the
difficulties before her.
The drawing-room was vacant when
the duchess was uShered in. and she
had time to glance around. Furniture
covered in blue satin, gilt legs and
backs, masses Of draperies in most in
appropriate places, tables covered
with photograph frames-no books,
no work, no fowers-everything
tasteless and snowy. After a
few minutes waiting, the door
opened and the owner of all this ap-
peared, and we'll matched her surround
ings. A large, stout woman, very much
made up, with masses OF false yellow
hair, dressed in the most ul~tra-fashion-
able style-a bright green silk dress,
deliberately made and trimmed heavily