The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-07-22


admitted that the instrument Of fate was
not greeted by him with all the delight
that would have been becoming. Having
opened his eyes to see what it was that
was tickling his nose, his lips first formed
themselves to a mutter-about which,
perhaps, the less said the better-and then
to yawn. In the very act Of turning
over for another snooze his eye was caught
by the fash of light upon water, and he
rose on his elbow to see the very frat sun
beam sliding from between two pine-clad
mountain tanks and striking rose-colored
fire from the surface of good-sized lake.
Unquestionably it was pretty pros
pect, and yet it was not so much the pros
pect itself as the meaning which it bore to
him that caused Conrad Kestler to relin-
quish his idea Of another snooze.
~ didn't know they had water here, "
shot through his mind. "That means
wild ducks"
And half an hour later the newly ar
rived guest might have been observed sal
lying forth from the still sleeping house,
with the intention of having closer look
at that sheet of water which, seen from
distance, seemed to contain such delicious
promises of sport. This thought had been
the moter of his action, but, once having
reached the open air, he was in danger Of
forgetting his object, so surprised and
pleased was he with what he saw on all
sides. Not that the trees at Dornenburg
we're older or finer than those at his own
home, or the fower-beds better kept, or
the lawns better tended, but because for
years past he had not seen any of those
things with the first veil of morning still
beautifying them, for which reason he ap-
peared to himself to be discovering them
over again. There was something dis
tinctly soothing about this consciousness
of being the only member awake OF a
household; why, the chances were that
not even the kitchen-fre was yet lit, nor
was either rake or spade being piled any
where within eyesight. No privacy could
have been more perfect, no promenade
more ideally planned for the purpose of a
quite meditation. So irresistible, in fact,
were the accessories, that Conrad had
scarcely reached the middle of the lime
tree avenue, which led from the door of
the house, when he found himself drifting
into course of serious reflections.
"My father had an object in sending me
here beyond that of shooting wild ducks, :"
thus ran the current of his thoughts. ~
know he thinks it time for me to settle, and
nothing would please him better than for
me to marry one Of the daughters of his old
comrade. Dear old Yater would please
him if l could, but nothing would ever make
me content with either giantess or apigmy.
And it's pity, too, he continued, "for |
like golden hair, and both the big and the
little face are very pleasantly pink and
white, and l suppose it is about time for
me to be getting settled"
When he had paced down another bit of
the avenue, he seemed to remember that
his father had spoken about three Dornen-
burg girls
"And l have only seen two, as yet, he
reflected, (which means, l suppose, that
the third is in the nursery"
So deep was he in his meditations that
when, at the end of the avenue, he stepped
out on the very shore of the lake, he stood
still in as much astonishment as though this
had not been the object of his walk. At
the same moment he became aware that he
was, after all, not the only member of the
household on his legs. In boat chained
to a Eole at the edge Of the water there
stood a girl with straw hat shading her
face, and her back turned to him, while
she busted herself with the fastening.
Conrad's first impression was one of
annoyance at the interruption of his pri-
yacy, his second was the question, "Who
can this be ?" Both the hair and what he
could see of the cnrye of the cheek seemed
to be of the right color, and yet it did not
appear to him to be either quite the big or
quite the little Dornenburg girl.
At this moment she Strengthened herself
and turned round, evidently despairing of
the chain. Perhaps it was owing to his
thoughts having been occupied with the
question of feminine stature that Conrad
was now aware of a distinct feeling Of salts
faction, for there could be no doubt about
this apparition being of the "right height, :"
Just as there could be no doubt about its
being the youngest Dornenburg girl.
aLet me help you with that chain, said
Conrad, stepping forward, much relieved
by the discovery that the young boatwom-
ans skirts were not quite regulation length,
which was enough, with one blow, to ban
ish etiquette from the scene. Il fancy !
know that sort of fastening. But first
let me introduce myself. am
81 know who you are quite as well as
you know yourself" she briskly interrupted
him. "Why, the house has been posi-
lively alive with your name since this time
last week. | never thought | could get
so tired of any person before seeing him" 7"
"You don't say SOL l really was not
prepared" stammered Conrad, whose
habit it was not to be easily taken aback,
but who, nevertheless, felt rather at loss
n IL