Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-08-14

and 20 without ever having scen the
inside Of Vienna drawing room Their
own gentlo resignation filled them with
wonder. but nevertheless did not prevent
occasional mcditations being made on
the possibility Of q husband dropping
frum tho skica Count Conrad Kestler's
proposed visit seemed exactly 20 answer
10 that description Of event and was
therefore duly prepared for.
"will he be q big OF o little manr'
was the doubt which skunk In and out
Of the souls VI both baronesscs The
frst sight Of the stranger would help
greatly TO clear tho situation. for tho
big Anna could place no hopes ON q
scrap Of . man. whilo tho miniature
Helene would never have tho courage
20 fall In love with giant And Jet,
when the day came and the moment,
and when frv,n bchiph tho window cur.
tains two pairs of Tiuc eyes pecpcd at
the new arrival. nothing like q definite
conclusion was come tn Upon an iden.
teal impulse Anna and Helene looked
at each other and laughed Not o word
was said. but they undcrptood each
other perfectly. The glance exchanged
between the two sisters said ~ much
A. ~ must have another look at him
before I make mp my mind. but he IL
CERTAIN 10 do for one of Us two"
This was the conclusion which Miss
wilkins likewise had reached. though
she would have greatly preferred II
Count Kostlcr had not bcen one Of tho~e
men of in,lcscribable height whom 10
would b, incorrect to describ. ~ tall.
and who yet are unquestionably not
abort 20 long as the prospective hus.
band was no, distinctly assigned 90 ono
Of her charges she could not feel n
though tho campaign were opened
hut tho first evening passed without
hctraying 90 Miss wilkins anything IL.
yond tho fact ~ Count Ks-tler being =
laiy's man In tho fullest sense of the
word When he was talking to Anna.
the wa,chful English woman felt rcady
90 stake her soul that hc had suocumbcd
90 that young lady's massive charms,
and yet the moment he approached liel.
enc he appeared To have eycs for moth.
ing but her fairylikc graco As for the
poor overconscicntious barui. he spent
not only the evening. but most 10 the
night. upon thorns. tossing about from
side to side and passing In review la
fore his minds eye all the symptoms of
lov,sickncss which he was convinced of
having noted In both his daughters
Had not Anna forgotten to hand round
the sugar. and Helene twice droppd
her handkerchief In the course VI the
evening"
The author of all these cruel ansietics
was meanwhile enjoying n perfectly un.
broken nights rc~t Owing % belated
butterfly which came sailing In by the
opcn window. having slcpt through the
proper butterfly scason and being con.
demncl 10 make the bsst Of September
weather. Count Kcstler's morning slum.
bcrs came to somewhat premature
conclusion Had u not bcen for this
tardy butterfly much might have hap
pcncd differently also Whenever I'm fu.
ture days his thoughts travelled back 10
the little yellow winged creature. Con.
raj k,Stlcr saw Ia 10 n direct instru.
ment II fate. or. at any rata, much more
than an ordinary butterfly.
AZ the moment. however. II must bc
admitted that the instrument of fate
was not greeted ly him with all the de-.
ligh, that would have hsen hccoming.
Having opened his eyes 90 scc what was
tickling his no~c. his lip~ 1rst formed
themselves to u inuttor-about which
perhaps the lees said the bettcr--and
then "a yawn. In hcvory act of turn.
ing over Tor another sncnzc his eye was
caueh, by the fash Of light upUn water.
and ho rusc ON his elbow 10 $50 the very
first sunlram sliding frum between two
pine clad mountain fanks and striking
ro-o colord firo from the surface 81 u
gvsi siscd lake
Unqucstionably 10 was q pretty pro-.
pct. and yet u was not ~ much the
prospect itself as the meaning which u
bore to him that caused Conrad kos,lcr
10 rclinqui.h his idea of another snou1e.
II 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 bcen observed
sallying forth from the still sleeping
hou-e, with the intention ~ having a
clo~cr look at that sheet IL water. which.
secn from distance. seemed to contain
such delicious promises u sport
This thought hal bsn the motor Of
his action. but once having reached the
open mir be- was in danger u forgetting
his object. ~ surprised and pleased was
he with what he saw ON all sides. not
that tho ir.s- at Dornenburg were older
90 finer than tho~c II his own home. OF
the flower bsls better kept. or the lawns
better ten,icl. but because for years past
he had not seen any of those things
with the fir,t veil u morning still bcau.
tifying them. for which rcason he mp.
pearcd 10 be discovering them over
again. Thcrc was something distinctly
soothing about this consciousness of bc.
ing the only member awake Of house
hold Why. the chances were that not
even the kitchen nro was Jet liz. nor
was either rake or spade being piled
anywhere within sight No privacy
could have been m1rc perfect, no prom
enade more ideally planned for the pur-
poses Of quiet meditation. So irrcsist.
ible, In fact, wero tho 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 . oourse OF serious
reflections
"My father had nm object In sending
me here beyond that Of shooting wild
ducks" Thus ran the current Of his
thoughts II know no thinks II time
for me TO settle. and nothing would
please him better than for me TO marry
one of the daughters Of his old com.
rado Dear old vateri ! would please
him II could. but nothing would ever
make me content with either giantcss
or q pygIny. And It's q pity. too" hc
Continued, "for I like golden hair. and
both tho big and tho little face are very
pleasantly pink and white and I sup
poso II IL about time for mo 10 be get.
ting settled" "
When no had paced down another bit
Of tho avenue he seemed to remember
that his father had spoken about three
Dornenburg girlA
"And I have only seen two ~ yet"
he reflected. (which means. I suppose
that tho third Is In tho nursery"
90 deem wus he In his metlitations