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

ASA<SDk th ~ NV A<s1t
"No escape this timef' said old Baron
Dcrnenburr. glaring somewhat savage
ly at an open letter In his hand. II was
q letter frum nm old schoolfcllow. now
the representative of government In a
distant province Of Austria. and In II
the baron was warmly appealed 20 ON
behalf of that schoolfellow's son.
Al frt sight thcw was nothing very
appalling about this fact. and yet this
was the moment which the widowed
father of thcc daughters had been
drcading for years
The men who make successful chap
crons arc extremely few and far te.
tween. A male duenna 10 either over.
scrupulous or overnight In tho fulfllmont
Of his duties The barun belongcd to the
former order Ia the extent Of making
lifo q burden TO himself pcrpetually
and not infrquentiy 90 others also
Young girls were treated by him NJ n
dangerous explosive. within q mile of
which me- match should 10 struck Tor
fear of q catastrophe and ~ faithful
was he 20 this thcory that his friends
frequently felt Il their duty to rcason
with him.
"But, Dorncnburg. how doyou expect
ever 10 get rid II your daughters II you
keep them shut up behind gratingsl'
"Ble-s the man. he's surely not going
to have three old maids help him into
his gravey' Such and such like rmarks
iicw past his ear. but left him un.
moved A male chapcron IL ~ far
easier 60 satisfy than a female one that
the latter has no pcaoc until her charge
has made brilliant marriage whereas
the former IL content II she has not
made disgraceful one
When on this September morning
Barun DurnenburH had done glaring at
his old comrado'. letter. he reached the
same conclusion he hal t.gun with.
"No escap. this timci'' After which he
promptly sent for Miss wilkins
Mis- wilkins was his youngest daugh.
tcr's gov,rne-s. for the barun still had
q daughter In the schoolroom. and she
was likewise the English instructpss IL
the elder baroncsscs II had cost q hard
fight tsforo she had bsen secured. and
pcace with her. Being past GO and bald
and gouty. the haron hal foolishly sup
pu-cd that he would b. unmolestod ty
the fair sex lie very soon r-cognis~i
his mistake Various had bccn the frau.
leins and madcmoiscllcs who hal passed
In prcocSsion through the house 81 Dor
n.nburg. each one of whom would have
bcen ready 60 overlook both the bald
head and the crippled joints for the sake
~ sharing with him the crown ~ seven
points Mis- wilkins was not only the
oldest and plainsst soverne~s hc had
bccn able To uncarth for love or money.
bu, hal something distinctly puritanical
about her pcr>on. rassuring 90 any one
with ~ shaky AN opinion Of female hu'
man nature A. had this particular baron
Miss wilkins. said Baron Dorncn.
burg. addressing the gaunt, middle agcd
English woman as sh. entered. II have
hal some very unpleasant news My old
friend. Count kos;lcr. writes 90 me here
saying that his son Conrad has just w
turned from his American tour and l.
very anxious for some shooting. His
own deer forests have not yet recovered
from the disease which infected them
two years ago: consequently he appeals
to me s.c no escape but to ask Conrad
Kestlcr here for 10 days IL l. o. consult
with yuu as 90 the precautions to :" taken
that have requested your presence hcro
In the firsi place
II presume the young man Is unmar.
rie,ls'' asked Miss wilkins abruptly. and
n spark of some quite newly horn inter
,st seemed 90 illuminc her usually chilly
gray eyes
"Of course Conrad is unmarried"
confirmed the barun In some asionish.
mcnt
"And the Kestler's name has good
sound. and the fortune iscunsidcrable
Mis- wilkins was warming Ia her sub.
ject a. sho spoke. "Oh. Baron Dornen.
burg. I do believe that letter from your
old friend Is nothing hut an inicrpnsi.
ton of Providence. Why. don't you see
a. clearly as r.ssible that this means n
husband for one Il your daughterf
"IIold. there. " said the baron grufily.
flushing dark nd from vexaiion ''li
ever believed that any woman could
ke,p her fingers out IL the maichmak'
ing pie. I took you 20 Ia that woman,
Mis- wilkins. but do believe you're
made of the same stun n the others
Husband. indesll Marriagel Count Kes.
tier of fohrcnstein would long ago have
fallen a prey 10 some ent.rprising Wen
ua mamma II matrimony had bscn In
his line have not seen Conrad since
he was n hoy, but his fame ~ q man
geur de cpurs has long since penetrated
even these woodland retreats under
strnd him to rank as the most success
full lady killer IN Vienna society. In
fact. his one vocation In life seems TO
h. to go about turning heads and break
ing hearts. and this IL the man who
for 10 days H. 90 dwell under the same
roof with my girls Upon my worl. It's
letting the wolf into the L,eepfold"
Every possibly tho wolf Is not ~
black as ne Is painted. Mis- wilkins
cautiously suggested
''He il blacker. at any rate, far than
he ought 10 h.. and IL will require both
your vigilance and mine % chcckmate
the empty headed loyemaking with
which he Is sure TO pas his time j
have been turning over the matter In my
mind and have come to the conclusion
that during these 10 critical days you
must Ia th. ccastant companion of my
two elder girls II IL tho only possibil.
ity Of avcrting the danger that threat
ems"
"And Elsbeth,'
"Let the child have . holiday. II
Sl do her no harm TO slut mp her
books AMI run wild for 10 days"
Miss wilkins shook her head. but 20
entirely were the baron's thoughts taken
up with his elder girls that he never
oven noticed the Disappearing gesture
Elsleth was q child. still safe In the
sehoolroom. The day when she took to
long skirts would be time enough TO be-
gin worrying about her.
When ut the end Of half an hours
private consultation the gaunt English
woman left the baron's presence. she
was primed with warning. and yet. Tor
all that-so obstinate are some hbcn In
human naturc-the spark Of match.
making enthusiasm was not utterly
qucnched In her eye Silently. but nos
the less irrcyocably. waa the middle