The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-12

human neture--the spark OF match
making AenthusiaSm was not utterly
quenchcd in ier eye Silently. but not
tho less irrevocably, was the middle
aged English woman determined that
this opportunity should not be lost It
was with ssye 20 the main object that
sho encouraged both Anna and Helene
to pass their wnrdrobes in review and
made various wull meant hut not over
skillful attempts In the direction Of
freshening up tumbled houncos and pro-
curing new lease of life for hats which
had borno the brunt Of the summer.
During this week of preparation such
things as turned ribbons and half curled
feathers belonged to tho common fca-
turcs Of the apartments. though the ap-
proach of tho baron generally caused
them to disappear. In their heart Of
hearts both girls had set upon those 10
prospective days hopes which an yet they
had not acknowledged even to them
selves Even the domestic virtues, of
which both possessed fair share, could
not blind them 70. the fact that il was
rather hard to be aged, respectively, 20
and % without ever having seen the
inside of Vienna drawing room. Their
own gentle resignation filed them with
wonder. but nevertheless did not prevent
occasional meditAtions being made on
the possibilityof husband dropping
from the skies Count Conrad Kestler's
proposed visit seemed exactly TO answer
TO that description of event and was
therefore duly sprepared for.
will he be q big or little man?"
was the dopbG which skunk In Ind out
Of the sod1s both baronessca The
first sight Of the stronger would help
greatly to o.ciear the situation, for the
big Anna could place no hopes on q
scrap of . man, while the miniature
Helene would never have the courage
to fall in love with giant And yet,
when tho day came and the moment,
and when from behind the window cur
tains two pairs Of blue eyes peeped at
the new arrival. nothing like definite
conclusion was come to. Upon an iden-
tical impulse Anna. and Helene looked
at each other and laughed Not q word
was said, but they understood each
other perfectly. The glance exchanged
between thu two sisters said as much
as. II must have another look at him
before I make mp my mind, but he is
certain to do fori one of us two"
This was the conclusion which Miss
Wilkins likewise had reached. though
she would have greatly preferred if
Count Kestler had not been one of those
men Of indescribable height whom it
would be incorrect to describe as tall,
and who yet are unquestionably not
short So long az the prospective hus-
band was not distinctly assigned to one
OF he- charges AID could not feel as
though the campaign were opened
But the first evening passed without
bctraying to Miss wilkins anything be-
yond the fact Of Count Kestler being
lady's man in the fullest sense of the
word. When he was talking to Anna,
the watchful English woman felt ready
to stake her soul that he had succumbed
to that young lady's massive charms,
and yet the moment he approached Hell
enc he appeared to have eyes for moth
ing but her fairylike grace. As for the
poor overconscientious baron, he spent
not only the evening, but most of the
night upon thorns tossing about from
side to side and passing in review be-
fore his minds eye all the symptoms Of
lovesickness which he was convinced of
having noted in both his daughters.
Had not Anna forgotten to hand round
the sugar, and Helene twice dropped
her handkerchief in the course of the
evening?
The author of all these cruel anxieties
was meanwhile enjoying perfectly un-
broken nights rest. Owing to belated
butterfly which came sailing in by the
open window, having slept through the
proper butterfly season and being con-
demned to make the best Of September
weather, Count Kestler's morning slum-
bers came to a somewhat premature
conclusion. Had IL not been for this
tardy butterfly much might have hap
pened differently also. Whenever in fu-
ture days his thoughts travelled back to
the little yellow winged creature Con-
rad Kestler saw in il direct instru-
ment Of fate, or, at any rate. much moro
than an ordinary butterfly.
At the moment, however, it must be
admitted that the instrument of fate
was not greeted by him with all the de.
light that would have been becoming.
Having opened his eyes to see what was
his nose, his lips first formed
themselves to mutter-about which
perhaps the less said the better--and
then to yawn. In the very act of turn
ing 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
first sunbeam sliding from between two
pine clad mountain flanks and striking |
rose colored fire from the surface Of
good sized lake. M
Unquestionably IL was a pretty pros
pect and yet it was not so much the
prospect itself rs the meaning which it
bore to him that caused Conrad Kestler
70 relinquish his idea Of another snooze.
II didn't know they had water here"
hot through his mind "That means