Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-09-09

One day gentleman called in at
the store Of Mr., Ralph Hardinan,
with violin box under his arm. -
! He purchased a necktie, for which
he paid fifty cents, and then asked
permission to leave his box while
he did q few errands down town
! Old Hardman-a dealer In new and
second hand clothing-had no OBJ
lection.
dts q yiolin,' said the gentle
man, (which prize very highly
1t was given me by an old Italian,
who died at my fathers house. /
beg you be careful Of it, sir."
Mr. Hardman promised, and the
owner Of the precious violin de-
parted.
Toward noon, while the old
clothing-dealer was very deeply en-.
gagged in the work of selling a suit
Of shOddy for bang up Prussian
Tricot, Il stranger entered the store
"a remarkable, well-dressed man,
with a distinguished look. The
violin box was in sight upon a
shelf, and as no one was near to
prevent, the newcomer slipped
around and opened the box, and
took out the ins;rument-a very
dark hued and ancient. looking one. |
"Hallo !" cried Harditdn, when +
he heard the sound of the violin,
"what for you touch dat, eh I"
The stranger explain ed that he
was q professor-that lie was a
leader of an orchestra-and that he ,
could never see a violin without
trying it. And with that he drew
the bow across the string, playing
a few passages Of fine old German
waltz.
"My soul!' he cried, after he had
run his fingers over the instrument
awhile, "this is the best violin l
ever saw! There is not d better
one in tue city-a perfectly genuine
old German will give you one |
hundred dollars for it,"
Hardman said it was not his.
"I'll give you a hundred and fifty /.
Two hundred :"
Mr.. Hardmah was forced to ex-
plain how the violin came to be left
in the store.
The stranger had taken out his
pocket book, and drawn forth two
one hundred dollar bank notes.
He put them back, remarkingi
II must have that violin ifm0ney |
will buy it. When the owner re
turns will you ask him to wait for
me? Ifhe cannot wait, ask him to
meet me here at six O'Clock. If he /
cannot do that, tell him to call at !
the office of the Treasdter of the |
Academy of Music, and inquire for
the Director of the Orchestra. Will
you do itY"
Hardman said he would.
But" suggested tile stranger
i'you need not tell what | said
about this violin, nor what I've Of
fered, BECAUSE he may have an idea
Of what a treasure he possesses,-
You will be careful and eircum-
spect."
The stranger went away, and
Ralph Hardman reflected. In the
course of an hour the owner of the
violin returned and asked for Ills
1ox. But the shoddy man had
1een captivated by the golden bait.
What would the gentleman sell /
lis violin forY :
At first the gentlemdn would not 3
listen to the proposition; hut after
| deal of talk he confessed that he
vas ttot himself q professor, and ,
3ould not we'll afford to keep such
valuable instrument. He W0uld
iell it for one hundred ard seventy /
i've dollars, not penny less. a
Ralph Hardman paid the money, t
md became the legal possess0r of I
he violin, ready to take anywhere a
rom three to five hundfed dollars c
rom the director of the orchestra, '
s he might be able. t
But the director did not come. - G
1t the end of week Hardman car s
led the violin to a professional b
riend, and asked him what was its b
cal value. His friend examined it, v
nd said: C
1.-TWO dollars and o half, without e
he hox!" I
Ralph Hardman was strongly OF f
he opinion that the gentleman who
sft the violin in his care was
windler, and that the director was I
partner in the business, and that, d
ogether, they had made him their j,
ictim. That night shoddy was I
larked up ten per cent t
n
A Connecticut paper tells an G
necdote of one of the substantial v
len of New Haven, who had been d