The Red Cloud chief., 1875-11-04

II VA an intensely cold and still
winters day; there was not q sound 4
be heard in toe village, ave Cow AM
then Q distant sleigh bell, the droppinl
Of some huge icicle, or the LOUD repor
OF some nail as il sprung with the fros
in the rafters. As the signor 81. iher,
now with the broken rolu.e of his violi,
in his left hand, and the other wound i,
his hair dis:ractedly, cne Of these naili
went of, as you might say, with mor,
Of IN explosion than usual upon th,
frosty silence Of the afternoon, followed
by q clear, resonant note that for a hall
moment seemed to ill the house with q
siivery vibration. They all heard it, anJ
looked up bewildered; and suddenly
jessie, with a joyous cry, sprang to her
feet and darted from the room. The
garnet door had been left open by some
body she found. In a moment she was
back, and had placed in the hands of
the signor. whose mood Of frenzy had
been succeeded by one of silent despera-
ton, the little black fiddle.
at fell from the nail" she was saying.
at was that We heard. 1t wanted
to come and comfort you, you see. Is
it good for anything? Can you mend
your v with itG 1t is so old"
"Why do you bring me this, my childl"
he asked, sadly, but took il, and rln his
eye over it. Something seemed to strike
him as he did so. lie bent his head
quickly, lifted the violin to his ca: and
tapped it and listened, ran his fingers
down its lines, took out his handker-
Chief and busted it infinitely. His
hands began to shake, he was holding
his breath; he was comparing the meas
uremants of the little black fiddle with
certain figures in the memorandum book
drawn from his pocket. He peered into
its every dimension in a sort of mad
haste. He took a magnifier, and then
with a bit of chamois leather began
rubbing the end of the little black fiddle
as if he were polishing a jewel. All at
once he cried out:
"Aha! Behold it! Read il, my chill
dren, read! Soto Ia d~iscipkima d. 4.
Strawberries, Cremona, l.. III. s. II is
his, the Giuseppe del Jesus, when the
great ANTIQUE was his master. That is
his seal, 4. II. s. Oh, the rogue! But
he knew music! And Antoine S.r,di.
varius has had it on his hands: has
looked at its side, its table, its ouics, its
lustrions varnish; has drawn the bow
it; has said it was good! Qlick,
where are my strings: We will see; we
will see. There is no bridge. That is
all right. The bridge would not have
answered. My stainer bridge is whole
He was silent in a long but hurrieo
unrolling and fastening of strings, an
endless tuning and he~arkening and
again, and then the walls of the
room were vibrant about them, and
Signor Pazzani was playing on the little
black fiddle, and the sweet, powerful
seniority, the sauve, silvery, inten Sc tone,
The mellow, but majestic strength, were
in their ears alike the hummipp
a swarm of angels WINGS" SAID the
'ignor, suddenly leaving off with his
DOW in the air.
"Ah, look at it! What grace in the
how severe the volute, how
and bounding the tone! and %color!
low purple, and rich, and full of lus.
ers it will come out when 1 shall re.
it," he cried, gayly smiling on
hem n and all. at will be mine;
on will not think of keeping ii; you
an none of you play on it," he began
implore. ats a Guarnerius, the
giuseppe del Jesus. 1t is worth money
1T is worth more; you shall have a /.
thousand. you shall have fifteen hundred, .
on shall have two thousand dollars for :
+,
"Oh, hush, indeed" cried Jessie. "Of I
curse you shall have it, sir. 1t is value !
'ss to US: it is yours"
"Stay, stay a moment, JESSIE" said t
or father. (
"rhe little black fiddle is mine. That d
DOR old ~vagabond, fallen from his high !
state, gave it TO me. 1t is a way bread
As Of coming back upon the waters
tier many days. If the signor wants
pay me a thousand dollars for it. we ,
ill compass the other five hundred by :
1rsclves, and you shall 60 to Italy, I
The next morning Signor Pszzani :
ent of with the little black fiddle I
Icked under his arm, and Mr.. Brooks
ent to the city with him to secure 6
,ssie's passage in the mex steamer that :
lied for foreign shores. And the little
Idle had some share in it, after ALL a.
RaAar- n