New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-16
A STRANGE BARGAIN.
CHAPTER l.

CHAPTER l.
On the 2sth of June, Is, Lady vanilla CarameiS
held the last reception OF the year al hef esIaoiiS
s Wv aconaintance with the hostess of the evening
wosof long standing. 1t had begun in the days Oh
my early prosperity ana naa nr;,r baid Goun
do nor wish to appear undnly cynical but am
afraid that there are not many women OK van.
after so long habitatIon of the world oil lashion.
Ixonld have maintained so afectionate an 'ntereS.
in poor acquaintance as that excellent lazy SUN
bestowed ON me: ,.;, oo,, and
the buzz of conversation is apt TO become monoto-
nous and wearisome. SO having, Win lnnn nun l,
dificulty succeeded IN struggling INTO that lauy
nresence made my bow, and. ceding my place 10
The next conner slipped into the conservatory which
looked refreshingy cool ana auec wnen bad ust
quilted. The conservatory was not, presently
discovered empty, as l had at first supposed IL 10
he and as stroed toward a bower OF virgin CORK,
cangbt glimpse of two of its occupants, an elderly
lady and an extremely pretty girl OF eighteen OF So
thought her pretty at that moment anu naSo to
changed my opinion since l had scarcely seated
myself at some little distance, when the young
lady with the gayest OF smiles and the 1antest Oh
bushes came toward me with extended mana.
How do YOU do, Mr.. Langfordf II
took the proifered hand, rather awkwardly |
fear and stammered something TO the enect that
she the Young LADY, had the advantage OIL me-
Have Won really forgotten me T. she cried wlth q
laugh. 20 Jack, what horribly bad compliment!
Elsie Els not S fT,ss Miss Vernon,
a thousand pardoi.s but may plead the force
of example--your example-in the usage Oh Chris-
81 hsr your PARDON she said with another laugh
And I yours Aod now. prelimlnaries being
over suppose after so long separation 1t VIII be
hest to begin conversation by questions. How long
have you been III town.
All the season. ... n,L;
1T is strange that we have not met Delore his
Isuppose, Is your hrst season T. IA, ,;..;o
little sigh. You have never met my aunt thiuK'
II replied that had not yet had that pleasure,
and was introduced.
had met YOU earlier | have often heard OF you
from Elsie, and from Others too DO you remain IN
London much longer. may l ask
/ am afraid so, ! replied i don't at present see
any chance of holiday. My work most be done,
and can be done only IN London
in the face, to meet young man who wears good
coat, and yet owns that be works for bis living;
wheE am in town. And now she continued lTsn
giving me her hand, go away and talk 10 Elsie;
Old women have no right to monoP3nlze young NEIL
A charming aphorsm laughed Elsie
TRY and remember it, returned Mrs Exton,
when 1t applies to you. liz may some DAY IL you
have good luck
So Elsie and went to another seat and had the
most delightful of conversations about our boy and
girl days, when we were Elsie and JACK 10 one
another before Vernon pere made his tremendous
fortune, and before too. Langiord pre lost his
moderate one. both of which occurrences were IN
perfect keeping with the c aracters OF our respective
parents | was, and am,.my fathers son IN igno-
rance OF business and carelessness OF money bnt
how Richard Vernon ever became the 1ather OF Elsie
is a yet unraveled mystery. Elsie was tall and
divnely graceful; he was small and Fat. Elsle's
hair was golden and plentiful his What he had OF
I'll was short dark and stubby. Elsie was sym:
patty incarnate-made up, like an April day, of
laughter and tears aud swift changes: he was al
way. the ssme-hsrd cold, bulet-headed, bringing
down everything to the grindstone OF hard fact
and grinding il to his shape and likeness. A man
whose bank-boo was his Bible. and whose gods of
worship were Plutus and Rothschild.
Presently, as we sat absorbed each In the {other,
the sound of piano playing the overture to an
Italian air came to our ears and as we got up TO
return to the drawing room, the voice of the singer
rose in unison with its accompaniment. 1t was
such voice as 1t is given but once in century for
human care to listen to-a voice masculine in its
magnificent rotundity and robustness yet feminine
In its tute-like deiioacy OF enormous compass and
perfectly under the control of ITS owner
Scarlati in Londenf
,n Sisara ill., repeated my companion question
Appalling ignorancep / answered. is it pos
siole that you have never heard of Antoletti
Il must confess the impeachment responded
Elsie. WHO is Antoletti Scarlatir
ne Is the owner of the voice to which you arc
Elsie remained silent to the end of the song lis
fenlng with rapt attention anG when it ceased the
iorg sigh which escaped her trembling lips showed
how deeply she was touched. There was a rap
turous 6urst OF applause and after the succeeding
interval of silence, the sound OF the piano rose
'Ahp whispered, 'sEri tup Now you will
hear him at his best
The voice of Scarlati again on the dead
hush, rolling out, In soDorous vibrating thunder,
the chords of that grandest of operatio passages
III seemed Incredible that any one human organ
shOuld be capable of producing two 81 ch entirely
distinct effects of sound as were contained in the
song he ne, and IN his last performance.
that had been the most airy and delicate of barca-
v0.es with the eXlgcncios OF which hut few mascu-
line voices could have COPIED successfully. He had
sung il probably no one OF his audience had over
heard it sung before in a voice that had no Inascu-
line quality save that Of strength, and no femi-
nine distinction except that Of sweetness. And
now he sang Verdps masterpiece with depth and
fefvor of tone which actually shook the windows of
the ROOM and set the leaves of the tropical plants
the conservatory a-quiver in the vibration of the
aiT.
His performance ended, Scarlati left the piano,
and his audience gathered round him In great
buzz of thanks and praise, unquestionably sincere
Tor once. turned TO Elsie.
i don't think | said, Won will ask anyone the
question you recently asked me-.
No. she answered; l think not But how is ~
never heard OF him Does he never appear at the
Opera or at any of the theatresf
- No. He has enough to live on. and being one OF
the LATEST men in tine world, he prefers bis liberty
BRING him.
A true Italian said Elsie. 'Fumo d gloria non
vale fumo di pipa'
AS she spoke, Scarlat perceived me standing be-
6Gue the conservatory door, and came toward me-
nc was small and prematurely bald maa, with
sueo dome OF forehead. surrounding two red
s .Mmed angry little eyes, between which was
saollshed nose which may fairly be described ae
gigantic Ills lips were full and rcd. and formed his
Sne psssabic, feature His cheeks were pale and
"A and his face was crossed and Lined Win