Evening star., 1884-11-01
A WOMAN OF GENIUS.

conveniently swallowed her up for the last
eight years, what Is he to do with her? The an
swer seems obvious enough: Board her with a
| fashionable chaperon aud occasionally make
her visit with theater tickets in your pocket
and your conscience will be clear at the expense
of very little time and trouble. With little
money in her own right she would probably not
tax the chaperon very long. even If she had
nothing else to recommend her; and Mr. Frank
Curtis remembered his sister as very pretty
little girl
He bad not seen her for three years. and for
| the last SIX months her bestOwal. between
graduation and the arrival OF the not impossible
| he. mad caused him anxious thought. Some
ladies' who presented themselves to his mind as
| duennas were too careless for such charge;
others might be very amusing during an even
ing visit, but he did not like the idea of their
rather too worldly influence on very young
elrl. Others again, irreprOachable in every re-
| spect, could not 30 to more than two balls in a
season and would be driven out of their senses
by the stream of visitors. male and female. that
In his minds eye Frank pictured bowling before
his sisters shrine.
There was no help for it. Frank saw plainly
that matrmony for him was imminent He was
not ayerse to the idea. lie was beginning to
grow little tired of the life he was leading
and to look with interest not unmixed with
curiosity. on other peoples domesticity.
About this time he made a trip with the Cut
shipping their maker. and the household con-
sisted of father mother, and daughter still
under %. Joseph Cutter, of Cutler Sheffield
d Co, was reputed worth five millions, of
which one at least the golden youth hoped
would be settled on his daughter Lizzie as n
bride Lizzie herself had every reason to think
so. She had been brought up with the fact Of
her heiress-ship constantly kept before her. and
she conducted herself accordingly.
Not very clever. but accustomed to have her
at az i Shl u-pro ,nf
pretty. but praised in all manners from the
siedge-hammer compliment full i'm her face that
finer-sOuled girl would resent like an insult
| TO the fattery so delicately insinuated that she
only half understood she was being fiattered
she at least knew that her money could buy her
, whatever she wanted in the way of q husband
and she was content 10 wait until chance should
| bring her the man who most nearly resembled
her ideal. All women have an IDEAL such as it
Is; hers must be gOod-loOking of unimpeach-
able social position, and smart enough to
manage the gliding that coated her. She was
reported to have refused twenty men; she turned
her back on the dancers who implored her to
take Il turn, cut them from time to time on the
street. and dispOrted herself in various clumsy.
coquetfiSh ways, serene in the consciousness
that she had only to present herself as usual, to
receive her customary incense from the wor-
shippers she had sighted
| Frank Curtis wooing was brief after he had
| o nee decided that Lizzie Cutters money would
provide luxurious home tor himself and his
sister. He had a small income OF his own and
was considered clever in his profession; no
one could accuse him of being too bare-faced
! IN his merccnary schemes. Besides, it was
not the fashion in his circle to marry for love:
! all the girls were angling for rich husbands
ana all the men meant to marry girls with
money Congratulations poured in thick and
fast on the pair when a hundred-thOusand-
dollar house began to rise at Mr. Cutters eX-
pense, to be ready for the young couple on
their return fiom their bridal trip. They were
to take in Clara Curtis commencement as they
| Travelled, and bring her home with them AS
| neither violently interesting in the other.
they felt that third person would not he de
| trop during their early married fe and Liz
Zie was sure that Clara would never interfere
with her; no one ever had; she did not know
the meaning of the word.
| Frank was aereeably surprised at his sisters
| appearance when he and his bride arrived at
her school. The interview was a little con-
strained. ana III vague masculine way he
felt that Sue and Lizzie did not seem very con-
genial, but he supposed that would wear of
| alter little; ana schoolgirls were always shy
when they had no hOne-life in vacations to
accustom them little to society before they
! were fairy launched.
| "Gf course you are coming tonight" said
| cara as they were about to separate. Its
our concert, and everybody is coming"
! "Of course" assented Frank. do you do
| anything?'
II play" she said limp!ing and blcshinp. "a
! duet FOR violin and piano with Mr. Hedmann."
Il wish your sister sang" said Lizzie as they
examined taeir programs with feeting interest
that evening" singing Is SO much more popu-
| lar"
Frank nodded. He was fond of music, and.
| TO sit tn rough whole evening Of schoolgirls
Playing and singing was sacrifice on the altar
OF 1raterna! affection and the proprietes. AS
! for Lizzie. size always frankly allowed that good
| music sent her To sleep. But she became sud
| denly attentive. aud did Frank when Clara
appeared: with the violin and the professor took
! tie piano. Frank heard genius In the moan
| Ing ana Waiiing under her hands of that
/ most perfect OF instruments. If she had been
| pretty before, she became TRANSPORTED now.
/ He wondered how she felt. standing before all
! those people. OF whom perhaps. not one in ten
| Understood what she was playing. But the nov
city OF the thing. the sweet face lovingly pressed
| against he violin, the delicate fingers flashing
| over the strings. brought down the house She
was the success Of the evening. and had her first
taste OF that intoxicating driuk-the applause OF
! the multitude.
! II cOngratu ulate YOU" said her brother. as she
and the rest came down from the stage after the
/ concert and mingled with their friends. You
! have talent decidedly; but don't YOU think your
/ time is wasted i'll learning an instrument as diff
| hcu!t as tne yiol'R 1t Is an unusual one for
Woulan. anyway, and is of next to no use in So
| ciety. But. then. don't know that it makes
much difference" he added, hastily seeing that
| she looked rather dashed; girls generally give
/ up their music when they get out OF school or
| after they are married, and was proud of YOU
! tO-nig ght.'
CLARA. Professor Max wants us all in the
music-roOm. said one of her COMPANIONS and
! Mr. aud Mrs. Curtis were left alone while Clara
| and her fellow-performers pursued their way to
! the musc-rcom and the presence Of the Profess
| sOr OF music aud German, fair-haired power
| fuily-bullt man OF one or two and thirty years
| known among his futtering pupils as Professor
| Max, and addressed by them as Mr. Heldmann.
| When they We're all assembled he conpratu-
! lated them on their success. and thanked them
| for the credit they had done him, in a few
words in which there was only very slight
trace OF accent, but occasional popularity
| OF construction that betrayed his nationality
Then he dismissed them all but Clara
| Il have told you many times now already.
| Miss Curtis" he said. as the others shut the
door on their exit, ''You have genius that YOU
should cultivate. You have the soul OF an
| artist; you should live for music. You have
already good technique; | advise YOU that
you go TO Europe and study. You see now to-
| night whatyou can do with all audience Thnl
how YOU viii feel when that power is tenfold
| Increased"
BE professional player" said Clara. with
| Wide eyes. what would my brother say:''
Talk 10 him about it. He will Weld Must
he not be very proud to have such a famous
sister," cried Professor Max, eagerly. Clara
| shook her head doubtfully. 1t would be i'm
| possible to make Helimann understand what
a guif separated her and her people from that
world he wished her to enter.
III he object" pursued the professor. '.you
must go alone by yourself. Break from your
| friends loose; YOU were born TO bp great Must