Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-05-31

yie6n from has cousins hands and locked Il
Up lest the sight Of It should encoura, re
Hopkins to further extravsgsnce. He wit.
n.sstd Tor ashort time Hopkins emotion
with feelings OF pride and sympathy.
Il have often told you, be said, "that my
Cremoaa "a not for SALE You have made
me the best offer for il I ever had; and, in
deed, you have named bigger sum than
mas ever. believe, been given for a fiddle.
but mine Is not to be bought; if it were,
Tom, my boy, you should have it. You
needn't be down. hearted about the matter,
as you can easily get Cremona for $500
hrst eisss instrument, though perhaps not
quite Sc good as mine"
1T Is yours | want" faltered Hopkins.
And you see it is not to be had" rejoin-
ed his cousin, in tone that sounded cruelty
cynical to the others ears.
Hopkins was silent for some time; he
had done bis utmost to get possession Of
the Cremons by fair means, and be was
row trying to reconcile his conscience to
the use of means which, to use the very
mildest terms that can be applied to them,
must be called unfair.
81 suppose be said OF length. that you
have no objection If bring a friend some
hight to see itY'
None in the world" replied Dell. 81
Bhsll be glad to see him"
On bis way home Hopkins, BY various
sophistries, tried to excuse the plan he had
now resolved to adopt. What benefit, he
said to himself, did Dell derive from the
CremCns, seeing that he did not know one
note from another, and would enjoy equally
well hearing another of the 6ddles played
on2 II was = shame, almost a sin, for q
man without musical taste to be the owner
Of perhaps the finest violin in the world.
Besides, he dad not intend to run away
with the Cremona, like q thief, bat
if ever Dell discovered his strstagem he
would be ready to restore it. The conse
quences Of discovery would doubtless be dis
agreeable, but the advantage was surely
worth the risk. To remove any remaining
quslmS Of conscience Hopkins told himself
that what he intended to do was merely to
take the loan of the violin, without asking
lesYe Of the possessor who had really no
need Of il; he would keep it safely, and
would in al probability return it after
few years, if the owner still refused the
money he was ready to give.
Next day Hopkins went to the shop OF
Mr., Capper, we'll known violin maker.
After short conversation with the artist,
whom he knew slightly, Hopkins said:
Il understand, Mr. Capper, that you can
make very good copy OF an old violin.
Such q copy, SIR, that you could not
distinguish it from the original.
We'll, laughed Hopkins, 81 won't come
Il & I 70 hrv
old fiddle.
The violin maker did not seem discon-
certed, for he was sstute, and could tell
from Hopkins face that he had come to do
business.
What can do for you, SIR he asked.
"WeI." replied Hopsins, Il have, or at
least a friend OF mine mas, q Cremoua, OF
hitch | want you to make me fac
smile.
Very good. Just look at that said Mr..
Capper, handing Hopkins what appeared to
be an old Italian violin.
That's a genuine CremoRa. said Hop
kius. az soon as he took the instrument into
his hands.
"ifitis ! can get you the man who made
it to make you one identicslly the same for
E25 WHY" exclaimed Mr. Cspper en-
Enthusiastically, 81 am the only man alive who
csn COPY the red amber varnish OF Stradl-
7arius and would rather initiate him than
an interior maker, for between ourselves 1t
is easier. =,
You are the very man | want, said
Hopkins, who was still sdmiring the coun-
terfeit violin. 81 dare say You have heard
of Mr.. Dell and his collection"
81 have had the pleasure OF doing business
with the gentleman.
"He has wonderfully line StradlVa-
rus"
II have heard 80, and have often wished
could get 3 sight Of it.
IL have called on you to-day for the very
purpose Of letting you see 1t. MIR. Dell IS
nv cousin, and as have taken fancy to
his Cremona, and he won't sell it, want to
get If possible, fac smile Of 1t. AS l
can't buy it, | wish, as the next best thing,
TO have one precisely like it. Now Mr..
Dell, If he knew it, would not permit copy
of the violin to be made, so all can do
is 10 give You the opportunity oteXamlnlng
il in his own house.
THAT will be sufficient; the work OF
Stradivarius is so equal, and | am so we'll
acquainted with it, that it will only De
necessary for me TO examine carefully Mr..
Delrs Cremona in order to produce an eX'
set copy of it; have a good memory tor
particulars.
II was accordingly arranged that for a
payment of e25 Mr. Cspper should do the
work that was required, and night was
fixed on which he was to accompany hop
kins TO DelTs house in order to inspect the
"Of course" said Hopkins as he was
leaving the shop, you must keep thus
/ business a dead secret, as | wouldn't tor a
great deal have it ever reach Mr.. Dell
ears
. Capper replied BY q wink so knowing
} tbat Hopkins almost thought he must have
OWNED his stratagem. Capper was evil
IDENTIFY clever man.
Dell was considerably surprised one night
when Hopkins called on him accompanied
by Mr.. Capper. The violin maker was not
unknown to Dell, who indeed had good
rfason to remember him. because, when
less experienced than he now was, he had
several times been done by him IN the
matter of old yiolius. Dell, however, har'
bored no resentment, and, as usual, was
pleased to show his Cremona. No one had
ever examined the famous fiddle with great
er attention than Mr.. Capper, and it gave
Dell genuine pleasure to see how absorbed
his guest was IN admiration OF 1t. While
HOPKINS talked to his cousin in another
part of the room, Cspper turned his back to
them and made various marks on some
small strips paper he had held concealed
in his hand. He was very particular IN
making the position CT a small worm hole
on the upper part of the neck. He carefully
noted the places where the varnish was a
little worn, and in about half an hour he
had registered, either on paper or in his
memory, every mark by which it was posi-
Ole to identify the violin. Dell was uusus
pecting and was in good spirits when at last
he locked up his Cremonia, thinking thai
I NT C.nnos's lopg ipsnectinn was only ar