Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-11-19
The Sturp Teller,
A MYSTERIOUS ATTRACTION.
BY ARABELLA NJ. HoPKINSON.

,
of the ordinary Saturday Popular Concerts
that was about to take place; those con-
certs that have taken such hold on the
hearts of the London public, that they have
but to be announced, and forthwith their
success is insured.
But this afternoon the hall was particu-
larly full; one of it's old favorites-and the
London public is very faithful to its favor
ites-was about to resume his violin after
months of long and tedious illness, and
was to be greeted with that storm of ap-
plause such as the hd6itues of st. James
Hall love to give to those who have min
istered we'll and faithfully to their pleasure.
Just as the clapping and cheering was at
its very height, when the whole large room
was vibrating from end to end with the
sound, and the hero of the occasion was
tossing back his long hair, that fell like
name over his face as he bowed again and
again in acknowledgement OF the plaudlts,
little old man with quite white hair, frail,
fragile and we'll dressed, walked noiseless-
ly up the room, and took up his position IN
one of the outside stalls, sitting down qui-
etly amidst the tumult, and letting his
bright keen old eyes rove as though IN
search of some one far over the head OF
the bowling violinist to the seats behind
the orchestra.
They were densely packed, as they usual
ly are with those lovers OF good music VINO
are content to wait patiently for an hour or
more to hear the sounds their souls delight
in for the moderate sum OF one smiling.
There was not much beauty amongst
them-there seldom is amongst muslcal
people-so that the one face for which the
little old man was seeking so eagerly stood
ont from amongst its surroundings as some
beautiful picture in a crowd of common
place mediocracies. It was sweet, fair
face, but with depth of sadness in the
large, grey eyes that looked out OF place IN
one apparently so young.
She-for it was Wolnan-WaS dressed IN
mourning, and had just laid aside a book
in which she had been absorbed when the
great violinist came in. Asshe settled her
self in her seat after the tumult had sub
sided, and the business of the afternoon
was about to commence, she became aware
of the gaze fixed so earnestly on her. She
did not seem surprised; all last year at
these same concerts, all this year up to the
present time, she had felt those keen eyes
riveted on her, until she began to look on
them as a matter of course, having tor
gotten both the annoyance they had caused
her at first and the amusement of a later
period.
Latterly, she had made up her mind that
the little old gentleman was an amlable
lunatic, as time after time, in whatever
part of the hall she CHANGED to be, his quick
eyes found her out, and kept her in a full
stare throughout the whole performance.
But nothing more; no meeting her at the
door, no following her as she walked home;
no, she said to herself, he was not luna
tic, but gentleman, and with that ret1ec-
ton, perhaps, the music would begin, and
she would forget all about him. But to-
day as she smiled to see the face she had
grown 80 used to that she missed 1t II by
rare chance it were absent, she could not
but remark that it had, as it were, aged
since last week the lines of age that form
ed a network over the delicate, SENSITIVE
old face seemed to have deepened and wild
ened, the eyes to have lost somewhat OF
their birdlike brightness.
"How my old gentleman has aged this
year," she thought carelessly to herself, as
She drew in with exquisite delight, the
sweet wall of the violin, touched by mas
ter hand, that quickly drove all other
thoughts out Of her head.
Two hours later the concert was over,
and Helen Spencer was descending the some
what breakneck staircase that leads from
the orchestral seats, with her ears still ring
ing with Beethoven and Shumann, and a
somewhat eager smile of anticipation on
her lips, utterly forgetfu of her little old
gentleman. She was in a hurry, for she was
not the mistress of her own time, and was
walking down Pickadilly as fast as cOnven-
tionality will allow you to walk in crowd
ed thoroughfare, when her passage across
the street to the Green Park was stopped
by a string of carriages. The brougham
halted Immediately in front Of her was
small and perfectly appointed, and for one
a
occupant. 1t was her little old gentleman,
but he did not see her; he lay back among
the cushions, with his eyes shut and a look
of deadly WEAKNESS on his pale thin face.
A pang shot through the girls heart. How
ill he looked, and how lonely he seemed!
almost as lonely as she was. =.
And then there was move the carriages
had passed on, and the policeman was mo-
tioning to her to take advantage of her
chance of crossing.
Another ten minutes brought her to her
destination, house in Grosvenor place,
and as the door was opened to her by SOL
emn butler, she asked nervously, SIS Mrs.
Fame come in yet:"
sNo, Miss" he answered, and with a
lightened heart the girl ran quickly up the
staircase, and entered the drawing room,
almost as though afraid to pause.
Swift as a flash Of lightning there passed
over her face a smile of intense pleasure,
to be succeeded at once by her usual serene
gravity, as she perceived that the room
was not untenanted a tall, fair haired man
sat in one Of the arn-chairs, reading the
days papers, and by his side the tea-table
with it's inviting load. Helen had thought
of retiring, but the sight Of the tea was too
much for her. She was so tired-music al
ways exhausted her, because she loved it
so well there could be no harm IN sitting
down for five minutes, even if he was there,
and drinking a cup of tea in his company !;
so she advanced into the room. The fair
haired man jumped up at once.
"Been to your beloved Popular Miss
Spencer" he asked. "Then you must be
tired and almost before she could answer
him he had poured out a cup of tea and
placed it in her unresisting hand. How
angry she was with herself! Why could
she not speak? Why did she feel inclined
to cry? Why was she so foolish as to enter
the room at all?
Eyes" she said, with an effort, 81 have
been to the Popular; and-are you come
up from Woolwich ?"
'''I suppose so," he answered, with an
amused smile; land this time for fort
night"
eyes. Does that displease yOu?"
She gathered her senses together.
'sIt can be nothing to me either one way
or another" she answered rather bitterly,
and put her cup down. lie looked at her
in amazement, and was about to speak, when
a loud knock at the door caused him to go
to the window.
ut is INV mother, he said as he turned
toward the room again, and then perceived
that he was alone. Miss Spencer had fled.
pofora bo bod t;mo tn more than give WaV