New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-12
A FATAL FIDDLE.

majority of junior government 0.I;.;nrs in |
n't NAN with an ambition two ambitions, !"
: and these were % to become fefhaneiSS
iav a. Secretary Of the Paper-iastener anu
nen Department and 90 to move IN sou' 5
..r TO bask in the smiles OF HuVhJS' on;ma
eN become that 60 HIM delightful anll, r,.
"a man aoo"' 'o""'
vn Nnw Mr.. Philip Pottinger Pipps was gll.eIi'
- only with soaring amoluon, ou. aIso 49,
nv se nv, fair share of the common sense hcGes
". Tor the direction of his efforts 70 r'sc
"a iS,fore he began operations having sd'
anu oIS down to count the cost he came ~
mus Oa conclusion that in the attainment OF his
oTcial ambition. the pre-attalnnaemo VI ass;st'
soca c 20 him He had reflected that IN this
a SnIssb and sorAid world, of ours l if COS
sonsb;nc for nothing. and precious hCle ~,
niOO ,ns~S and fully realized that nc mus
sNpc"bbe' oscif useful. to gain an entrcc into the
.rc'e,y to which his social status qua hpo G J
,S'in Kim and with this object IN view nc uc
1cted himself TO the DEVELOPMENT OF ms oi''
.ccomplshment-tO wit, Noln paS,"s, INV
Ue was \ fair amateur player, OUT hu n:,H
a. I've about. and he knew exactly the llmlls
- his own skill-a knowledge. however, "ll ori
=. Lent very carefully to himself. Tor con
OCCASIONALLY he was an artist OF yhc No. t,o
CONNIE. and his musical taleh's u'u NV
Nv Ms ot'o,n The Other object of his ambition
90 Under Secrctariat of the P2peI-l5S'e,'HT'
and J-pen Dcpartmcnt-hc couh!cs vi S S was
powerful assistance oil MS III con
= very Great man indeed. and who 'oTNCu OOr
J.scc1din0Iy and appr0vngly upon inc "sPn
&c Pnns 10 that gentleman : mWau anu
onward satisfaction. The "Ohlel was u.s.,
collector pur sang-a bric-a-oiac hu,it' Grt,.
,oisserr an amateur dealer IN articiCs 0I ~ w ~
"a cvcrx sort and kind, and 1t would oc ulliE w
10 name any article capable oil couecuVmn VA
Lo had not al some time OF o'hc' OoH 49,
aud further that he had not at SOM ~ i'm "
"tScr hought and rcsold at proh'. ~ any
ono had called him dealer ne would haNc
IN fnr;ous. out it was whispered about that
=, trl;ne curios from sir Dash Blank. NIB
Dc maxim cavcat emptor applied win more
than customary lolcc. -, ~ =, coto,.,.
bod Icon finally interviewing the great man
on the subject, and was lust leaving inc io9lu
With every cause to feel satisfaction an az ' ~,
result If his interview, when his eve lell on
an old wmm-caten, leather Volln-caSc, uhdcr
a chair in "A corner OF the room
GOb =" said Mr. Philip Potungcr Ilpps' l
s,rr Won have fiddle there. sir. dldn Kho"
tho, Won were a VlolIniSt also.
Nor am l." replied his Chief; but col
L., 6ddles among other things and that one
has lus. come IN. 1t IS very hnc Ouarhcrius.
Iool, at il and what YOU think about II.
In 4 moment the fiddle was cat OF lhG case
aud unIcr Inc scrutiny of Ppps. +. L. Plpps,
esn didn't know :" Strad. from MnccQuri
e~bon- mn " really. but he posed as finished
connoiSscur. and now his eyes dlalcd win
admiration and excitement as he restored inc
Instrument TO It's case, eNhauSilng III It's hoho'
bis vocabulary of aDprcciativc ecstasy. As &c
left tie room his Chief raised one eyebrow
and laughed softly TO himscli-but our con
noisScur didn't see this.
Two laws later great official reception was
held AT the Suburban Office and the Cher OF
tic Papcr-fas,encr and J-pcn Department
having promised Mr.. PppS all his support IN
his candidaturc. took HIM TO thiS lulc''uu'
pyo'ccc. presently INTRODUCED him to the good
pyfurcd and mondainc little Countess OF Bare
acrcs The delight of Mr.. Philip Poiungci
pinps knew. vcrv naturally, no bounds. Here
WIS tbc beginning Of his social success and
already he fancied himself gOanlng under inc
lorcdom of the gcat world. MT TlPpS
made himself as charming as 1t was possible
f,r him 10 lc TO the Countess of Barcacrcs.
not forgetting TO alludc in an airy manner TO
Ms gtcat accomplishments IN terms so vague
and casual that Lady EarcaOcs concluded that
br mast I've player Of the first rank, and she
accordingly asked him on the spot to perform
Al her Al Home" on the following Friday
At last " thought the future Cndcr-Sec.
ctarv. As he went home by the last tram to
West Kcnsington. Here | am on the first
rung Of the ladder now II don ci'mo y 3iQ %
rlrrlilv. Why. my name is no longer T. T. /.
Nryi morning he sought another interview
with h, Chirf. and implorcd HIM to iend nun
t,,. Guapcrius he had shown him lew DAYS
before go,
Y1n sec. sir said he my own fiddle Is
a brutc in the matter Of tone, aud now thai
I've got this chance Of paNng as an amateur
for Lady Bafcacres ! want 10 do It well. be
cauSc She could bc extremely useful TO me,
knowing all the official world as she does.
That G larncrus of YOURS sir, Is, OF course mag.
nifccnt and ! could get Il grand tone out o.
il and score a big success. If you VIII lena
II to me ! Will take the greatest care OF 1t,
anil will return 1t to you on SATURDAY MORN
In.
We'll" replied the Chief, "since you make
su,h = MONT of it | will lend It to you but
mind | get il back safely on Saturday. sc
Philip T. Ppps took the "matchleSs GUAR
ucrii,S home with him. mounted II carefully,
ard on Fidav afternoon set ont with It for No.
o. Park lane, where be found himself Tor thC
first time in his life aonc-hut what OF that
amid a brilliant crowd, composed Of the great
G.. # he grand pschutt Lady Barcacres was
surprised ina. he didn't play better and 50
were good many people to whom she had an,
nonnccd the first appearance of distinguished
amateur hut he PLAYED, as ! have SAID, very
fairly and having nccn announced As an ac-
cOmpiiShcd musician be went down, and q
h. iourncycd from Victoria TO West kenslngton
his day-dicams were Of the brightcst-sO bright
indeed. were they hat as he left the station.
be staggered and almost fell to the ground
his hair brstled. and he burst into cold
pcrspira'ion.
The fiddle had been left in the train
For at least ten minutes his horror wa,
such that he could DO nothing then he began
to telegraph cveryw here down the line, follow
ing himself by the next train. and making
inquiries a. every station for the missing IN
Srumcnt In this manner he spent the night
until the trans stopped running. All he
could learn was that at The next station mar
had got ont of the tram with a vioGn-case
and had disappeared.
The following morning he sent to the office
70 say thai he was seriously i'll, and the whole
day was spent in fruitless search for tho
fiddle Fc dared not advertise publicly fo
II, for bis Chief would see the advertisement
and learn The truth His expenditure in cab
fares and tips" was considerably beyond hi
means, and his promises Of reward were Law
ish in the extreme On the Sunday he gav'
up the instrument rs lost and set himself t.
ind another Guarnerius and TO raise the money
to buy it for knowing his Chiefs charactc