The Sunday herald., 1886-09-05

own mind II was no pleasure to her TO
vaoiliate between two magnets, and she
would have been great deal more AZ her
ease II only her love affairs we're satisfacto;
rily settled, but though the decision rested
| entirely with herself she was wholly una
ble to make II.
At last matters reached a climax, when
the two brothers proposed to her on the same
| dayl But she cut the aordiau knot with
true womanly ingenuity by refusing them
both. They knew she did not mean such
cruelty, and when they pressed her this is
what she said
"Let me wait until you, Cecil, have per-
formed your cantata, and you, Dick, have
rowed your race, and then I will tell you
which Of you will choose Is
For, like Portia Of old, Violet determined
to decide her fate by pure chance, vowiug
solemnly to herself that she wottld niarry the
| man who made the best impression On her,
when, in such widely different ways, each
sought TO display his skill.
After this proclamation Dick spent the
whole of the few remaining afternoons on the
river, rowing desperately hatd himself and
encouraging the others In his boat 10 do like.
wise, for clearly IL he lost the race he had no
chance whatever, while Cecil devoted all his
| time aud energies TO rehearsals, aud at the
| last moment managed 10 make arrangements
with some OF the very best London profess
sionals to come down from town to undertake
the solo parts.
His day OF trial arrived first, and accord
ing TO arrangement, punctually at 2:30 Mrs.
Hamilton and Violet walked over 10 the
Sheldonian Theatre.
The place was apparently already crammed,
for rumors had been circulated TO the effect
that Mr.. Hamilton's "exercise" would be no
| -..1 - IL If
college dignitar besides crowd Of towns
people, had assembled TO hear it--under.
graduates were chiefly conspicuous by their
absence. Places had been reserved for Mr..
Hamilton Just by the state chair Of the Vice
Chancellor, whose duty II is--however un-
musical his tastes--tO listen TO the "eSer-
else" from beginning to end, but he had not
come In yet.
Presently good deal of clapping an
nouuced tlie arrival of the "musical Judge"
a picturesque looking old man dressed In q
most gorgeous gown Of white and crimson
silk, who sat pown at one side of the raised
platform, aud, on being presented with a
copy of full score carefully followed every
note Of the music, as became Judge More
clappiug, and Cecil came In, baton In hand,
wearing the purple-and- black gown Of Mus.
Bao., and looking Intensely pale and eager.
He was followed almost immediately by the
Vice ChaucsllOr, TO whom from his elevated
seat he turned aud made a most courteous
bow, which the Vice Chancellor returned
with due ceremony. Then Cecil gave one
hurried, involuntary glance at Violet, and
turning his back upon his audience pro.
cesdsd TO conduct the performance.
If Violet had been more acute musical
critic she might have better appreciated the
subtle harmonies with which the cantata
l IL 4. -. n
tastes were fully gratifed. II was quaint
original. aud in soma parts melodious; aud
, Watching the quick, eager motions of the
: conductor, aud the excited trembling Of his
left hand as he raised IL to urge the choir tc
emphasize sudden "forts'' or dropped II fol
J "piauo," she felt what a wonderful thiup
It was to have created such work, and
what still moro wonderful thing il was
that tue author of II should have fallen in
love with her own insignificant self.
In about an hour, amid rapturous applause
the "exsrciss" came to an end, and Cecil
| whittier even than before, turned again tt
} make his second formal bow to the Vice Chan
. cellor. Then the ''musical judge came
forward and heartily shook hands with and
, congratulated the young composer, and they
left the platform together, while the cheers
still rang through the building. It was ,
proud moment certainly for Cecil Hamilton
, aud yet he cared more for Violet's first glanc,
r as he met her outside the theatre than fol
? all the applause within it. She was very
quiet, and somsthing perilously like teal
] glistened in her soft eyes.
"Tell me now 2" he asked in a voice this
| time low, not from affectatiOp, but from emo
tion.
81 canuot-we must wait"
Yes, wait. Cecil knew we'll enough wha
a 4 f,u ~,
boat race was rOwed on the following day.
II was cold, but fortunately fine after
| noon, and Mrs. Hamilton, with the doub.
! object of chaperoning Violet and of seeing
her son row, consented to come down to tn,
3 river, though very few ladies put in an ap
D pear ancs there for the fOurs. Dick accom-
? panied them as far as the Varsity barge
where he left them comfortably established
on the roof under the care of several of hi
friends, who promised to answer all til,
I questions which Violet as an initiated spec
tator was sure TO ask. The river was
. pretty sight. At first il was full of boats
9 tub pairs and fours and scratch eights. fol
{; Michaelmas is the term for coaching tn
. freshmen--all hurryipg back to their rn
, spsctive college barges to be ont of The wa,
! before the fours came on. Then, az til
n course began to clear, the banks beoam
Y alive with a crowd of tiannel-clad under
4 graduates, hurrying across the river II
0 punts, that they might run up the towing
path toward Iffley, (where the boats started,
their terriers at their heels aud gene
4 raj amount OF life aud good humor abou
/, them which was invigorating even to wit
o ness.
0 "There," said young Montague, standin
Q at Violet's elbow; edo you see that boat i
: the distance starting from the Varsity boat
TI,ukt ~
r drop down TO Itlley. They won't be off for
3 quarter of an hour yet, for the Derby boa
Z hasn't even left It's barge. Do look no,
beautiful q racing four looks after thes
/ clumsy tubs you have been trying To ad
I mire. There are only two boats In for tn
fours this year; the others all scratohe
| several weeks ago. II ought to bs an aw
fully close race, and with all my heart nit
}; Hamilton having to steer them"
:, "But Mr.. Hamilton isn't cor ~ Viole
exclaimed, with indignation. That settle
;, the point for good aud all; she never woul
l. marry man who was only a cox.
4 "Rather not; at least, not the kind Of 90
!. you mean. These are the coxwainlei
i fours, you know, aud one Of the men has III
ropes under his feet aud steers looking bac
aud keeping as straight course as he car
d But its killing. work, can tell you, an
likely to bs heart-breaking work, too, whe
to be taken yard out Of ones course ma
mean losing the whole race"
"Why have they made Mr.. Hamilto
3 stesri" Violet asked. this time with au,
n ions sympathy.
"Whyi Because he's a long way III
u best man for IT, and tor anything else, to-
Derby is the stronger crew, but all the be
:, ting is on st. Stephens, just because Hami
toms In IT,"
ID Violet felt her cheeks tingle with plea
rs ure; this unanimous popularity surely To-
10 its own tale.
ss (Which is the winning post p she asks
Do next.
8 "Well, thero are two. The river is L
OF narrow for racing iu some parts, and 50 Il
r, boats start one Of them twenty yards ahea
10 Of the other; aud the first boat, II It meal
40 to win, has to reach that post over there,
,s pointing to the right, "before the second ol
* reaches here just In front OF us. Its Il
no hard with twenty yards between them
al Judge which Is really ahead during the rae
ID but gun will be fired as soon as IT'S wo