The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-10-09
"a Fiddler I S Il OTtu1le.

she lost her playmate, and declared
she would never be happy again
Giacomo was only d street boy, and.
no companion for the daughter Of
Mrs. de Luce, but Gladys was
just as fond ofhimus ifhe had been
born to the purple. ID
What happy days they had spent
together in play until that tatcful
morning when Mrs. dc Luce had
sent her housekeeper, Mrs. Bacon, to
put q stop to the friendship by for.
bidding Giacomo to come near the
house. But even after that Gladys
had the satisfaction Of knowing he
had not wholly forgotten her After
dark she could hear him playing
remember Thee" on an old violin
she had given him, andhe had played
50 we'll that all the neighbors raised
their windows to listen.
At last he came no more.
Come here, little fellow" a musici-
an had said to him one night. you
are q genius. And, in the name OF
heaven, how do you come By such q
violin?"
Then he talked to the boy and it
ended in his taking him abroad with
him. He had called to see Mrs. Ba-
con, to tell her what had happened,
but.she was away, and the waiter
did not think it worth while to re-
member the message.
Fifteen years had passed. In q lit
tie room in q small suburban house
sat On old woman and young one.
No one who hadever seen Mrs. Bacon
could have failed to recognize her,
though she had aged considerably.
The girlWas Gladys de Luce. Strange
things had happened since those old
days when Mrs. Bacon was her moth
er's housekeeper. That mother, lett,
o widow, had married a rascal, who
had wasted her fortune and finally
broken her heart. Gladys had found
Mrs. Bacon her only friend. The old
woman had taken her little savings
and kept an humble home for them
both in this little cottage, while
Gladys gave lessons on the piano to
young children.
She was no genius, but had had
good masters and taught patiently.
Tonight she was busy trimming
pretty, though simple bonnet for ev-
ening wear. Two tickets had been
given her for a grand affair. A vio-
linist, said to be unequaled, was to
appear for the first time in America
and tickets were utterly beyond her
reach; but the bachelor uncle of one
Of her pupils had given her two,
which he had intended to use but
could not, being, obliged to leave the
city on business. #s93#
ut was SO kind said Gladys,
land we will enjoy the music, know.
Oh, Aunty Bacon, do you remember
little Giacomo? ] believe he was u
genius. wonder what became OF
the sweet little fellow"
81 wish / knew, said Mrs. Bacon;
II do indeed. | hope it was no harm.
He was good little fellow, and he
might have stayed in that big house.
His meals would never have been
missed by anyone; but your ma
wasn't very apt to take poor folks
So they talked over the past. and
Gladys felt herself on the verge Of
tears as she recalled the memory Of
those nights in which she was awak-
ened in her warm bed to hear the
little violinist playing ::Pll Remem-
Der Thee in the cold street below
her window. She never heard anyone
else play that air in all her life.
The night of the concert came.
Gladys chaperoned by Mrs. Bacon,
took her place in the large room,
filled with fashionable women and
men of society. The lights we're
bright, the dresses elegant. Great
pots OF plants I'D orned the stage. Be
You'd hung rich drapery of crea M
colored velvet. 1t formed an ex-
quslte background for the splendid
figure and beau tiful, dark face Of the
great musician, rs he advanced to-
ward the footlights.
He played; none who heard him
ever forgot. Thunders Of applause
filed the hall. He played amid
u rapture of silence. Encore
followed encore
In reply to one of these, he stepped
forward and turned his face toward
the seats in which Gladys and her
old friend sat. His eyes met those Of
the girl across the heads Of the other.
listeners and SUD denly she heard nlu-
sic ike g revelation from an angels
heart, 50 sweet, 50 low, SO tender.
Not the less great for it's simplicity
was that to which the audience now
listened; they didnot know the name
OF the composition, but GLADYS knew.
She had hon RI. If II, +bn e,f,.,n+ Z