Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-07-21

He was not q happy man. Through
all his great success, due 80 largely to
that wonderful violin, there had been
the skeleton at the feast, and now the
doctor was dead and his daughter IN
provided for, living. it seemed, on charity.
IN. Drascovy-Afiss Manifold" said
Mrs. Vincent.
He saw a tall, queenly woman, with
lustrous brown eyes and bright, fair hair,
dressed in a deep black gown, relieved
by the least touch Of white about the
| throat. Her movements were slow and
very graceful, and when she spoke it
was in low voice full of melody. She
was very beautiful. He could hardly
| take his eyes off her, and Vet, if she hap
pened to look toward him. he started
and cast down his eyes He could not
sleep that night. He knew there was
| only one woman i'll the world for him,
and she-was the daughter of the man
he had robbed! 1t was well. or i'll, for
him that he could not see her next day,
sitting by couch on which a sick man
lay, one hand in his. the other stroking
his hair. Patience, dear heart, pa
| tience." she whispered, things will be
better soon. l shall get introductions
and pupils through Mrs Vincent, and
then, dear, it will be all right You must
be content to wait till then, for you know
l shall be always true and loving"
But it is so hard for you, Nellie.
cannot tie you to a cripple, to life of
toll for one SO helpless as am. Oh, it is
hard that this should have happened to
| me. when six months ago l was strong
and vigorous"
'cIaybe it is better, dear; it should
bring us closer together, and in years
you may recover, perhaps. And now
will read to you, or we will talk to-
gether." And so the brave, strong
woman helped the man she had loved so
long and still loved, even now that he
I was condemned to lie on a couch for his
| lifetime through an accident in a Lon
don street. He was poor, and so was
she. The working and waiting would
be very hard, but she would persevere
and conquer. Drsscovy was often to be
| found at Mrs. Nincent's house during
the next fortnight, and one afternoon, to
/ his great delight, he found Mrs. Vincent
out and Miss Manifold alone in the
| drawing room.
Ten minutes later he had told her he
loved her-had asked her to be his wife.
She hid her face in her hand and babe
| him be silent.
You do not understand; how should
you:" she said. Il cannot think of what
| you ask. for if ever l marry it will be to
| some one very different to yourself-to
| one who loves me. whom, too, love, and
who is now helpless invalid on his
| couch. You are rich, and he and are
1 poor, but am going TO work hard, and
some day shall be his wife if we are
| ever rich enough, for you see it will be
an up hill task getting singing pupils.
| You understand now. do you not. and
| will never ask me any more?'
She looked at him and saw his dark,
| handsome face working convulsivelv.
Il am sorry if l have given you pain"
she said. for he did not speak, but you
will soon get over it. You are rich and
have the world at your feet; all that
| fame and fortune can give YOU"
Except yourself. the only gift that
can bring me happiness. All. child. You
| little know of the curse there is on my
fortune, on my life itself But you shall
know, though l cannot tell you now.
GOodby; forgive me if you can"
He hurried from the room. and pres
emily she heard the hall door hang. She
sat still for long time, bordering his
4 strange words and distressed manner.
wondering what he could have to tell
| her.
That night the mystery was solved
BY the last post there came a registered
letter. thick and bulky. She slipped it
into her pocket to read in her bedroom
for she knew it was from Drascovy.
For a long time she sat before the fire
that was burning brightly. and her beau
tiful eyes were full Of tears rs she
thought Of her POOR crippled lover AMI
asked herself why she was 50 poor, Why
some people had 50 much wealth and
she SO little that she could not hulL and
live for the man she loved 50 we'll. The
tears fell one by one down her cheeks.
and she put her hand IN her pocket
for her handkerchief she encountered
Drascovy's letter.
She broke the seal. and found to her
amaZement that besides a closely writ
ten letter there were 70 bank notes. each
for G100. She was too utterly aston
ished even to conjecture the meaning or
cause of this. She could only gaze at
the notes until she remembered the let
ster.
What need to go into details? 1t was
simply complete confession of what
Drascovy had done to obtain the Stradi-
vsrius, begging her forgiveness and flu
ture friendship and inclosing notes for
g., 900 as payment for the instrument
In four years time, if he were still sue
cessful, he said he must send her a like
sum again; it was her right, her due,
for the violin had done half toward
making his fortune.
Nellie Manifold sat and wondered and
thought and wept tears of joy over the
unexpected good fortune that had come
to her till the fire was nothing but a few
dead Goals in the CRATE, and clock out
side struck 8. Then she reused herself
with a shiver, and having thought how
she would so to her lover and tell him
tomorrow. how she would soon get on
in the world with this to start upen,
having told herself that she must in
-,