Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1895-02-28

corner. 1t seemed that the chance was
with me. The little fluent foreigner
had just vacated his seat.
She glanced curiously over her feath-
cred fan, then with the slightest un-
ward inclination of her statuesoue
shoulders-'I admire your books; but
are your women quite just? L prefer
your playing"
'"rhat is better, madame! 1t was to
talk ofthat came"
"Your playing?"
"My viOlin.o
"You want me to look at it? 1t is a
Cremona?n
'It is not a Cremona; but if you like
l will give it to you"
Her dark eyes shone out in amazed
amusement.
"You are eccentric, monster! but
your nation has a privilege of eccen-
tricity. AT least, you amuse me, and
have wearied myself enough this long
evening. Show me your violin; | am
something of virtuoso.
L took the instrument from it's case
handed it to her in silence, watching
her gravely. She received it with the
deXterous hand of a musician, looked
at the splendid stains on the back, then
bent over toward the light in a curious
scrutiny of the little faded signature of
its maker the fecit of an obscure Baya-
rian of the seventeenth century. 1t
was long time before she raised her
eyes.
When she spoke, her rich voice had
note OF imperious entreaty in it. "Your
violin Interests me, monsieur! Oh,
know that wood! 1t came to you--u
"a legacy from an esteemed friend.n
"His name?0 she cried, with the
flash which | waited for.
'Maurice Cristich, madameW
" A legacy? So he is gonew She
sWayed to me with wall in her voice,
in a sort of childish aba donment:
"And you tell me! Ahr She drew
back, chilling suddenly with a touch of
visible suspicion. "You hurt me, mon
sieur Is it a stroke at random? You
spoke of gift; you say you knew, es-
teemed him. You were with him?
Perhaps a message
HE died alone, madame! / have no
message. If there were none, it might
be, perhaps, that he believed you had
not cared for it. If that were wrong,
could tell you that you We're not forgot
ten. Oh! he loved you! l had his word
for it, and the story. The violin is
yours. Do not mistake me; it is not
for your sake. but his. He died alone;
value it, as | should, madame!u
They We're insolent words, perhaps
cruel, provoked from me by the mixed
nature of my attraction to her; the need
of turning reasonable and cool front to
that pathetic beauty, that artful music,
which whipped jaded nerves to mutiny.
The arrow in them struck SO true that [
was shocked at my work. 1t trans
fixed the child in her, latent in most
women, which moamed at my feet; 50
that for sheer shame, as though it were
actually child l had hurt, [ could
have fallen and kissed her hands.
sob, you judge me hard: you believe
the worst of me; and why not? / am
against the world! At least he might
hare taught you to be generous, that
kind old man! Have l forgotten, do
you think? l have paid my penalties,
will. But would not 1 have gone to
him, for word, sign? Yes, for the
sake of my childhood. And tonight
when you showed me that" her white
hand swept over the violin with some
thing of caress, IL thought it had
come; yes, from the grave! and you
make it more bitter by readings of your
own. You strike me hard"
I bent forward in real humility; her
voice had tears in it, though her splen-
did eyes were hard.
"Forgiveme, madame! a vulgar stroke
at random. l had no right to make it;
he told me only good OF you. Forgive
me; and for proof of your pardon-I am
serious noW-take his Violin.n
Her smile, as she refused me, was
full fsad dignity.
"You have made it impossible, mon
sieur! 1t would remind me only now
Of how i'll you think of me. [ beg you
to keep it,
The music had died away suddenly,
and it's ceasing had been followed by
loud murmur Of applause. The prima
donna rose, and stood for a moment,
observing me irresolutely.
81 leave you and your violin, mon
sieur! l have to sing presently, with
such voice as our talk has left me. L
bid you both adieu."
"Ah, madameW l deprecated. "you
will think again of this. | will send it
to you in the morning. 1 have no
She shook her head; then with a sud.
den flash Of amusement, or fantasy
81 agree, monsieur, on condition. To
prove your penitence you shall bring it
to me yourself"
Iprofessed that her favor overpowered
me. She named an hour when she
would be at home; an address in the
Avenue des Champs Elysees, which l
noted on my tablets.
mot adieu, then, monsieur; but au
revoir!"
L bowed perplexedly, holding the
curtain aside to let her sweep through.
The vision or her hooking and elfish
smile haunted me. Yes,-she was a
dangerous woman, as / had been told.
/ had no temper for adventures; a visit
to Madame Romanoffon so sentimental
an GRAND seemed TO me, the more |
pondered it, to belong to this category,
to be rich in distasteful possibilities.
Must write myself pusillanimous i'll
confess that 1 never made it; that l
committed my old friends violin into
the hands of the woman who had been
his pupil by the vulgar aid of COM
missionaire?
Maurice Cristich! Madame Romanoff!
the renowned Romanoff. Have 1 been
pusillanimous, prudent, or merely
cruel? For the life of me cannot say!