The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-10-18
CHAPTER n

Dalrymple left alone, smiles again!
This time little bitterly.
CHAPTER II. II
Mr.. Barbour IL Demonstrated.
'Oh. who shall lightly say that Fame
Is nothing but an empty name"
AZ the pretty heroine OF the hour
drew her bow for the last time across
her fiddle. and beat her swift retreat.
under cover of well-tleserved an
plallse that greeted her artistic finish,
a tall lOOsely-built man. who had been
spcechlessly attentive all through her
playing turns suddenly to his com
panion-a man also:
'PrOfessional?" asks hc. ma n n 1T.
tie puzzled.
"Goow heavens. now says Sir John
Amory. with slight laugh. "Though
after all. your question should not 10
much surprise me. She can play, can't
she?'
"Play! 1t was astonishing! Not pro-
fessiOnal then?" There ia n touch Of
relief In his tone. A professional. and
such one, and he not to know 1t! No.
the world llas not come to mn end
yet.
"Mere amateur. Do YOU mem to
say you have not heard her before?
Your Ignorance, my dear Barbour, ia
astounding. Not to know her argues
yourself unknown. Why, where have
you been, man. not to have seen her.
here or there. throughout the season ?"
Cant bear brushes; very seldom 90
to them." says Barbour. as IL In self
defence. "And l suppose she never
gets out of strictly proper society
grooves. Who Is she2 It Is difficult to
believe she is only that inconsequent
creaturc-t,e amateur"
'"The orthodox reading of that word
Is certainly libel on her-but she
must plead guilty to 1t, for all that.
She fs the Hon. Eleanor Fairfax, grand
daughter OF old Lord Carbyne, and
hciress to hts immense wealth."
IAN heiress and q fiddler!" says Bar
bour, with groan.
Il can see how you regard 1t. Yes,
quite an important little person in her
self. even II you leave out the marvel
lous gift"
"But what betiste; Mother Nature
should be ashamed Of herself" says
the big man, with an angry shake Of
his leonine head. ~ could haye made
that girls fortune, and here she has
one without my aid. It is an act of
unparalleled injustice"
Tut, you can never take your mind
off the boards" says Sir John Amory,
lightly. you would not let the poor
rich folk have any Of the tltsbits, Of
life. Pray try to come down for a mo-
ment or two to our poor level, and see
that talent may occasionally be Of
service to q private individual, though
she may not need to make her living
out OF it,"
~ have come down." gays Barbour
quantity, yet ! cannot help thinking
how UNNECESSARILY Of greater use q
genius such rs hers might be to poor
devil without q farthipg." There il
some honest feeling In his words, al
though they are uttered jestingly, An
excellent actor for many years, until
circumstances compelled him to leave
the stage, he is now the lessee of one
Of the most popular theaters In town,
an authority among the artistic lot,
and man sought after by fashionable
London. A kindly man. with a heart
as large as his body-which is saying
u good deal.
Sir John, young man of thirty or
therenbouts. langls little.
You evidently Sfudge Miss Fairfax
the divine spark" says he, Don't tell
her so. she might not forgive you, The
Fairfax blood In famous for Its
warmth, and she was born with q
goodly heritage, ! bear, 20 far as tenn
per goes"
II grudge her nothing" says Bar
bour; Il only shy to myself, There
goes comfortable competence for
.somebody.' and 1t II absorbed by q
little girl who doesn't want 1t at all;
a rich little girl, and one with beauty
thrown into her bargain"
1T certainly sounds unfair as you
put it."
ut sounds monstrous! A Paganini
in petticoats, and all for nothing"
Not quite that. Miss Fairfax draws
the chief pleasure Of her life from her
talent"
Genius. my dear feilowy'
And manages besides to soothe the
temper Of that terrible old pagan
grandfather Of hers by means Of 1t,
His evil moods are prOverbial, and she
and her violin alone can sometimes In.
duce him to listen to reason"
Eve are determined to turn her into
boy" says Barbour. laughing, "Flrst
1 make her a Paganinl, and now you
would have her play David to youl
Saul. An absurd cOnceit! dare say
something might be made Of It,
musing.
"oh. don't" says Amory, with an i'm
plorinG gesture: forget the beloved
stage for moment or two"
"Right-rlght." says Barbour. who
| To <hn ~o,,l 80 -nod 1.,pv,,0n ~
and grow fat" saye merry old sage
plified in the person of this stout inner
ryman," who is of girth that nigh
we'll by Dominic Sampson have beer
called "Prodeegions." 'still," says he
lends herself to the ideal! That littll
clipped head of hers, with its erisi
locks might well be boys; truly, til
shame" saye he, stroking his beard
Beauty and genius, both to find shel
ter under that one small roof!'
"a well matched ppe,h says Amory
; Her cousin. Miss Sylvester. you know
her. think? Sha is wonderfully fon,
Of her." 1t would seem as though II
Sir Johns opinion, to be admired b.
! Miss Sylvester IS a passport to all tn
irtues.
Miss Sylvester her cousin, oh, be
she has another cousin, then" as
recollection suddenly returns to him
"colopsl palrymple-man in the Lif
Guards"
"You know himf'
every well, Indeed. Engaged to hel
isn't hep
"As for that no one is quite sure. A
: all events II there Is an engagement
can only be In the first stage. How
cver, the world talks Of 1t. The Of,
, man. Lord 6arbype, In al! for 1t, an,
!! as he IL an arbitrary old person m.
she IL absolutely dependent upon bin
} daresay 1t will come or"
mot II she IL inclined to rebel" say
Barbour, having in his mind tha
small mutinous face, that but fey
moments since held all the room Il
silence.
. 81 don't fancy for that matter tina
!. there IL much love lost between them,
says AmOry. with shrQg, h0R he
> part ut MI events. But q little aver
!. sion, you know, 10 generally suppose
: to he an excellent ingredient In th
commencement Of Q matrimonial q