The times., 1897-05-30


ing a patroness OF talent, and the daughter
is one of the little fishes that swim after
Leyitsky. They were amazingly conde-
scending to me, not in the least identity
ing your child Here comes the wonderful
part, mother. Mrs. Beaumoris hasengaged
me toplay atan afternoon party on the 25th,
when Leyitsky will be the star. saw, in
a minute, that The master had suggested me.
and felt perfectly overwhelmed with thank
fulness And the price, mamma-tte price
| am TO he paid is stunning. Perhaps Mrs
Beaumoris may not think so, for noticed
she hesitated when she offered it-hut she
little knew how my spirit bounded at the
offer. Let me whisper, dear. don't mean
that anyone else shall here"
And bending her stately head to ,lleleyel
of Molly's little pink ear, She breathedi into
it a sum, which, to the simple notions of
the mother, seemed more than generous
although, as Mrs. Beaumoris afterward
boasted, she was getting this new girl
for half price"
lis Kathleen telling Of her latest cap
tive" said Maurice, arriving with his can
of oysters TO find their little tlining-room
aglow with warmth and comfort.
Nonsense, Morry.' said lis sister
''Ycs, but it's true; she has got her net
over not only the great Levitsky, but a
man who can help her on tremendously,
if he chooses to. And he does Choose, ;,p-
parently, since he asked ne when ne
might call here and by the same token.
I told him we'd be having a bit Of sup
per, later on, aud would be glad to have
him drop in
''Morry.'' said both women in a
breath
We'll, now, mother, isn't it my bust
ness to look after Kathleen's musical in
tcrests? And didn't Crichton tell me this
fellow was no end OF a swell in musical
high society? The first time noticed him
wasin thetrain of those Beauuioris females.
who appealed To him for everything But
he conldn't take his eyes off my little
sister after she began TO play
Il never even saw him. exclaimed
Kathl cen. ''or, stop, could that have
been The beautiful RaphaeI-faced crea-
ture WHO was standiug between the doors
during my first piece?'
- suppose you might call hin: Raphael
faced said Maurice, with a brOthers lne
scorn of his sisters enthusiasm for ;ny
man. But looked at him purely in a buSi-
ness light as an inprcSario of young ee-
MUS He talked to me some time aud ac-
cepted ny invitation TO drop In. | ,lon't
know, now that | come To UiiFnk of it, what
there is about Thorndyke, but it's soInc-
thing not quite well, | give it up. Judge
for yourselves when he arrives
And now all was in readiness for the I'M
pronptu feast. On the ID of the gr.ltt. FIRE
a kettle, Indispensable to the impending
brew of Tcrcnce's s famous punch. simmerad
assurance OF speedy boiling Terence, trust
ing To no one the concoctiou of Il W.lsn
rarebit, for which he had won rcnown 1T
Trinity College, Dublin, now years too many
ago 70 be mentioned. was already ut work
over chafing dish. Kathleen, her cheeks
crimson, her lips OF the true pomegr mate
tint, parted with delight a large dainask
napkin pinned over the front Of hcr riads.-
over black satin, was peellng lemon for
the punch In this branch OF culinary sery-
ice she was admitted 10 be an adept 50
thin, SO even, so unbroken, the gulten spi-
rails she produced.
Maurice perChed on the arm 0 f his sisters
chair, fell into lively whispering. for. To
Kathleen, almost before mis- mother, the boy
was accustomed To carry his hopes and
fears To him also that evening hal fallen
a strok" of good fortune. Had not he neaTd
frcm Mr. Malvolio, the art critic Of the
Regulator, that Blank had spoken 10 him
Of putting the Illustrations OF Horner's book
into the hands Of that young Biair2' And
was not Blank the member of the great pub
lishing firm most To be relied upon for the
distribution of covetable plums?
Mrs Blair, glancing back as she went
into the pantry to prepare for her oyster
stew. thought the old clock under which
her children sat-whose broad face had
looked down for 81 many years on thee
ellis OF her family had never seen a fresher,
a more winsome pair, eager to confront the
great world on their own account
The father, affecting not to be con-
scious of Morry's confidence to Kathleen,
recalled the days when he had pecped in
on them at early morning in their nursery
to find both youngsters sitting in the same
crib, with heads together and tongues wag-
rsing industriously over their forecasts for
a day, then as wide and broad To them as
was tie future now. Neither of his chii-
dren tTerence decided with satisfaction
had parted with the simple estraiehtforward-
ness of that primal period.
Mr.. Malvolio, whose ring had startled
Maurice from his perch and sent him to
open the front door, considered himself
we'll favored in being admitted to one of
Blair'S little off-hand suppers. AS the ia
nous critic and dictator upon matters Of
pictorial art came into the roorr, his pallid
rnask-like face and snaky, black locks, dis
hevelled over a high forehead, suggested
rather ghost at the feast than q would-be
reveler
After him presently arrived Mr Catullus
Clarke, whose overcoat and golos hes had
but just been deposited in the little hall
when a third ring made itself audible.
That's Thorndyke, pro baby said
Maurice, Fastening away-the Inaidserv-
ants of the Blair household having been
long abed and siumbering
Maurice has asked an Important
stranger to join us Mr.. Thorndyke,' said
Malvolio.
"ThorDdyke-I should think so,'' said,
Malvolio, but interrupted himself upon the
entrance of kathleen's ''Raphael-faced"
young man. .st.
He had been going to say that Thorn-
of the Beaumoris variety than in the ha,lnts
of upper Bohemia, but this struck him as
hardly a gracious observation, even among
the easy going Blairs. - ar
The first appearance of the musical vir-,
tuoso confirmed, in her mothers eyes,
katilleen'S S ueScriDtiOu of him There was