, 1897-04-02
THE H 1DDER

1t vas at Brussels, in the auction
rooms at the corner of the streets Leo
pold and Wiertz, that the Incident hap
pened. My friend ri an Englishman,
but he had lived long in the country
and had acquired q taste for the Belgian
arts that seemed almost native, and that
made him something of a collector. The
sale at the oom was to be very SINH
lar to a sale at Sotheby's and the cata-
logue referred to original manuscripts
and first editions, and to a hundred
things loved by the curioso. My friend
was present in the hope Of securing
some early %engravings. and l was with
him as part Of the idleness Of a holi-
day. We were early, and while wait
ing the time of the sale we looked to-
gether at the catalogue, and he enter
tanned me with talk Of this and that en-
try.
This number should be interesting"
page, the love letters Of Outline. u
Scst Of love. Keats letters. you remem-
Der, were sold in London not long ago,
and one Of your verse-makers wrote u
%lamenting sonnet. Outline was not so
great a poet as Keats, but his passion
for Jetta Teterol IA as wildly spoken
as the others for Fanny Brawne. Your
versemaker was right; 1t Is hard that
because a man has given part of his
soul to the word should want the whole.
But the curious are innocent of nodes
ty; Rnd-yes, the number should be in
teresting."
There will be a fight for the letters,
you think?" l said.
Yes, probably. Outline has IN
are discovering that he wrote as in their
best hours they think. And indeed it
was a tender, womanly muse. The lit
lie man standing by the table-him with
the glasses, l mean-Will, l think, get
them. He is a professor at the univer-
sity, and doubtless meditates ar article
in me OF the reviews. Himself without
sentiment he will criticise their senti-
ment. Already he has written more
than n unkind thing about the Gui-
tine morals; the letters will give him
yet a new text"
For a momen or two l looked al the
professors hard, thin face, and SYM
pathized with the dead poet; then, as
the a%uctioneer mounted to his place and
commenced the days sale, turned my
eyes to one and another in the room.
Mostly the crowd was of men, dealers
or chance buyers, but here and there
were women with the usual catalogue
and pencil, and among them was n
whose dress and manner interested me
even to curiosity. Near to us she stood,
impatiently buttoning and unbuttoning
a glove, and l saw that she was pretty.
but somewhat too we'll dressed. and
somewhat too freely jeweled.
DO you know" l asked my friend,
who is the girl to our right?"
He looked, and slightly shrugged his
shoulders, and said: Yes. she Is Marie
Carbara. one OF the actresses al the new
theatre. She Is only a minor actress.
but you see her cloak and the breach
clasping 1t. They are all alike these
pretty singers and dancers; all love the
sunshine and the butterfly life. What
brings Marie here I do not know, nor
what makes her so angry with her glove.
The boudoir wants a picture. perhaps.
That was very little for the Louis vases.
All, here are the Outline letters; they
will fetch more"
The auctioneer spoke Of the poet, and
Of his love for Jetta Teterol. and Of his
writings to her; again l looked around
he room to and another. Many
seemed little interested In the bundle of
yellow sheets. but q few seemed likely
bidders. The professor was listening to
the auctioneer's words and smiling as
one amused; other men, who knew less
than the professor, were listening with
more humility; the girl Marie had a
ed to play with her glove. and held n
hand lightly In the other. At the girl l
looked longer than at the men; she had
an earnestness that presently gave me
an idea.
ut is not a picture that has brought
Mademoiselle Carbara here" l said to
my friend; ut lie these letters. Look at
her."
she is certainly concerned for them /:
perhaps you are right" he replied. "As
l said. the ome are beginning to
read and to love Outline; and-yes, per-
haps you are right. Still, my man speaks
frstf and he is not likely soon to give
In"
The professor moved his glasses for
ward a little and said Ten francs" and
The bidding commenced. Twenty"
said the girl Marie. and I noticel the
ple~asantness Of her voice, and was glad
my idea had not been wrong. Thirty"
said q man to my left; Thirty" replied
the auctioneer.
"Yes. 1t 10 q fight" said my friend, AZ
10 by 10 the offer rose. but between
our two people only. The other is an
agent, and will presently reach his linn
IL; indeed. already he seems to have
reached It."
1.-TWO hundred" said the girl. And
TO-" said the professor. 1.-TWO hundred
and Afty, said the girl, her cheeks flush