The times., 1897-06-20
disappointed life. I wish could help you,

do not mind lending me, for purpose OF
| inyown, the fine scarabaeus ycu showed me
It stall be returned to you without fail
tomorrow
Willingly, dear boy, willingly sail
the old man, fumbIing in his waistccat
pocket and bringing cut the sacred bee
tie, wrapped in bit of tissue paper.
when 1 die, should like you to have
this, to keep, and any other little thing
have. There are a few good books,
and
MY dear friend, you depress me- said
Colin, taking the scarabaeus, and shaking
hands with the lender.
DO L? II never occurs to me to think
! of my death as sad" said Thorndyk,.
simply.
Suppose said Colin, abruptly, you
had to wish for the thing that would
please you most-what would IT be?''
"a sight OF my stradivarius," exclaimed
the instrament-Inaker, his duh eye kindling
with fond hope. "Mr. Mackintosh, some
thing in your face-it can't be you heard =
no, IN mailman to dream OF it-but. II
| almost looked for a minute as IL you had
good news"
Il may be wrong, and / may be dis
| appointed said Macintosh, with an air
| or qrtet conviction, nevertheless. but
have an idea I'm on the track of your lost
treasure. If 1 succeed in tracing it,
| SHAH be more than glad. If 1 fail, you will
be no worse off than before. Goodnight.
| Sleep well, and awake in better heart
| FOR the morrow. But before / go, upon
second thoughts, wish you would give me
a written order for your Stradivarius'
| After Colin left his room old Thorudyke
| abandoned himself to almost childish glee.
| Next, for while, he paced the floor,
| then, sinking fatigued into his chair, nedi-
| tated long.
1t was IL O'Clock when he started Up
| again, and taking the pencil with which
he had scrawled and signed the order Colin
desired, wrote some lines upon a paper torn
from memorandum book. Putting these
! upon the table, old Rupert Thorndyke went
| peacefully TO bed.
at the same moment Rupert Thorndyke,
/ the younger, was presiding over the enter
! tainment al his rooms, for which fine la
dies had been for some time struggling TO
| get cards OF invitation. The hosts vogue,
grace and tact, had been at no time more
| conspicuous. The affair, pronounced the
best of It's kind, was about 70 pass into the
| chronicle OF Jaded pleasureseekers as an
Ciisitlt1S sdtttSS- ne LUfn OF hdtutSn,
who had played once upon her own violin.
had now came around again upon the pro-
| gram. Mr.. Malvolio-wbo, after all, was
there-had just sauntered in to whisper in
her ear:
They say he is going to let you try
his StradivaTius. The rest Of the wom-
en- are green with jealousy at this mark
of favor. No one has touched it, here
tofore.''
IF Mrs. Blair VIII allow her daugh-
ter to come with me into the little Ioom
| where / keep my treasures" Thorn
dyke was saying to her mother, who,
with Colin behind her, stood guard over
her young violinist.
Certainly. Go with her, Coin, please,
and see that her head is not quite turned
by these honors," said the unconscious
Molly.
Colin needed no further impetus In
spite OF a cloud passing over the face OF
his handsome host, the stalwart fellow
placed himself at Kathleen's side, and
| accompanied them
They entered room Of small dimensions,
but with solid doors, bolted as well as lock-
ed On the walls, in glass cases. with a
| background of crimson velvet, was a small
DuS CA1ulS2St etSctInbldEt Oh NutI De
called the bric-a-brac OF musical instru-
ments. yiolins were there, but Collins eye
sought in vain for one bearing the mark
of tiny hand with an outstretched finger
what a delightful nookr' cried Kath-
leen. How l wish there Were time To look
over its wonders leisureIy."
Colin, seeing Thorndyke's face transfig-
ured with delight in the gin's youth and
hkaa INV
value he had heardh1n put upon all women,
Kathleen in particular. Strong to defend
her, it was hard for'the young fellow TO
now contain himself until he had wrought
out his plan to avenge the sins of this Ru-
pert Thomdyke against the one he had left
in a shabby tenement.
He had no idea how he meant to bring
about the conviction Of this mans wrong
doing or TO seek for the restoration of the
others stolen property But whatever he
did, Colin meant that it should be short,
sharp and decisive.
At last chance favored him. His heart
beat hard, as he followed Kathleen and
Thorndyke from object TO object of the
priceless array.
II fear we should not keep all those
people waiting for US lon ger" said
the host, finally,
And L am palpitating with impatience
to see your chief treasure" cried Kath-
leen.
II have made q little shrine for it,
went on Thorndyke, STOPPING TO unlock
n cupboard in the wall A second, yielded
to a key carried on the owners person
Within an air-tight receptacle, lay vielin
case covered with rare leather, fantas-
ucally wrought in gold.
Take. and open it, said Thornlyke.
conveying this to nest in KathIeens
soft bare arms You are tie first WON
an that 1 have entrusted with my
beauty"
MY beautyr' Old Thorndyke's very
phrase! Colin, the blood rushing 10 his
brain with excitement and Indignation
looked on eagerly, as the instrument was
taken from its case. There i'm Tie exact
spot indicated by its rightful owner. was
a tiny shadow in the wood resembling a
hand with an outstretched fingeri
The desire Of my life is accomplish
ed.' said Kathleen, lifting the violin to
her shoulder and letting the bow glide over
the strings.
The sound that answered was like the
wall of a reproach.
1T has been waiting all this time for
youl'' said Thorndyke, with tender EN-
phasis, regardless OF their hearer. He.
like Kathleen, seemed to be under sort
of spell.
Colin, quietly.
Thorndyke turned and locked at him in
cold distaste.