The times., 1897-06-20
The Stolen StradiVariuS.
by MRS. BURTON HARRISON.

| remember, you met him at supper, dt
sur house, when he brought me these
white orchids, and you gave mamma seme
lilies. Don't yor think his face is like
one OF the angels in the photograph over
| papa's chair in the library? Now, don't
| laugh-it is, exactly. Mr.. Thorndyke isn't {
in the least my idea OF man OF fashion
He is almost artless-and his eyes aIe 80
blue. Colin, wnatin the worldisthe matter
with you?'
Il 90 know something Of your Mr.. Rr-
pert Thorndyke," said the young man,
his face darkening. But l shan't tell
you yet. 1t is borne in upon me that
better occasion VIII come. And if you
. really accept my escort, shall accom-
pany you with pleasure to this gentleman's
party. poor outsider, more OF less, cannot
spoil his harmonious entertainment"
| Kathleen, wondering at all this, reach
ed home, the ladies bidding Colin good
| by upon their doorstep. That evening,
| when Malvolio dropped in TO see Ter
| ence Blair, the ews Of kathleen's adj
| vance up the ladder OF fame was commu-
nicated to him.
Sure and Kathleen's the boldest little
/! girl,' commented Granny. Its my
| helief she'd have no fear to be called ON
to play before the President himself
| II know little about Rupert Thorndyke,"
said Terence, ''but there's no doubt he
win have only the best talent in his sling
But you, Malvolio, who know every
| thing"
| Excepting the reason for Catullus
| Clarke" interpolated the art critic
Should be able to define for Us, the
| place of our new patron in the arts
| Malyolio shrugged, tossing his snaky
| locks to one side of his high white fore
| head.
Rupert Thorndyke's secret viii never
| he fatho omed until they dissect him.,
he said, land then in the core OF his heart
viii be found the one word Self He is
| a monumental egotist, in the guise Of
seraph. He is brilliant and treacherous,
unstable as water, holding no convictions
| long enough to make anything he says or
does OF lasting value. l am certain that
he is half educated, half baked in all re-
speCts. | believe most of his experience
OF life 20 be clever adaptations from things
| other people have DONE or told, or printed.
| But he is vastly good company, and I'd
be deuced glad if he were coming to dine
with me tomorrow. AS to his status he
is apparently well off-has one foot in
Bohemia, the other in society-and GENES
from nobody knows where Lastly we are
Informed that he might marry the Oldest
Miss Peaumoris, and does not aspire TO
do so.
The bluslles dyed Kathleen's cheeks at
this confirmation of Collins waning.
Then you think, Mr. Malvoro, our girl
had better not he seen at Ills paIty?" said
Mrs. Blair, anxiously.
MY dear madamei On the contrary, 1
should ike amazingly to be seen there,
myself. It is sure to he q IaIe tfoat to
eye and ear The women will he Of the
highest world, only. The men judiciously
combined. But ] have always Lad ali
idea that Thorndyke viii some day cone
a cropper. i feel Ike that fellow that
followed the menageiie around in order
to be there the day the lion tamer got
eaten by the lions. The day the accident
occurred was the one he was kept away.
have a conviction shan't see Thorn
dykes discomfiture-but 1 could wish.
that TO round out my theory of him, the
fates might accord to me this privilege
Kathleen, who would not have admitted
to her mother, even, the thill of excite
ment she had teen in snce receiving the
first fruits OF Thorndyke's homage, went
TO bed that night, feeling chastened in her
PiNlC- WIN HeI idst WdkluE JDOt!EIIS fI
the irresistible Thorndyke, blended the
image of loyal Colin, whom, after ns,il-
tation with her maid-servant, she now
knew to have been waiting outside Mrs
BeaumoIis awning for her, n TIE falling
snow.
Molly Blair, too, following a long talk
with her husband, that freed her fond
heart OF its weight of pride in and anxiety
fn X ar 70
With so many loving souls around her
Terence had said, Kathleen would he we'll
guarded, and such a fine nature IS their
girls was not to be spoiled in an hour, or a
year, byflattery. And Molly thoughts
that night, were of pity for poor Lottie
BeaunIoris. The afternoon of sitting out
the concert, listening to the chatter of
Lottie's friends, had thrown broad light
upon career the newspapers had made to
seem so dazzling. Lottie weighed down
with petty cares target for petty malice,
was in her fine home, not so well off as
Molly in her little threadhare house, full
to the caves with ardent workers, living |
for each other and for the best that was in
them. Kathleen's debut had taught her |
mother this.
Carefully assuming his recently acquired |
evening clothes, and taking heed, we may |
be sure of the hints dropped by Kathleen |
on the occasion OF his former appearances |
in this conye ntonal attire, Mr. Colin |
Macintosh stood prepared for what to him |
was to he a great occasion
Before setting out to the Blair house he |
went to his neighbor's door and knocked |
He knew that he should find Mr. Thorn
dyke sitting doubled up over his newspa- |
per under the gas-jet, but tonight the old |
mans face looked more pinched and wan |
than usual, his breath came shorter, the |
newspaper lay unread across his knees.
''I'm afraid you're ill.," said Colin, |
kindly.
Hardly day had passed since their first |
talk, that he had not extended to the |
friendless old fellow some word or look of |
sympathy, and Thorndyke, although Colin |
did not know it, had conceived for him in |
turn an almost paternal tenderness In |
the utter loneliness of his life the instrv- |
ment-maker yearned for something to link |
him with the world of everyday affec- |
tion Collins active step upon the stars |
had come to be music to his ear-Coiin's |
greeting a solacc eagerly awaited.
mot i'll, my dear boy, only little |
down, tonight. I begin to feel the climb |
up these long flights. And so you are |
going off into some gay scene, where |
people will be chatting and laughing
1 dent envy you, for it is getting on to |
10 o'clock, and after that hour I can |
hardly keep awake in these days. There's |
a long paragraph-ncarIy half column in |
the paper-about an affair that is to occur |
in my nephew's rooms, tonight. I think |
7 IN