The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-24


suaded her to take rest and then write
tae second fiddle part. Thatll be all
right won't it.Y WiiL" he Whispered,
"why didn't YOU tell mop
Keep her" said Iciy land the solo
too. There y"
He drew deep breath. Another sCft
word from him, and should have given
way; but be had turned away and pie X "a
up n letter that had arrived for him by
the last post Absolute silence for time.
Then glanced M 70 see Chris staring at
me, his face "A study In incredulous won
uor.
"Heavensl Will" he breathed, "my
names made! Here's al invitation from
the manager of the Grand ball TO play there
tomorrow night and name my own fee
One OF their artists is indispossd.
Will did you hea -! AT the Grand hall,
kensington, to4.urrow nighttime! What
can he have heard OF mey Why, it's the
| chance OF my life time! Will,
arn't you going To grip my haDdY
lilo was so overcome that Eo hardly no.
| ticod sat like stone. He went on
whispering rapturousy TO himself
Tomorrow night / must write and
| tell her this-wby, the solo i can play
IL: she must he there! Will. listen-you
must hear IL; it goes like this.
He caught up his violin. / see him now
| as he stood that night-hear that down
ward sweep OF his how across the strings
| full Of conscious triumph. That one quiv-
ering chord-no more. was on my feet
n terrible passion passing through me-
] Every word OF his had been a stab; each
seemed TO carry Lottie farther and farth-
| er from me. / struck out at hm-at
| Chris the nan who had made mo love
| him like "a brothers and the savage blow
caught the rim of his beloved instru-
ment, and sent IL spinning across tho
| room. Near the door it fell, with sick
| enino crash, and lay there-wrecked
Yes. Next minute, when / realized
! nnd would have given years of ny life 10
spare Chris that blow, | crept across and
| picked up the violin. The finger board
| had ssnapped in two, and the body
of it was stove in like an egg shell.
"Oh, Christi l whimpered, one shak
| ing hand put out But he did not stir;
| lis body was stiff, only his face worked
convulsively. Take mine-tako every
thing I've got !! l said, in an agony Of
| apprehension then.
One org sob came, then a shiver, then
he Rropod mis- way past me like blind
| man. Listening as for my life, l heard
| him mount slowly up TO our bedroom
| and louk the door on the inside. Then one
stiled moan-and no more.
All that night sat in fever of shame
| and suspense ana the door above had
not opened. Several times had crept up
and lmplored him TO let me in but not
| a sound had come. What was he doingy
! Save myself, no one on earth knew how
be had prized that old violin-what its
| loss meant for MIN. What would happeng
| When morning came l could do nothing
but ask our landlady not TO disturb him.
aud wait on. Afternoon came aud still
| the same silence overhead. And then.
| just about six o'clock, l went hot at the
| recollection of that concert at the Grand
| hall. The chance of his lifotime. he had
called 90; IL he failed. No, he should not
| fail TIC widest of ideas mad flashed
Nkut. II
| like In appearance and, heaven helping
| me might
i went up. and knocked once again. No
answer; clearly IL it was to be done, there
was no time to hesitate, Seven O'Clock,
no Chris Half past seven. had dressed
! carefully, CHOSEN an effective solo that L
knew by heart taken one o. Chris cards,
and stood waiting on the laSt chance. A
! quarter 10 eight, and that door remained
locked. Five minutes later / had called
a cab and was on my way 10 the Grand
| ball.
| recollect asking for the manager. and
J handing him that card; but the rest
seemed afterward like dream Scores
Of times. l had played in public. but
always with nervousness that had mar
red my performance. 1t was gone now.
| i r5mem Dor that when. about half past
nine, faced that great critical audience
as Chris Carew was as cool and conf
] dent as though my success had been as
, sured for years To play as / had never
! played before to carry home news of q
! triumph of Chris
And. with tho vision of him sitting at
home there always before me. played
that night-woIi, as Chris himself would
/ have done. The moment the prelude
| mad GUIDED, | was surs OF myself. Never
! had nv iiuRers seemed so supple; never
| had my Low responded so lovingly to tho
! emotions that possessed me- | did not
/ need TO wnit for tho bCZZ o.. applause 10
! know thar "Chria Carew' had justified
his engagement l romoplhercu stter
ward that the manager had shaSen hands
! with mo, aud said 20 nething anuut a
/ good notice In the morning papers; but
tic first thing l reoolltcted clearly. was
/ trying tbs handle OF the door at home,
/ ana whispering eagerly: C4ris. old
/ man! Chris
The hands yieldod-tho lock was
! troken. Win an lntansS awo AMI forbod-
! ing creeping over mo, | stobd in ths
! doorway aaI looked Two ierslns were
uon!ing o,er him; ho lay on tho bed his
face camp with s~eat. and his eyes
! "On. I'm glad you've come whispered
/ our lIndliGy. II knew there was some.
/ thing wrong aud heard MIN Qroaning
I and onliing out after you went: so /
! ict1hed the doctor at last, aud w5 had
to break in. Ill? Why. Mr Marsh
thinks 10 spells brainfever Oh, and he
/ hns kept calling out: 'Lottio! Lottisn
! Who is 'LoJtieg"
! could not tell her Just then. What I
! did was To rush down stairs seize pen
ard paper, and, ms we'll as | could for tho
mist in my eyes, write "a s3rawl to tho
woman no loved and deserved, telling htr
! al, Gnd bvggi ~ her tC como. FOR slGc-
tning seemed To- tell me- tnat Chris would
reyer know uf lis triumph ~ Proxy
hat ho was going TO die.
God spare ire that Tn week Chris
! was down stairs s1ain-whitor and thjn-
! rtr than over. iudted. but 80 much his
] od self that he 1ouid sn..ie ana lrJss INV
/ hAnd whenever | le!d lt out. Bat 70 was
! not unttl--nor1 through INV schcmiuE
Ierhaps, than he will over kLOw--hc led
/ Lot,id Arnold from tne altar as Its wifr
| six months later. that | conld look him
III tho face and feel tLat ] had atono1 in
| part
Only In Tart. even at thnt sacrifice OF
/ my hopes. FOR Ctris, VINO might have
! been one OF our greatest viOlists today.
| has never touched violin sinto ut
night. Often / lavo Uieaded with him,