The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-18
JOSIE DE Wits TREASURE.
Violin Secured Last Summer From
Street Musician.

Street Musician.
Josie De Witt, the beautiful coincidence
of the Hotel Topsy Turvy'' company
usually spends a great part of the sum
mer at the seashore. She prefers the
quiet little places nesting along Long
Island sound, where New York is within
easy reach One day last July she was
sitting on the veranda of big summer
hotel overlooking the sound. The place
was crowded with fashionably dressed
people. A poor old derelict on the sea
of life came tottering along and, stopping
where the crowd was thickest, drew
quaint little old violin from a ragged
green baize bag and began playing very
softly and gently. He played like a mu
stefan who knew something about his
instrument and the violin itself had rich,
deep tones. 1t was such a pitiful, mourn
full little tune that most of the gay
throng turned away in impatience and
when the poor fororn little old man came
shambling toward them with hat out
stretched they could not see him or
abruptly turned away with cross shake
of the head.
Miss De Witt watched him so painfully
from one to another of the gayly dressed
women without success. AT last he came
to her. He looked so worn and pitiful
that involuntarily she stretched out her
hand to him
May see your Instrument she ask
ed, as he looked up surprised. at looks
like a very good one for one in your
plight"
The old musician looked surprised, but
he drew it carefully out of it's case again
and handed it to her with an almost i'm
perceptible reluctance.
Don't be afraid won't hurt it, re-
assured Miss De Witt She looked quickly
down the body of the time-worn and fad
ed case, she glanced keenly between the
openings near the bridge, she poised it
in her hand for a moment and then, be-
fore the old man could say a word, she
had 1t In position, her pretty fair head
resting lovingly on the discolored wood
and grasping the bow firmly she began
playing. Those who have known her a
long time say that she never played bet
ter than that afternoon on the CAV We
randa OF summer hotel. She seemed
unconscious Of any one being there except
the little old man, weakened musician
and she never took her eyes off his face
lie followed breathessly and as she fin
1Shed with braVura that many masters
might envy her, he led the big round of
applause that greeted her surprising par-
Torrance. Then, taking off her swagger
Paris nat, she made the rounds of the
veranda- 1t was not merely small change
u,
big silver pieces and bills, and even n
shining bit of gold, when she returned to
her seat, and all these she emptied into
the huttering hands of the poor waif of
fortune that the tide of fate had cast
at her kindly feet. Then she made him
an offer for his Instrument that surprised
him almost as much as the unlocked for
| windfall of money. 1t was too good an
OFFER to refuse, and Miss De Witt is the
proud possessor of a violin she prizes
above all her belongings. She has not
been able to establish its history. but
from the markings in the case, from the
shape OF the body and the workmanship.
1t is certainly either Cremona or bv one
OF the pupils of that famous school. Its
owner, the old musician, inherited r. and
II was a tradition of his house that It
| was of famous origin Miss De Witt saws
! 1t is the most perfect instrument she has
| ever played upon, and she guards it so
carefully that she does not dare to use it
| for general purposes in her stage work.
This is declared to be true story. and
not press agents yarn.