The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-08-26

oHIitl street, bTOOhiSN II. Wnere Sle Sells
tailors' supplies. James Tarr, who was one
time in the employ of Mr.. FIechter, and
Who discovered Mrs. Springer's violin while
he was working in the shop of PiZZoni, a
Brooklyn Matchmaker, declared 1t to be the
missing instrument. Mir. Flechter wrote
Mrs. Springer implorins her to allow him
TO examine the violin, but the letters were
unanswered. Mrs. Springer declared that
she would never allow Mr.. Flechter to see
her violin. nor did she wish to sell at any
price. And she would give no reason.
/ Tarr that Mrs. Springer's fiddle was the
lost treasure, it was decided to attempt to
see the violin by strategy if by no other
way. Mr.. Tarr took Mr.. Flechter. whom
neither Mrs. Springer nor her son, Leon,
had ever seen, to the little shop last Fri
day morning at Ii o'clock.
here was a gentleman from Lynn, Mass.
who wished to buy just such a violin as
Mr.. Tarr knew Mrs. Springer. to have.
Wouldn't Mrs. Springer allow him to ex-
anime her instrument and make her an
offer.
The key was turned in the door of the
street. and the old box was tished out from
its resting place under the horsehair sofa:
, vb bF0o hs ss said the Nh rbei Ele chi G.st to him, himself
40 Stradivarius in that old box" Mrs.
Springer tumbled the fiddle out on her mar
3'e. ! pitt, table, ; and Mr.; FIechter his heart
wreck OF wood and string. He staggered
Tor a moment, and then passed his hands
oNOI- ttc tLtChISu pOCya ana ran MS myers
along the neck and scroll. 1t was the
stolen Stradivarius. and. concealing his agi-
tation with difficulty, he and Mr.. Tarr left
street.
Shortly after Mrs. springer's visitors had
taken their departure her son Leon re-
turned Tor luncheon, and from the descrip-
ton of the Lynn CMass) gentleman decided
that 1t must be Victor Flechter, and going
down to Mr.. Tarr's shop at No. 294 Atlantic
avenue informed the ffeddlemaker that the
. NlO!ll would not be sold TO Victor. Eiechfpr
at any price. tn young man was assured
that he was entirely mistaken, and that
from the Massachusetts town. A little later
Mr. Flechter returned to the fiddle shop in
company with Detective sam" Price. who
Flechter remaining behind.
Mr., Tarr introduced the detective rs a
friend of the man whom he had brought in
the morning, and as the real would-be pur-
CHASER, ana Mrs Springer again produced
the Stradivarius. Detective Price instantly
recognized it from the detailed description
Flechter.
There was a hasgling over price, Mrs.
Springer declaring it to be a first-class old
french violin, one of the early Nillaumes.
She wanted $3.50. but compromised for sos,
whereupon Detective Price picked it I'D and
SAID he would take it right along and settle
another day.
Then followed a dramatic scene. Mrs.
Springer screamed for the police, and as
luck would have it the policeman who lives
above the little shop rushed down, but not
before Detective Price had flashed his star
In the woman's face, and claimed his arl-
thority to seize not only the violin, but her
In James Tarrs fiddle shop Professor
Pleenter counted It, the moments, and each
now weeping with very Joy. he watched for
the return Of the detective and Mr.. Tarr
with the violin. All the dire calamities that
brain. and when at last the old case was
borne in he broke into a fit of weeping.
fearing 1t tencerly in his arms. Detective
berry street and handed 1t to Captain Nc
Clusky.- Then Detective Price went back
to the jay street house and demanded the
were instantly produced.
And now the old fiddle that broke one
mans heart. and almost ruined the life and
fortune. of another, is safely under lock and
Key In Mulberry street, and there 1t will re-
main until formally claimed and identified
by Mrs. Bott. who managed to get back to
her friends In Germany, after q long strug-
gle with the bitterest poverty following the
death of tine old professor.
And still unanswered is the riddle of the
old violin, and closer about her bent old
carcass does the freckled jade in Mulberry
street draw the cloak Of mystery.
Who was the Irishman. the rolicking Jour-
neyman tailor. who, firing of her, sold her
for a paltry $50.
And was this journeyman tailor the man
who tore her from the heart of old Jean
Bot. OF was she spirited away by a more
seductive paramour?
These are riddles that only the freckled
old jade herself seems to know, and she
will never tell the secrets of her past.
But If the mystery of the old fiddle has
not been lifted, the passion of her mighty
and tragic fugue has sobbed itself out.
And now let dear. old Madame Musica,
with those white, withered hands of hers.
lift Jean Bolts violin out of its dusty case.
Turn the pegs tight, tighter, Nine. Musica,
and. with your palsied fingers fiirt the bow
across the strings. And, remember, Nine.
Musica. there shall be no minor chords. no
funeral dirges. no plaintive melodies, but
the song of the dance. the revelry of the
vintage, the high, clear treble of love and
HE and happiness. because the tragedy Of
the old violin is ended for a year and a day,
at least, let US hope, dear Nine. Musica.
The mysticism of centuries of melody per-
yades the lirtdle fiddle shop owned by
James Tarr, and myriad ghosts of tuneful
yesterdays keep company with the mas
ter. as, with magic cunning, he converts
dead stick end senseless string into the
mystery. half human. half divine, which
men call a violin.
If you are not versed in the poetry and
tie establishment at No. 294 Atlantic ave-
nue., Brooklyn, may mean no more to you
than any other old junk shop.
My place isn't much to look at, I'll con-
fess,' explained Mr.. Tarr, apologetically
as he paused in his task of fashioning a
scroll to glance about the walls of his
quaint workshop, but, all. there's many a
poor mans heart Arranging on those wood
en- pegs, or a-lying atop those dusty
How did I know Professor Bolts Strad
when l saw 1t? How does a mother know
her own child? Could 1 be the third genera
! ton of fddlemakers and not know an An