New-York tribune., 1903-01-26
6be Little Fiddler.
BY NORA HOPPER.

Mr. Hofmann you persist in this your own
T choose to play" Godfrlth Ak said, looking at
him with perfect coolness- Maestro mlo you, can
make me play or stop me from playing "nen 1
| The impresario,s face was purple with anger as
he answered: YOU cannot 60 and you snaii , hot;
| Cfodfrith. You i'll, and you play IN Albert
Il will go to play for your SON. Godfrith said;
quietly "or else will not play in the hall at all"
But you snail play" stormed tne lnpresarloi
will not be cheated. r
You cannot make me play signG5 Lud0ylc0r dGEb or
his sallow cheek. Il will do as please now CP
@ have sn dqns as SGa s the
presaro said, hoarseIy, and will pay you for IT,
TAKE care how you bully Mr. Hofnann l5s macs. $
England You know, and there policemen out
If there were not you would tie me into chair
and starTs me INTO %acTo S if you speak
so loud you will be too n9arse TO sing 'Ai' ui'
IT The impresario choked and moderated Fhis tone
You have the whIphand of now Godfrith;
but wait-but wait till 1 have you under my nand
again Corpo di cane. l will make you pay lor
OF course you will maestro @ Si2df5th fr5 Ri 1ssie said
Of my own hands. So 1 will come. Mr. Hoffman, If
He LETT the room and returned instantly with
plaid thrown over his narrow stooplng shouioers
Come he went on. with inpish laugh and
glance at the impresario Sowing IN IN ans ms son
Do You live here Mr. Hoffmann?" Godfrith asked
as 0nte 5f cIoses Ernest Hoffmann said curtly
they left the nghroad and turned down naliIm t tS
savasest GodLrith Ak gave glance up p1gba5 aI oa5
dreary, denure houses right and Ieit ana Iausheu
4'tfSs Eden in tatters for somebody. suppose Do
you live here Nj aofdmann I'm iaye g YOU any other
NO" Ernest Hoffman, said. as he preceded the
and his mother is cripple. MS way: Lar lara; ne
long inquiring glance: then thin hand soft and and
white 3 and es G9d went @ out s5t 2 Gap vate nG laid
"Oh. it is good of you TO come-so good. Ernest Ernest
to o'q hear You YOU play again? And your PLAYING Is
marvel. How do you? Why she oV %ishcLfM If1g
at at ali. and I thought
looking at her puzzled With cieaT CANDID eyes
child in size. know stopped growing when was
Ming Isrs vor gvnsvq Forgive me- Clara said
with a pretty blush but it has been said so-and
GodfrtR fm Sk * gyPSs SIo9F e mothers
am and foo the ratT4ment out handling it low
ingy. You ought not to have come out IN this east
"@S No Godfrit6 said quietly II am never strong
ma6ame m dam now But 9 never Where he is Your
I'm the next room-through that open door If you
ss i if 1 he You'd follow the little dder to his boys
ds BEDSIDE will liz Ike the r. Better Rs Know Madge would say
! absurdly fanciful: dear as ne came 20 ner
had brought here good fairy, who will cure our
Uric, and-what is that he Is playlng!
"A cradle song. madame Godfrith answered
Norwegian IuIlaby,' The lullaby crooned softly
avyav into silence. ard then Clara from her couch
saw the little fiddler bend swiftly the bed and
kiss her bows flushed delighted face with muir
INJURED so: this is better than the Albert Hall
Then he took Up his bow again and drew II over
the strings In a swift. dainty dance measure. all
light airy passages through which Clara could al
most hear the movement OF dancing feet She lis
tened for a few minutes with a haH smile on her
lips: then her eyes puzzled and half afraid went
wistfulIv to meet the little fddlers. and back
TO her husbands face with unsatished fear in
their blue depths. Ernest. do | know the song?
II seems so-and wish almost-I wish he would
play it
or TO the bitter end now the little fiddler called
to her with tremble Of laughter in his voice
IT shall have done.
'I don't like it Clara murmured distressfuy.
II seem TO know ii. and
She lay listening in silence for some minutes.
then the fear in her eyes kndled into q fame and
she caught at her husbands hand with the looS
OF terrified child.
Ernest. remember; it is the Dance OF Death
that the Bohemian gypSieS play. Stop him
MY dear Clara Her terror made
imaginative Ernest Hoffman, turn pale, and he
turned yet paler when the music stopped IN the
middle OF an airy dance movement.
'On the 2sth inst. suddenly, OF heart dis
third paragraph OF ''The Telegraph said; but
Clara HCffmann. sObbing the newspaper cut
ting cried: II told you ! knew that dauce-and
the ypses say thai dea tn always comes 10 player
or hearer-one or the other. But one OF the two
can choose which il shall kill CT cure SO they say
And look dear; l that Godfrtta Ak knew
the legend and that he chose IL should be Uric
who should be healed / know IT And her hus-
band did not say her nay.-(Black and White