Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1903-10-23

strength returned every hour, 80 did
his mora sense of right and wrong.
He was a thief.
The letter with the good news came
To Il drcary London attic, one Of those
Tiny, ill-iurnishcd rooms which shelter
broken hearts and hide bllghted hopes
from the mock Of the world.
Colin Stuart had O the prize lol
his superb setting OF the classic ode
he held the check in his hand for
$3.50. with the formal offer of the
post he had craved, with more than
formal appreciation of his work, for
the famous Signor Tiorno pronounced
/, worthy Of the highest praise.
Colin threw the letter down in bit
ter contempt. stolen hOnors-a
giants robe" he muitercd. only, thank
heaven. there Is still time to make
restitution. ! will take 1t there to-
night-nOw. 1t may be to them what
IL was to me-what II would have been
to me II 1t were honestly mine. Per-
haps the melody wa. hers-that beau
tlful dark-cyed girl | used to see pass
ing up and down to the second floor
back-perhaps II was the old foreign
er's ! saw with her just before ! was
taken ill-they will pity and forgive.
The temptation was so great"
But they also had left Mrs. Wilcox's
apartments. he found-they had gone
a few days before he himself had done
so.
"She-Miss ~GiacOmO-was a goven-
ess and had lived here for three years"
explained Mrs. Wilcox. vcxcdly, "and
paid to the day all That time. Then
her uncle came and took her away-he
hadn't any children, and Is quite a
rich old man, | believe. an she's going
abroad with him. She was his sisters
child. an there'd been "A quarrel over
the marriage an they los, sight OF
each other. Anyhow the parents are
dead now and the signOr he's adopted
Miss GlacomO for his own; their ad-
dress, sir? Now let me see. they
ven from here to one Of them big
hOtels-Cecil | think II was"
Colin contrivcd to cut short the rest
of her voluble talk. and started of to
walk to the Hotel Cecil, he was glad
from his heart that the girl had found
"A friend and the prospect Of happl-
ness-if only the good luck had come
to him. other dreams than money and
fame might have been his: now sh"
would never know that her pretty face
had chained him to Mrs. WilcOx's
house like a spell: that the chance
meeting sometimes, the glance from
her sweet eyes had inspired his muse
yes something else had gone out OF
his life with Nina GiacOmO, and he
had to confess himself as "A thief be-
tore her.
IL was the only restitution he could
make.
Il had set my whole soul on win
ming that PRICE, stammer, the cul-
prit. with dOwncast eyes. Il thought
OF 1t by day and dreamed of 1t by
night-then | was taken III. and II
wOndrols melody made itself known
to me: strange. sweet harmOnicS ran
TN rough my fever so that waking was
almost IA pain, for with coming back
~ wa '''"' ~ No. ''i''
vanished, and | could not catch hold Of
lit seemed still in my soul, but
elusive, like "A shadow which cannot
be graspcd night | heard i,
played in another room, | heard 1t
hummrd and strummcd, not the har-
mOny, but tn" ghost Of the melody,
and my dclirium was not over. en-
treat you To believe IT was not the trua
Colin Stuart, but some remnant at the
fever iicnd h did II. | stole the
melody ard elaborated It, harmunizcd
it, AZ ! had heard ii played in my
dreams. and sent II in as my own,
It wOn the prizc-it Is here yours,
not mine"
NO" said Nina Giicomo, softly lay
ing n OBTAINING hand to stay the re-
treat he tried to make. 1T was always
yours. Mr.. Stuart, even in your fever
the ruling passion Of our life came
out; there were many hours when YOU
were alone, INTENDED. and you used to
get up n play wonderful music
dream misic-which drove one into
ecstasy to hear, better. far more beau
tiful than | had even heard you play
before.
That prize melody was yours, and !
used 10 pick out Just the air ON my
plano aftcrward sometimes. | have re-
membcred other tunes, but ! liked that
best; II IL your very own, and the ap-
bOintmcnt alsO--and | am happy for
your sake"
II had one other dream, too he
said. In almost i%naudible tone, "as
sweet o r sweeter than the music.