The San Francisco call., 1904-12-28

.,.--- ---.s.
as she sang her eyes looking above
and beyond the crowd of faces around
her, to where the Christmas evergreen
and smilax framed the great stained
glass window In the hall.
wonder where Mrs. Dunderdale
picked her up?" asked Roddy when
it was over and the girl had disap-
peared
How should I know?" retorted
Paxton savagely. It's bad enough,
the mere fact that she is here. sing
ing in Mrs. Dunderdale's house like
this before crowd like this, Christ
mas eve"
"Oh, 1 don't know" commented
Roddy mildly, taking survey of the
crowd through his eyeglasses. Pretty
jolly, swell crowd I think. Probably
the little girls mighty glad to be
singing for it and raking In a small
dab of the Dunderdale ready cash on
her own account, what?" .
Paxton did not stop to answer. Mrs.
Dunderdale was standing under the
holly star that dangled from the arch
way between the two drawing-rooms,
talking to old Wyman. She smiled
when Paxton came up, and gave him
her hand.
80 you did come. after all? And
late as usual"
The old general rambled away
toward the nearest tea table, and they
were alone under the holly star.
How did Viola Arnold come here?"
Mrs. Dunderdale's eyebrows lifted
prettily as she laughed. A woman
may still be pretty and charming at
fifty-two, when she is a study in soft
grays and delicate pinks, with brown
eyes.
Now please don't scold me here,
Paxton" she said soothingly. You
always were a fussy sort of a boy.
Isn't she a dear? Come over here in
the smilax bower and I'll tell you a
little about her. Not all. though; just
enough so that you won't look at
me as if I had been stealing candy
from a baby. Do you know her?
Know her? OF course 1 know her"
cried Paxton. And the last time I
saw her was in July in her fathers
palace in Florence, the old Cellini
palace it is. She sang then, too, but
it was to please us. her guests. And
old Scalli yonder was one Of Arnold's
beggar geniuses, living on his bounty.
/ want to know what his daughter is
doing here like this?"
Like this?" Mrs. Dunderdale shook
her head at him reproachfully, Pres
ton. that lovely child came to me only
two weeks ago almost penniless. You
know what Bruce Arnold was. He
lived UP to every cent of his income,
and ran a little beyond it. Last Au-
gust he died suddenly. Didn't you
hear of it?"
Il came back home by way of
Japan and stayed on in Toxic a little
WHILE said Paxton. Il haven't heard
a word of it."
well, that's all. You can imagine
<the rest. There are no relatives, no
one at all for her to go to, and the
old palace was robbed, literally rob-
bed of all her fathers possessions by
his creditors. She hasn't any income
at all. The Scallis brought her over
here with them. The signor had
bit of money from some accommo-
dating deceased relative, and she lives
with them in some impossible fat up
in East Harlem-you know that part
where you can see the gas works
from your front windows and hear the
boats on the river. and they hang
their bedding out on the fire escapes.
Oh, my dear. it is terrible for her, but
Scalli Is teaching her. She is a mar
vel, he says. 1t will be years, of
course; she is only 10 now, but he
swears she will be all he hopes for
some day. and with fame there will
be wealth. of course. But in the mean
time shall have her sing and see
that she has other engagements,
and"
Where can see her now?"
But you can't" said Mrs. Dunder-
dale calmly. "It wouldn't do at all,
Paxton. The signor says she is an
artistic now. and must see no one."
Mrs. Observation-Disclosures face
was white and his tone desperate
Il love her to death: we quarreIed
like a couple of children that last
night in Florence. That's why 1 came
back by way of Japan. to try and for
get
Mrs. Dunderdale laid her hand
lightly on his arm.
Paxton, my dear, you = will find