The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-03-05

UduCes j ne fragrant scent Ol HOl-
Mouse flowers hung in the air and the
STRAINS of the famous El Dorado waltz
'1oated out from the ballroom.
He was a tall. deternined-lookin
man: he had strong chin and good
honest brown eyes. His was the face
of man who had fought a hard bat
tle and conquered
The woman-the woman who
didn't want to dance-was a slight
creature with pair OF haunting
gray eyes and a cloud of fair, exquis-
itely silky hair. There was a some
thing indescribably attractive and al
during in her whole personality.
'The El Dorado" murmured Vsnes-
ga, listening to the music. She gave
a slight, delicate laugh, then she
turned to her companion.
"Do you think there is an El Dora
do-such a country?" she asked med
itatively, "or is it a fairy tale, like
the rest?"
Her sigh was infinitely pathetic.
IL was difficult to realize for the mo-
ment that an eminently successful
ton, woman whose art had made
her famous, and who played the vio-
hin as none other could or would.
Curious, too. that she should ques.
lion David Royant on the subject. If
there was man on earth who had
found The land of El Dorado this man
had, for Royant was a millionaire,
who had built up a miraculous for
tune, as it were. in the twinkling OF
an eye. He had stumbled on gold
mine by pure accident.
ooh, no, 7 believe in El Dorado
or course, there is such a land
there must be-" he continued, "Cth-
erwise all the poets and dreamers
have been mad-all the singers. all
the musicians And it would be
rather a pity to believe that, wouldn't
it?"
This was not the first time he had
met Vanessa Lessing by any means,
for they were friends now of long
standing; but the woman interested
him. For all her fame, for all her
magnificent success, and her curious
and indefinite beauty, her face was
not the face of a happy woman. The
eyes were hungry eyes.
"Some people"-Vanessa smoke
slowly and very softly-"some people
hold that El Dorado is a land Of gold
it is the city Of the rich man, and no
one can enter it unless he has great
wealth"
David Royant shook his head.
Don't believe that story" he said
decidedly; "it is a fable am a rich
man myself, but"-he spread out his
hands haven't found the land
you speak of, though | came near to
finding it once"
His strong rugged face softened
A new look came into his eyes.
Tell me- she leaned forward.
how did you come near to the coun-
try, how did YOU lose your chance of
landing in it?"
''It is very ordinary story" he
smiled, then crumpled his program up
into a hard ball; Just the story of
"a young man passionately i'm love
with 4 young woman, who goes
abroad to try to make fortune for
her. He comes back years after with
his fortune. but the girl"
eyes, the girl?" mmmured Va
nessa.
shes the mother Of girls herself"
he answered simply. "a sparkling
young matron of thirty. Happy
enough, I've no doubt, even thocgh
the man she married doesn't happen
to be quite so wealthy as | am. oh,
j dom suppose she cared much for
me, really he added with a dry
laugh, "else she would have waited
as other women have waited"
Things are better for you than
they were for me" she muttered.
She shuddered as she spoke.
Years ago when / was young.
barely eighteen" she went on. 81 was
engaged to be married. lie was a
struggling young barrister, and ! was
one OF a family OF many sisters.
There was no earthly prospect OF our
being married for years; but that
didn't matter in the least, we were
quite happy. And then. one after
noon, when | happened TO be playing
my violin at small afternoon party,
big musician heard me, and told
me that If ! chose to work hard I
should rave a future before me.-a
great future. OF course, / was ex-
cited-fattered. Then, later on.
wien the big mans opinion was cor
roborated by other great musicians.
Il seemed natural that | should ac-
cept the great offer made me By a
liberal patron of musician offer TO
pay my expenses i'm Paris IL / chose
TO study music there, and definitely
take It mp as a profession. My kind
friend made one stipulation, how
ever; was TO break of my engage