The Washington herald., 1915-01-03

| Dt dDtt u lay my
upon your precious violin after ALL
"Ah. Yes-it ees too late" sighed
| Boronoff. turning his eyes to Paradine' s,
but IL is not ze concert, IL is my hddle.
my beautiful. my treasure-Ah! He
sank down on the seat and buried his
face in his hands. his massive shoul-
ders heaving "Nevaire, nevaire do 1
set foot in zis Englan' again-I new
aire play anozzer note-not anozzer
note-nOt anozzer note / tell YOU
oh. don't say that Mr.. Boronoff," put
| in Cleek blandly. He whistled as II
struck with a brilliant idea. What a
! fool I've been never to think of IL be-
fore-Tve got a fiddle at home-it's as
| old as the hiIIs-it looks it anyhow
for all the paints worn of. I've often
thought of having it cnameIed-after
all. it isn't the fiddle the public care
about, but your playing"
| Good heavens" burst in Paradine
| DO you think that a master like Sas-
| cha BOronof, is going to waste his
! divine talent on a cheap enameled I'D
/ die? Nom de Dieu! What fools these
sulting poltroOns."
Cleek gave a little clicking sound
| indicative of distress
! Wasn't meant that way Mr.. Para
| dine" said he apOlOgeticaIly, "and any
| how. there's no harm in his looking at
| it. l don't play the thing myself. but
| if Mr.. NarkOm will hop into a taxi and
J spin round to my rooms and give
l note to my assistant" He broke off
sharply and taking out his note book
| scribbled something on one of its
| leaves which he tore out and handed
to the superintendent. There. that's
| where IL is"
| The superintendent vanished and the
! telephone in the ante-rOom at the end
| of the passage rang furiously. Para
dine. with an exclamation of irritation.
| jumped to his feet and ran to answer
it, but Boronorf paid not the slightest
attention.
Yes NJ Boronoff." proceeded CIeek
placidly. talking to that worthy gem
| tleman's back. You will have cause
to remember your visit to England this
time. I'm afraid"
! Paradine returned to the room look
ing somewhat pale and agitated.
'Sascha, il is from the concert hall.
1t is one of the royal equerries, and
he wishes to speak to you"
Then he got slowly to his feet. Il will
| come" said he gravely. Go Victor. l
| follow" and passed slowly out of the
room.
He was absent only a minute. but in
! the minute CIeek had been able to
confirm a suspicion and turn a clue to
! a certainty. When the violinist re-
JuIntus Nltth W DIS DPHulnB over a large
jar of roses that had been sent that
morning.
81 cannot quite make out all that he
speaks" said Paradine. but il seems
as if he wants to know whether the
violin can be found today. His ma
jesty has evidently heard of the loss
what shall | say to Them"
CIeek turned sharply. His face wore
a curiously strange. curiously terse ex-
preston. Say. yes. Mr.. Paradine. And
say it quite clearly. / believe ! shall
succeed even now. Oh, here is Mr.. Bor-
onoff. and what news my friend. Does
royalty wait for you, eh?"
Mr.. Boronoff frowned. He reminded
Cleek OF a sulky child deprived of its
pet toy. in his heartless disregard of
the lift boy who had lost his life in
his defense OF the violin.
II cannot play" he broke out i'm
puIsiveIy. 81 will not play if my treas
ure. my beloved. 1 cannot have. 1 will
not. / will not"
PGradine had turned on his heel and
was about to leave the room once
more. when the manager ushered in a
very pale and subdued Miss North.
Monsieur" she said, coming to Bor-
onoff. and holding out an impulsive
hand. II have been sent for by the
committee at Albert Hall. am too up
set to play. but ! would not anyway
come to apologize for my rudeness to
you yesterday-and-"
CIeek swung round suddenly. and
laid a hand upon her arm. His eyes
sought Boronoff's face: with a strange
ly exultant expression. he gave vent to
a short, sharp little laugh.
"A very clever trick, my dear lady"
said he smoothly, waving a hand to-
ward Paradine. 'I knew you would |
give yourself away sooner or later. |
Mr.. Paradine. lock that door behind |
you and give me the key. l think l
have found the murderer OF that poor
Iad-if not the actual thief of the vio- |
lin. and"
DO you mean me? How dare you?"
flung in Miss North with little terri |
fed scream. What do you mean by |
such an accusation? That could muir
der I-I-'
The key. Mr.. Paradine. thanks" put
in CIeek. That will do splendidly. |
All, played, my lads, played indeed"
For. just then Mr.. Mantoine and two
policemen stepped forward. She stag /
gered against a table. and clung on to
it with trembling hands.
Mr. Headland-" she began. but |
said no more. For. even as she spoke, |
CIeek swung round with little snarl |
of rage. and pounced upon the passive |
figure of SasCha BoTonof. There was |
the harsh music of swapping irons. the
grating of an angry voice. and-hey. |
presto! NJ. BoronOff stood twisting and .
doubling in CIeeks grasp, with the
bracelets upon him, and the very devil |
let loose in his face.
Got you. you beauty" snarIed |
CIeek. standing back and reckoning |
Hammond and Petrie into the room.
Now. then, lads. here's your first
prisoner-look out there. Head the .
other of before he slips through your
fingers. Bravo. bravo, very pretty |
piece OF business. boys! NJ. Victor Para
dine. my compliments. You're a spIen-
did pair OF devils. and hell's too sweet |
a place to house you. You'd have let |
an innocent woman go to prison, eh?
And to her death. besides numbering |
that faithful boy. all for the loot of
that priceless violin and its jeweled |
case-you ours. Now. then. to the rest |
of the piece"
Cleek passed serenely over to where
a marble console table stood against
the wall. and moved it away. Then. as
Miss North gazed white faced and
trembling at him, came a crash of
glass, the sound of trampling foot
steps. the tearing and rending of wall
paper. and almost instantly two police
men stood in a gaping aperture of the
wall.
cIeek gave vent to a little laugh Of
pure triumph.
GOOD lads. got him all right. chr
poor beggar."
Yes, sir. safe and sound. Lively
there, boys, and make room for the su-
IN |