New York Clipper (Jan 1896)

CopjilgliW, in I. hj Tho Fiuk quMs FublljIilDg Coopuif (UmlM). Foundid by I FRANK QUEEN, 1893,1 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1896. 1 VOLUME XLIII.-N«. 47. I P?lM 10 CmM. THETPROPOSAL VHirrair fon tub mar tom ourriiu BT HOMBOE H. ROdSNFBLD. M tbia Bliiie, deaitut, lei me eptU; Yoa ere mj tMliei put I A life «og>gemeiit,fweet, wlib ;ou Woaia niUf J my hcsn I I'd ttoif <x> pleaee roar wblna, Od wlngn of lore I'd tl; serre In all Ui»t ;oa mlgbl ptompi, Wblle BtuoDa wandered bj. Ob, TOO woDid be my manager. For beiier or tor wonie; Aod wbat I'd sacrltce (or ;ou I need not now rebearae! Kaob ael o( mine would please, I know; No CQiUIn lectures load Would make s epeciacleof me, Or lire'a plaj oreieload. A good, (ar-eeeing wire joa'd be- Wbo play tbc role ai« (ew— To imilate your prndence. lore, At once I'd take ibe coe. Your under-alndy, I'd be proud To serre white life iboold last, And yoQ woDid never note complalu It I were In ttae cast. Tbe aconea migbt eblft tram well-t»<lo, And poreity be mine; Rut well I know tbat cbeertiilneea Would gllll be In your line. I lue to yon, my brtgbt ranbretie, I,et naagbi yonr lore debar; Bat Bay tbat you'll accept and tign To be my bean's fair BUr i VI VIA N. wRirruf FOR TUB If tw toxk ourraa, BYT. 0. BARDtUaH. I bad been Ibteo weeks Id Pails anong ibegnleUn nr Ibat wondcttol place. A bit of dramallo boslneea bad taken me acron the cbannel In fbe most tempestuous time of tbe rear, and my friend Ibongbi mo foollRli to make ibc Journey, tbe best remit of wblctt woald not add mucb to my bank account witb tie Old Lady of Tbreadneedle Street, Uy mission, reader, was to Ond a little ladr aulted to a role In a toitbcoming play with wblch I fondly lioped to aatonleb at lesti b part of tbe world and rccmlt some falling toitnnes. One goes out upon sncb a mIesloD wlib many oiU- glvlnm, but I bad become used to Ibera and under- took tbe trip In my nsnal bopetui spirits. Pant was not unknown to me. I bad seen It well by daytime and gaellgbl, bad studied Its tboueasd and one pbasea of cbancior. and bad on one occa- alon looked doim Into tbe Belne wltb wild tbougbie and not a son In my packet. But Ibis time I wonld sacceed; 1 would dnd nr ■tar and come back with tbe beet of tonimes sbcad. I carried In alltlle memorandum book an address 10 wblob I repaired at once, Hy Mend In London wbo bad kindly given me Ibo address aald at tbe lime tbat be did not know the party personally, tint he nndcmood Ibat UonslenrHardon tumlabed peo- ple In my straits Josl what tbey wanted. I fonnd tbe honse. a Utile affair In tbe heart of tbc Rge Bogennox. and In reeponto to my rap a cbeerfol leaking bonne came to ibe door and aaktd me Intlde. In another nlnnte I stood tMwing to tbe logins at tbe place, H.Usrdon, a little man wiib a dark face, and two magnldcent eyes hehind gold rimmed spectacles. He could not help ne. He said this narely, after looking me over from bead to loot, and, eager logetoutofibe bouse, Iplckednp nybatandroee. HoDilenrwas very Bony: be would he delighted 10 have pleased me, but—well, the old fellow didn't lake kindly to me somehow or other, and be wanted to get rid o( me. Tbe good woman of tbs boose followed me to the door and touched my am In tbe hallway. "Isn'iBbeabeauirr' abe Bald, with oume enthu- Hlasn. 1 looked at her astonished, "ilbei" 1 sald.queillonlngly. "HooBlenr Uardon'a ward—Vivian." "I did not see ber.'' Tbe woman's gate fell, and a llusb elole over ber iibeekt. "Pardon me, Honsleur. I listened a liule. I couldn't help It, (or I am Inieiested In MademolMlle Vivian. She la so chic and delightful, so sweet and kind tbat. were It not tor Uontlenr, she would nuke ber mark In Ibo world," Sbo cast a basty look up tbs iteps and then fairly shoved me toward ibo door. In another second I Kiood on the sidewalk, wondering If ibo llttlo Inci- dent was not a dream. Hut I remrmbered the name—Vivian. Tbeiongsbadows of tbo aficmoon were oloHing In around me wblki I walked from the sirange t>ouae,andI turned Into ataall park on the next Htreeiand scaled myself on one of the old fashioned benches then. 1 could not forget Monileur Mardon and bis bouBekeepor. Tbey were a strange foil to each other; the old man so snaky In bis looks and the oihcr pale, but still good looking, with a low, fright- ened voice whenever she addreesed any one. And VIvlanf 1 could (orm no oplalon of one whom I had not seen, but. rrom wbat old Vesta said, abe was a creatnra to be seen, anil, perhaps, admired. Suddenly there came lowotd me a flgnre from out the shadowe that lay among the ynnnt trcetot <ho lituo park, and someone dropped upon the dcat bcaldobe. 'i tbongbt I might see yon," said a voice. I looked iDio Ibe oval face »( a girl of nineteen, a face wblcb from tbe Hm drew my thoatbta away from Uontlenr Hardon and seltled them about ber. "Vesta loM me what yon came after," ehc went on. *i am here because 1 caic to eee roo, HoDsteur. Tlif IT I don't quit Ibe park. I wonl keep yon long, lam Vivian." Ivru ttiuied by toIm and declaiaUoii, awl re- member drawing back and looking ber In the face until she binshed and apoke again. "■want to make mr mark," the kept on. 'llr will not let me try till be tnlabes blu wonderful play. It la always unCnlsbed. I bavo walled. For ten rears I have waited on Uoniilear Mardon. I am to bo hia eiar—when the drama Isdonel" I uiteied a cry of amonlahmeni. "^'ball you have walled ten yean on the racki Yon I" and again I looked at tbe fair face framed In iresaes wblcb would have made her fortune of ihenuelTes. "Uo never Bnlsbes toe drams, lie writes and re- writes, and I am to lake the title nie." ■Wbat Is thai t" Ing up ihe loiter so as not to compromise Ibo old bonne at all. As I entered the place I beard a tlngnlar noise overhead, and when I knocked on M. Mardon'* door I was asked to enter. A singolar sccno met my gaze. In his arm chair near the nvil ubie Bat Ibe llttlo Frenchman, bnithe was tied down. Ills face had grown livid atiuggllng for fiocdom, and Ibo moment bo saw mo ho Rbrank to Ibe depths of tbe chair and gasped. vie were alone In Ibo room and Iho light fell across Ihe old man's (see, renilorlng It more feroci- ous than ever, "Where Li abet" be almoat roared. Ing heavily like one In a lethargic sleep; then, lean Ing toward old Vesta. I sold- "I will go. 1 know Ihe qoanier well- It waa my homo yean ago. Ii never changM tor me." "Oo I go I Tbe luoncrltae better. Ilohsaainsmed wealth enough to put Vivian In the beat play, Niii, If she hasnt gone homo—heaven help bort" Tho old boasckeoper clasped hor banils and bieatbsd bard, Uanslanr Hardon raised his head, but bis ayes hod a wild etaiT, sod bit han<1t ahnt madly as If under Ihe spell o( anger which he had displayed on my eniianco. Vetta followeil me to the lower door, and there wound her long llngtra about my wrltt. "AlasI ho baa nevur conQded that secret to me. Uelells me that I poaeesa Ibe voice, face and llguie for bis heroine, but be never names bur for vinan." She laughed again, a tllveiy laugh that loonded ritrangcly In tbc darkening park, aod then rose sud- denly. "IB M. Mamon mad r" I asked, "He la strange," she answered, "lie found me In Ibo Lailn ()uartlcr ten years sgcand said be would have all Paris at my feet when bla drama waa on Ihe sisge. Bnt. UonsleDr, one grows old watting, and one loses one'sopponnnlUai, yon know." "I did not like H. Harden from the Ont," aald I. recalling ibo sinister look ot tbe old plarwrlgbL "What Is he going to make ont of Vesiar' Vivian laughed. "What she Is now—bit sisve. Hut I—I, monsieur —I am Uitd of wsltlng. Ooodnlghl." She was gone almost before I ceald watch her night and I was alone on the bench In ttia Utile breathing apol. I bad seen "Vlrlsn." I bad found, perhaps, the very one I sought, bot abe was the ward ot Monsieur Mardon. his tuiura tiBr. the llttlo girl wbo owed her lite to bim, yet wbo walled In Ibc dark with ber pretty face and Iranaeeadent ulents hid undera bnaheL I walked out of the park In a maze. I crossed Ibe street berond and supped. Why not go back and hold another Interview wllb ihls old msnr Wbr not oIRr to help bring Tlvlsn ootnow, and not WBItunillBhe bod walled tooloBgoabUslowmlndl Once I started hack, but stopped again. It was not my trade. I had no right to come between Vivian and M. Mardon. bat I wondered If others would not take up Ihe girl'a cndgellfiher bniknew the drcnnutances. The next dar and the nam l-iboaghi of Vlvun, I bad given Veturayaddreas,forIalwayspatron- Iced a little hotel In the Roe BooiTon. but I did not expect to bear from lbs couple In Mardon'e konae. Lste In the aflemocn I waa snrpTlted Is have hioogbl up to my room a letter which I lore open al once. tConld I come to No. 13 Roe Dogenreux at oncer It was tbe girl'a home, flwasalsolhcabodeof the old Hon who had dUita me. from Ibe den with a look, isd I deienBlBtd k> fp, al ito MM ttne iMr- I Bteppcd forward and Ihe next raomcnl heard a foolalcp iMbInd mu. At the duor aiood Vests, Ihe bouaekeepor, and her dngcr rested on her Up. "Tbe drama la dulabed," M. Mardon wont ou, "but you have robbed nin ot ouratar, t>>nie, Bir, where have you takOD burl" I shot another glance al Vosia.ovcr whoso wblle face stole a smile as abe aieppcd Inside. "It It no nearer completion inan It was when Vivian came to this honse," she whispered. "I hod to tie bim to tbe chair." "And Vivian t" "HhB went out to ilnd you." "Last night)" "Yes. yes. Hbe baa not come hack yet." "She will not come back IHI that man brings ber," cried Uonslcur Hardon, Oxlog his keen. Oery orbs upon me. "She Is In bis clutches, and he would rob me of tbe star ol tbe great drama. Posh bim sgalnn the door, woman, and iinlle mo. I'll show bim bow be slips across the channel and playa rob- l*r In Paris." I would have been In peril If Ihe old mm had not been lashed to tbe choir, Ihankt to Veata, and at It was I fell bock a mile so as to be ODI ot reoob It be thouM force the knots and obtain his freedom. "I sent for you to ask yon If you knew where she Is." aald Vesla. "She knowa but little of Ibit pan of the city, for hen the han liern kept In for ten yean. She came from tbe Uiln quanler. which she knows by hesn, though It baa changed since her childhood days, lirr mother—" "Hbn waa not an orphan, Ihenr" I Interrupted. "Her moiber, so M. Mardon once confided to me, dicdaevcral rean after he hrooght her hither, i oner incd to And the bome,bol waa thwarted by— you may gneta whom," and the glanced at tho old mau tn ibecbnlr. VCHia was alleni for a second, and then resamed; "If you could And Vivian It would t>c good. It will soon he over with bin. and then Ihe atrango guardianship ends. She nay have gone hock to the oM place like a bird bcU In captivity. She may have gone tn look for the oM home nat—I don't know." I looked again at M. Mardon, wboae head bad taUan (orwaidoo Ui bicait, tad Tho wii hfealb- "lie won't flnlah tbe giost dnraa. I know where all tbe notes and skeletons are. It's a wild Jumtilu, Monsieur, l)ut you may put then together—you and Vivian." With the scilblried addreaa, which Vcsia whi tlm bad once wormed from If, Mardon, I set out upon my hunt for lbs lost girl The llghta ot park and square blinded me; Ihe glare of tho thousand and one candlea of the Imulc- vardB drew me on and on like wlll-ii'.ilie.wlipii un- til, scarcely knowing whitbcr I weni, I enlerod Iho roMt famoua part'oPgay Parln-lho fatin llnarilor. Did scenes ruahed over my excited hraln as I stood once more under the light of iba cafe and ball. I heard the clink nf goiiletalhn wild lauglilerot the gay and half dranken. the song that soared heavenward Id wild abandon,and the criea ot tbs absinthe slaves as Ihsy llngiired over Ibe "green death" In the ocalaay that kills. Men and women rushed paaaed pest mn singly or tn reeling gmups; I llaloned to the rrvel of song and dance uolll my own brain seemed to itagger when I hurtled sway. I had a mission to pertorm. I had i»fiie down Into that harvest deld of midnight revelry tor a pur- poae.and to forget II wonld be loImperil Vivian's totore. Armed with Ihe additM given me by old Vcala, I turned suddenly Into s lluie court and stopped among the shadows there. A lamp ilarrd and flickered overhead revealing Ihe old toroble down houses that nnrrounded me, but the forbidding seonery did nnl mop me. I plunged Into a hallway and reached a rtckely atalr. No bomi/stopped msnow; no night watch came lo resent mylnunslon.and I kept np Iho dark flight. Would I Bod Vivian In sueh a placet Impoeslbit 1 llalt way op Ihe stairs 1 fellagaloti the wall, A voice had come down from overbeod. It wu not a voice that alarmed me, for It was couched In song, and while I listened to Ihe won- dertnl strain I seemed inneported lo another woDd, where only the sweetest and bleat sing the BODga ot raptors. IdldnotsUrUntkelHtiioK died away, and ilien I pulled eaaplB. it was a nest ot a houso. I knew; an old stniotun with half an hiindni1monis,andt ooold not locate the singer of iheanng. In Ihe hall higher up I paiiaoil and llatonal. Ferbapsilio singer would hmk fonh once more, and then I wnuhl go straight to Iho mark, I did not wall In vain for all stonec tho song wss rcsnntisl, and I bounded away. Down a narrow corridor I pliingctl, until atopped hy a band, and a man throw tne agalnat a wall. It WAS ao sislden and sitnling thai I lost niy iireaih, hut the next momentlho nisn laughed Inmy face. ■■Waltl slio will dntah dln>otly." aald he. "Ilon't hrenh tho onlyaong wi> have over heard In this old trap." "Wheiolsltt"laske<l. "Down IbPtr—In tho last llttlo neat. Mow she found tho plaoo. bravrn knows. Walt, Hnualeur, Theroi she la through now, bnt don't Interrupt thorn rot," •Thoml Tien " "Olil MnrJorlD has fmiiid lior lilnl," bo hroko In. "Hbo has waited so long. and. sirango lu say, lha tiedgling luinin i<aok like a carrier pigeon." "Is It Vivian f Ho shook his hood. ■ilhe wan lint 'VIvlsn* wtioii the wonl away," said ho. "But out ihnro tn iho stroeu tbey got new names, and she may have onmo hank with one." "Did you soo hert" "Nn. no. Iilitrcd not look In upon old Hsrjorli'. It Ip too sacral, mitnaleur. Hhu baa found her dudg- llng, Nho has fniinrt the little tilnl that left the nesi long ago. Bho hai Marjorln's vnlco, the bird bos—I knewltatotico." AII IhlH nadn me osgiir, slmiMt iitoil, lo oiieti tho diior slnioHi St my linml antl look Into Ihu oboinltor l>eyonil. I hiirnril with a doslntl could nnl cnnlml, and. breaking tmm ihu strangiir, I puahnd forward and solHMl iholalcli. "Oiiro more, iThll'l." luitd a low volco hm I prosMcd the lati^h. "I want tn hear It again. Ah, what n voico yon bnvo, and when tho gmid gontlciuan tipds ynu hii will glvnynii a (ihnnro incapllvalo Paris." I llainuPd to Uin song which oncj^ morn ntwind up fmni Ibo lips nf Ihu uuacen slnaor. and tho man. stealing tn mo, InaiiMl sgalnt tlin tlliigr wall, and with bowed licail and mnttrring lips waited till the last riUinra hail licenaiing. HIriwly then I opened Iho ilmir. IIVTiind It nlnnil a low aiiioh tn Iho inlilillo of Mio room, which was quHu small, and iipoh llio plllDws lay a taco frarood In mow white hair. Hut thla was nol all. Bonding over Ihe roiinh wssa llgurn wlilrli I rit- ri>unlr.ed, ihoiiuh I rnuhl not sua the tare, for the iintoosnnnri hsir falling like a sea of glory nvur the tNUllloHsaliniildon Inlil nin that It was Vivian. I Hteiiprd fnrwsrd snrtly.HO sHnol lodlslurti tlie iialr. t !<aw thn lips ot the vniing girl tnunh softly lbs wrlnklnil farj, for Iho mnmunt glnrinnd liy an In. ward sailsfartlnn. and then a pair of arms eamo up and rnRlr4:lnd Vivian's nook. What thevaalil In ihoallenre, whinh I dared nM lirnsg, Isoneorilinuoreis I niav neverknuw; what Ibnv did In that Inst omhracn I l»iit tslntly saw, hut when Ihe girl at last unwound horarnis, and let Ihs halfllllMl head fall hark upon Itin pillow, slin saw that shn was not slnno with Ibe desd. "I rsmn liach t" sho aald tn ine. "Tlin liird M, Mardnu keoi anlnngln hlscagn camo hoinnloihs nhl nnst, and ilin mother ttird walind fur her dedg* ling." I WAS ai'ont t<i Hjieak whnn thn hand nf Vivian tell like a snow Haho iipfin mv arm. snd, stnpplng nesp'r thn roiirli. shn llftcil her voire In tho song whtob I hsd slrrsdr hcsr«l. "It wss tier snng,"sslil shn at the nonoliislon "anil I used in aing II lisrn. Br thn nnni she know no, fnr I nm nni thn liulo Ularlce nf long ago, lint ilip Vivian nf thn future." Anil whnn I turnrti away II waa nflnr alio bad promised In main hank and see Honalenr Mardnn tirfiirn ho died, but >hu did nni gi-itn wo hint In lite. In ilin old nrmnhalrsAi her atratign guardian, with nid V'*ata on the watch, but Ihe nyos nn longer bad Iho wild Ntarn nf ihn insd. and thn bands wore still. Tlm>' rami- whnn Vlvlnn sinl I plsred tognthlr the drama'lo treasures nt Mardnn's desk, and when she stnnd forth, rsfllsnt In liar ls>auty. rsptiirlnr I'aria liy ttin snell ot hnr talnniM and herrhHrms; tiiit Ihn nm encnrn was sum tn taring from hnr the song which f hoard Iter alnglng whnn shn stood over her roolhnr In the llitin house In Ihe l,alln Qiisriler. Vivtan never fnrg'itIt. anil shi'alngs It IimIsv with ■he ssni" pstbns whioh has moved lliniisanila in tcsni. even whnn they did nnt iindersisnil why It was an dear lo her, FLIGHT OF BIROS. A ItuBslan pniprlrtnr. sernnal rears ago, wishing tn team tbs illrneiinn nf flight of ilin many varlotlea ot lilrda thsf visltsd his estafs, naught anertaln nnmlMr nt ihnon Hrda and attaehed lo their tails llttis tube* cnntalnlng hie addrsM and a refjiieat In Huaslan. Prenrh, (lerman and Kngllah lo Isi him knnw when and where these lilrda should l>e taken or killed. Nn reply rame nnlll the preoent year, when he re- ceived one from an nneiponled and Inlerealing Boiirre. It was addressed tn him by HIstIn Fashs, s pilaiiner of thn Mahdi sincn Ihs tall of Khartoum, who recnnilr regained his freedom and appeared at tho Oeogmphlcal Cnngrmi In l/indnn. He atatea that In Novsmlier, im, a bird ivaa kllledtn Doogola which bnre a lal« containing a paper which waa brought In blin tn iranalale. He was overjnyed in recelvn a letter from Rurope, even In thla airsnge method, snd resolved. If hoover regained bla liberty, loieplylutbe I iitstnn nmlttiologlsl. Tbbi ho baa done.—/il/brrwiifmi. A NEW VERSION. There was a llttlo girl U'bubad a little cuil. Right In Iho proper piece; Bill she was raughl out hi Ihe tain, And greatly lo ber pain Her golden hair la hanglngdowu her face, —Thtcn JtjpUM,