The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-03-28


itself true, though not as you Intended
It? | have. And one morning he said {:
To-day | will do it," and with these
words left his room.
He ran down stairs with precious
parcel In his hand, and stood before
the door that led to Mdlle. La C-s
suite of rooms with a palpitating heart.
He had intended to knock and leave the
parcel with servant, but-hOw unfor-
tunate the door stood open. He
would steal In and put the music on
the table. lie crept in; he laid the par
Gel down softly, but as he did so, his
eyes fell upon miniature. 1t was
portrait of his divinity herself, and 1t
was set In costly gems. These he
neither noticed nor cared for. All he
saw was the sweet face. He stopped
over it: he took it in his hand.
"Itis herself!" he said.
And | think he would have kissed 1t,
but at that moment he Eeard a scream
and a savage growl.
He turned. The scream came from
Mdlle. La C., the growl from
gentleman who accompanied her, and
on the instant two hands came down
on Fernande's shoulder, and the minia-
ture was wrested from him.
Chow careless Of Auguste," ," said the
lady. "to leave the door open for thieves
to enter by"
The gentleman Justify called for help.
Fernando said nothing, Conscious of
his position he was stricken dumb, and
it was as one passing through the
changing scenes of dream that he
knew himself to be arrested and cast
into prison.
The prima donna appeared against
him when the time came. She had
found him in her room. He had valu-
able ornament in his hand. She be-
lieved that he intended to steal it. She
had never seen him before.
At this the young man felt that it
would be well to be dead. She had
never seen him before! 1t was all
fancy. He had not caught her eye. She
had not noticed him.
The gentleman gave his evidence,
but he was fierce, and called Fernando
thief and a rascal, and Fernando
could only say he was not guilty. He
would not even bringhis respectability
forward by way of defense.
81 am named Fernando, ard ] am
twenty-three, and | am nothing and
nobody"
This he said when called upon to ac-
count for himself, and nothing more,
and he was written down vagrant and
condemned to six months hard labor
as thief.
Mdlle La c. went home pouting
and declaring that "she hated to 60 to
such dreadful places" She ate de-
lightful lunch, and afterward finding a
packet upon her table, opened it and
read Fernande's anonymous note, at
which she laughed and hummed over
the song, prcnouncing it very pretty
A few days after she practiced it, and
on being encored one night, bethought
her to sing it.
Poor Fernando! If he could have
been there to have seen how the women
wept over his pretty little lay of love
and death, and to have heard how the
applause rang.
After that the manager besought Ma
damoiselle to sing "Love's Dying
Dream" every night, and the lady
obeyed the request.
Amateur singers went mad over it,
and it was published. Having the name
of no composer upon it, it was called
}, Mdlle. La C-'s song, and by many
was believed to be her own, and it sold
as never a song sold before.
One day, with party, she visited
the prison where Fernando was con-
J fined.
She stood amid her little circle OF
cavaliers, and said to one in authority
of the place.
| "What do they like, these people
) Shall l sing love song?"
; GAS Mademoiselle pleases," said the
: man. every one understands that
$ theme"
p And Madamoiselle smiled, and tried
r her voice with little trill, and began
poor Fernande's song, "Love's Dying
r Dream"
h. Oh, the eager, glittering eyes thai
e watched her.
t Oh, the flushed cheek-the hurried
= breath! Oh, the mad throbbings of the
= heart of number twenty-four as hi
t whispered to himself
Y at is my song! 1t is my song?.
"What is the matter?" whispered
g number twenty-three to number TWEEN
Y ty-four. 81 say, mon ami, speak"
i "What is the mattcr9" asked thu
= singer of the superintendent, as thu
= last notes of her song died upon he
:. lips. "There seems to be some commo
d ton"
: "There is a little" said the superln
o tendent calmly: number twenty-fou
# has caused it,"
d elias he escaped?" cried the lady
v looking as though she had heard that
o tiger had broken loose.
CATER manner, Mademoiselle,
:, said the superintendent. Gle is dead.
C They buried Fernando in whatcve
d spot of ground is given to pauper pris
d oners. And Mdlle. La c. sang unit
t, she sang herself into the heart of som
It title; but as long as she sings at all sh
- vill sometimes sing Cloves Dyin