The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-04-20
HER FIRST APPEARANCE,


moment, such a conuetemps should Oc-
cur. and the more she thought OF it the
more was Mrs. Stewart Allenby in des-
pair.
And with good reason, for she had
issued cards for a morning concert--a
"Dtdtiaec mUMcdie,n as she called it on
the invitations; the first she had ever
given since she moved to the great
house in one of the most fashionable
roads in South Kensington, and she
particularly desired that il should be
success-and now Signora Bclcore had
gone and fallen sick at the eleventh
hour, and the programme would be too
short unless some one could be found
to sing the cavatna from "LiRd" ~
(HdHOVRir.'
"Put in comic song instead" sug-
gested Mr. Allenby, whose taste was
not educated pto concert pitch.
"a comic song indeedN' echoed his
wife with scorniul laugh. George,
you are ioolr'
But as Mr.. Allenby had heard this
blunt statement good many times be-
fore he was not at all diScomposed by
it.
"Do as you please, then, my dear"
said he, with a shrug of the shoulders.
you're in charge of the musical part
of the business, and I'm doing the COM
nissary department.. All that | know
is that the wines and pateS dc toie gyoS
will be alright"
It's too bad" sighed the lady, look
ing scornfulIy after the plump, retreat
ing form of her husband. "And had
so set my heart on the things being a
success. declare, could shake that
hateful singer creature! There's one
comfort-she' Il miss my thirty guinea
cheQue! And she declares, with that
set, stolid face of hers, that she don t
know a soul TO ill the void! Oh, dear!
oh, dear! life is dreadful failure, after
air.
And Mrs. Stewart Allenby, in pale
pink foulard morning dress, with pink
ribbons in her fluffy brown hair, and
jewel!cd hands casped hopclessly to-
gether, was the very picture of despair.
AT that moment the door opened soft
". Mrs. Allcnby started up.
"Wlliams,h cried she to the foot
man. I'm not at home! Didn't tell
you could see nobody this morning.
Eyes, madam, the footman answer
ed coughing behind his hand; "but it
isn't company, madam it, the visiting
governesS.'
"Ohr' Mrs. Allenby was visibly re-
lieved. Come in, Miss Ashton. Will
liams, call Miss Constance at once TO
her lessons"
Margaret Ashton came quietly IN,
little, gray-dressed creature, like nun,
with soft hazel eyes, n complexion as
pale as ivory, and mended gloves upon
her small hands
"You are not well, Mrs Allenby, |
am afraid?' she said, gently, rs she
seated herself,
Il am well enough said Mrs. Stew
art Allenby, petulantly-"only I'm in
despair"
And she related her troubles to the
goyerness. She would have told them
to the footman or the charwoman, if no
one else had been there.
"You don't know of anyone who
could sing that cayatina for me, do you,
Miss Ashton?' she said, in conclusion.
perhaps couId,' said Margaret
'You?'
Mrs. Allcnby stared as if the visiting
goyerncss had stated that she could
construct a sentence in Sanscrit.
81 could sing a little ONE said Mar
garet; "and that cavatina was once OF
my fayorite pieces"
Mrs. Allenby started to her feet and
caught both the shabbily-g loved little
hands in hers.
You darlingn she cried. IF only
you could he, p me out of this dilemma,
I'll be grateful to you all my lifelong
Little Constance lost her music les
sons that morning. Every hour was
taken up by her mother and Miss Ash
ton in practising on the air from "Ltn-
dd di NdlHOdRLr."
Margaret went back to the humble
little suburban cottage where she rented
three rooms-a cottage where she sup
ported frctiul yalctudnarian mother,
and a pretty, widowed sister, whose life
had been failure all the way through.
"Charlottc,' She said, to the latter,
I'm going to sing at a concert next
Wednesday"
You echoed the widow you'll
fail, for a certainty
IL can but try said Margaret, will
lluttering sigh.
your voice is well enough sale
the sister, dispmagingly; "but il has ne
volume And you never will have the
confidence to sing before an audience, y
The tears came into Margaret's eyes
IL must do something Charlotte v
said she. 1--WE cannot live on rs We
are living now. We are N debt every.
where; and since the doctor has pre-.
scribed wine for mamma ! haven't
known where to look for the money to
buy it with
perhaps ! shall get something to do
SOON said Charlotte.
But, in the meantimep" said Mar
garet, with a sorrowful uplifting of her
eyebrows.
She was a magnanimous little thing
this hard-workcd, pale.iaccd visiting
governess, or she would have reminded
her elder sister that sitting all day with
curl-papcrcd locks and dogs cared nov
els was no way TO obtain lucrative
situation Of any sort.
Tvs very hard on me" said Mrs