Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-11-02

hind was in the best of good humor,
and he himself felt more elated than
on any other occasion since his wifes
death.
If this piece were hit, and he a
success in it, his upward progress in
his profession would be certain. He
should not only be able to live in com
| fort, but to save up money for his boy,
| and for the time when that most deli
/ cate of all properties. tenor's voice,
ceased to have market value. he
/ still lacked of 80, and with care he
might calculate on twenty years lease
of his voice. Surprising his voice
lasted twenty years, and this opera
! gave him command in the market,
| in those twenty years he could save
enough money to insure his old ag.
against want and provide handsome
| ly for his boy.
He did not come on very early III
/ the first act. lie felt in no wav ner-
vous. He never had been in better
voice, and the part suited him per
fectIy What more could any tenor
desirel
This was of course an under-study
to his part. NJ Cratin was the under
study, and singular to say, he did not
arrive in the theater befor the curtain
went up This was grossly unprop-
er For supposing any accident had
happened to Walford there would
have been barely time for Grattin to
dress and make up from the moment
the bell rang until the leading tenor
was required on the stage. Grattin
had belonged to the CremoEa com
pany for a considerable time, and
during that time had always sung
second or third tenor parts. He had
been paid eight guneas a week, and
for while there had iloatcd before
him the hope that he might be pro
NOTED to front place with salary
of twenty pounds This hope had
been dispeIled when Walford got the
engagement, aud how he, Grattin, had
no part at all, and no chance Of an ap-
pearance during the present run, I'M
/ less Walford broke down.
Just as the curtain was rung up
/ there was great cOmmotlon behind.
Grattin had arrived III the greatest
excitement, and there WAS sounds of
CONSERVATION and dismay from the
dressing room. Before the curtain
/ had been up couple of minutes the
opera was stopped, and the manager
stepped forward to explain that, ow-
ing to Il sad calamity, news of which
. had reached the thcatcr that very mo-
mcnt MIR. Walford would not be able
t. appear that evening. In the face of
/ such misfortune, Mr. Grattin, with
whom they had so long been favor
ably familiar, had kindly consented
to sing the part.
The manager said more, but tins is
all that is material. The audience
were docile, and accepted the situa-
ton without a murmur.
/ What had occurred behind was
/ this. Grattin had, ina state of wild
est excitement, rushed into the mems
dreSsing-room and announced that
| Albany Lodge was on fire, and there
was reason To believe the boy had
persisted in the flames. He explain
ed that what must have been from
three quarters of an hour to an hour
after Walford left his home, he,
Grattin, was passing by with the in
tcution of calling for his friend,
when HE found crowd around the
house, the flames bursting through
the window He learned from the
police that from the first alarm it was
impossible to enter the house. Hence
their fear that the boy and possibly
the old woman had persisted,
In the face of such horrible events
it was clearly impossible for Walford
to sing Grattin had taken II han
som the whole way dawn for the sake
of speed, The best thing for Walford
/ to do was to take hanson back and
let Grattin go through the part. So
said every one. And one of the good
natured members of the company,
who had nothing To do that night,
volunteered to accompany him. So
the poor father, assisted by those
around him, took off the gay trap
/ pings OF the stage and resumed the
sober garb of every day life, and went
oil mutely with his friend to the scene
/ of dcSolatiou.
/ When he got there the house was
all ablazc, and he was assured that
nothing could be done until morn
ing.
Had anything been hears or seen of
his boy. No; nothing Had any
thing been seen of Martha2 Yes; she
had come back, aud her story was a
strange one. 1t ran as follows:
Very shortly after her master had
/ left the house, and just As she had put
I the boy to bed, Il knock came to the
/ side door. She went down. leaving
I the paratlin OIL lamp burning on the
! table close to the bed. She found ut
I the door Il ragged little boy, who
/ handed her note This she read in
/ the Kitchen 1t was to the effect that
/ if she came to Il certain publiC-houSe
/ the writer would tell her something
which would be gre:tly to her adyan
/ tagc aud the advantage of her master.
/ She did not at all like the notion of
! leaving the house. In the first place
/ her instructions about the boy were
clear. In the second place, the fasten-
ingS of the house were not satisfactory.
/ The spring lock ON the side door little
I better than touched the hasp, and as
/ the master himself knew, strong
push was sufficient to open that door
from the outside, except when it was
bolted within.
4 For long time the woman heSita-
ted. Then. thinking there might really
be some advantage to herself and her
master behind this note, she resolved
to risk going. Before leaving she
went upstairs, and lest the boy might
feel louelv-she had been accustomed
to sit with him while he went to sleep
she told him she would leave the
lamp alight on the condition that he
lay still. and did not get out of bed
while she was away. The boy promis-
ed, and she went.
At the public house indicated she
found stout, slatterly woman. who
appeared to be worse for drink This
woman said she was the writer Of the
note, and then, to Martha Grace's hor-
ror, assured the faithful old servant
that she had no intention whatever of
benefiting the master of Albany Lodge.
but that her design was that Martha,
being in position of confidence, as
she was informed, should gradually
pillage that house, that she, the strange
woman, should dispose Of the goods,
and that they two should divide the
money between them.
) Martha broke away from this wretch
indie nantly, and hurried back with
! all speed to the house. She had been