Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-05-09
From Tinsleys Nagazine.}
4 COLORADO PRlMA DONNA

| 1
The clear, tender voice rang through
the room. There was breathless 81.
lence in the brawlipg, uu1uly crowd.
The melody was one OF those airs, CON-
mon and hackneyed here in England,
which the organs grind out daily to our
immense disgust; tut genius appropri-
ated and glorifed it. Each liquid note
was not only exquisite itself, but 1t also
touched hidden chords and memories in
the listeners hearts. 1t for the moment
lifted them out Of their rough, often de-
PRAYED, lives into regions OF divine pur-
ity and peace.
The silence continued until the pa
thetic tones had completely died away
then there was prolonged and up:oar-
ious applause, in which beer glasses and
the butts Of revOlvers more than bore
their part.
| "Brava! Bravissima!" The speaker
shouted himself hoarse.
He was Mr.. Roscious M@:enas, an
operate manager from New York, who,
after successful season, was travelling
for relaxation in the Rocky Mountain
regions.
"She's second Jenny Lind! That
we're taken east"
"You old fellows still swear by Jenny
Lind, - sneered his companion, bIase-
looking young man, whose aim in life
was evidently to admire nothing.
The place was rather disreputable
variety theater in Blake Street, Denver.
It was built on the model OF our English
temples of the drama; but pine wood
partitions and cane-bottomed chairs were
in the place of gilded balconies aud up
holstered stalls, while kerosene lamps,
in huge iron brackets, served as substi.
tutes for chandeliers. The CJ1inthian
columns, too, that ordinarily flank the
stage, and which seemed to Charles
Lamb, at his first play like Brobding-
nagian sticks of glorfied candy, were
absent. The single balcony, divided
into boxes resembling cattle pens, was
guarded by what might have done duty
as farm fence; ard the filthy and mar
row proscenium box, in which the man
agtr and his f,ierd sat, was as Mr.. Ros-
cius Macenas loosely observed, cross
between coffin and coal closet.
At the stage end Of the slipping carpet
less parquet, six forlorn musicians
scraped YEARLY on violins old enough to
be genuine creations of Stradiva1ius.
Tables were ranged along the rows of
rickety chairs, at which sat, smoking
and drinking, young men and boys who
were fast going to the bad.
Here and there was red-shirted
miner, whose nejghbor was often
"greaser," as Mexicans are popularity
termed in the west, while in one of the
balcony boxes sat group of CONNER
cial travellers from "the States" At
the bar under the bale my a party of
gamblers, conspicuous by their loud cos
tunes, were endeavoring to "rope in a
wealthy Eoglishman, reputcd to be the
son of lord. Clouds OF tobacco smoke
hung over the scene. through which
walters hurried about with trays laden
with liquid retro shment.
The singer was now returning to the
stage in response to an enthusiastic en-
core. She. wss blue-eyed maid of II
years, over whose slight, graceful figure
unbound hair, the color OF Colorado sun
shine, fell in masses.
A gloomy forest scene in the back
ground defined her cheerful loneliness
as she stood before the haring footiights,
perceptibly shrinking from the uproar
which greeted ber appearance.
AS the song In response to the recall
ended, Mr.. M@cenas, who was not only
a creature Of impulse, but who prided
himself on Instantly carrying out his
impulses, knocked at the stage door,
which adjoined that of his box. It was
opened by tall man, whose coal black
hair, parted in the middle, hung IN
curls over an athletic figure, arrayed in
a well-worn velveteen coat. A pair of
light blue eyes contrasted strangely
with his dark moustache and bronzed
skin. His trousers we're Uf leather:
buckskin legeings and moccasins COM
pIeted his costume. From the open
coat peeped the handle of hunting
knife, but the aperture failed to disclose
any sign of shit bosom, and his brawpy
throat was collarless.
What yer want?" he asked.
81 want to see Miss Vivian said the
manager, consulting his programme
with his gold eye glass.
"What fur ?"
"EI-want to have talk with
her," answered Mr.. M@cenas, begin.
ming to feel apprehensive at the agrees
sive demeanor of his interrogation.
"Now, Misther Man, that CURL air my
gurl, an you nor nobody else don't talk
with her unless i know what yer goin' to
say to her. You hear me?"
"My dear fellow" said the manager,
in propitiatory tones, II am perfectly
willing that you should hear every word
l have to say. I merely wished to make
proposition to the lady to go east"
"To go east an leave me! Stranger
you amt afeal ed to de-" said the from
tiersman, with unexpected celebrity pos
sessing himself Of the managers throat,
which he proceeded to squeeze with an
energy worthy of a better cause.
Jim! Jim! What air ye ioin? Leave
know better'n to rile Mountain Jim,"
cried one of the walters, coming to the
managers rescue.
At this moment the girl herself APP
peared. Jim abashed, let loose his
prey. and the manager as soon as he
could speak, explained his Grand. He
would advance money for the cultivation
of her voice in Italy, and, in return, was
to have the direction for three years of
her career, with a certain percentage Of
her earnings.
s"Give me the night to think it over"
said the girl, slowly, after she had lis
tened attentlvely to his offer.
Mr.. Mwcenas, as he quilted the bnild-
ing, heard the report of pistol in the
gambling-room adjoining the theater,
followed by cries of 'tLynch him!" His
curiosity overcoming his prudence he
turned back:
"It's only . TELLER from Georgetown
what's ben shot for sayin' they didn't
play fair" somebody explained.
At daybreak the next morning man
and woman stood outside of q one-story
dwelling, built of adobe on the outskirts
of Denver. / es .@
I "An yerll go away and leave me %
said the man.
ssDoo, T;ro - will nu1v ho fo,. fow