Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-08-03
A TENOR WANTED.
beginning and End of an Anna.
q tours Dramatic Career.

beginning and End of an ANA
., tours Dramatic Career.
Tho fortnight before Easter Is busy
time for theatrical agents in Paris, that
being tho season when country man.
agers nre invariably occupied in remod-
cling their companies and contracting
fresh engagements to replace those of
their actors who bave either voluntJi-
rily left them or have been dismissed as
not satisfying the requirements OF the
local public. On Il certain morning,
about ten days previous to the Paschal
solcmnities few years ago, NJ. Colom-
bat, the head OF wcll-known firm OF
dramatic correspondents, was sitting in
an inner room OF his office in the Rue
Montorgueil, and perusing, with the aid
of II confidential clerk, the letters that
had arrived by the early post. There
were mt last twenty of them, bearing the
postmarlSs of various provincial towns;
md as each was opened in its turn, and
the wants of the different writer's ascer-
tained, the agent referred to his books
In order TO see which of them he was in
u position to supply.
"Another tenor for Vieilleville," he
said, with dry chucklo betokening
satisfaction; "that makes the third in
less than six months. Difficult people
to please, the subscribers down there.
Niault,n he continued, addressing tho
clerk, ''what have We got likely to suit?
can't call to mind a single one"
Ma fol, Monsieur" replied the lat
ter, after moments pause, "nor /.
If 1t were baritone or n bass we could
accommodate them easily enough; but
II tenorl Stay" he exclaimed, 'there
is the man from Rio Janeiro, who was
here last week, and wanted thousand
francs month";
He won't get that" said NJ. Colom-
bat. 'Lartigues never gives more than
eight hundred. Did you take his name
and addressPn
81 did," answered Vault, glancing at
n ledger before him: jacques Durand,
Passage Cendrie, 1S. Shall send and
tell him to callP"
"Do so, and II he accepts can write
to Lnrtigues by to-nights post. II ]
remember rightly, this Durand is n
queer-looking customer, more like a
'traitre de melodrame' than Il tenor.
However, If it does not happen to fit 1t
is no affair OF mine, and may as well
pocket the commission as any one
else"
1t may safely be presumed that the
negotiations between the agent and the
candidate for the vacant post at Vieille-
vile were satisfactorily concluded, for
five or six days later jacques Durand
reached his destination and proceeded
at once to report his arrival to the man
ager. At the sight of the newcomer
NJ. Lartigues, who was engaged in cal
culating the amount of profit and loss
during the foregoing season, the result
to all appearance being the reverse of
agreeable, gave an involuntary start.
"2rOan dc Dion" he muttered;
"what nm Orsini for the Tour de
Nesle!" Then, recollecting himself
and addressing his visitor: ado you
wish to see mo on businessP" he in
quired.
"A mere matter of form, Monsieur"
was the reply. "Allow mo to intro
duce myself-Jacques Durand, just ar
rived at Yieilleville, and entirely at
your service"
Jacques Durand," echoed the man.
nger,' staring incredulously Mt the
speaker. mot the tenor engaged by
Colombatp"
1.-The same."
"Impossible" cried Lartigues, evil
IDENTIFY Mortified by the unprepossessing
aspect of the olive-featured, beetle
browed individual before him. al
expected something very different, in
short"
Better looking" coolly interrupted
the new recruit. mo doubt, but you
might have done worse; / was very
popular at Rio"
''Rio isn't Vieilloville," impatiently
retorted the manager, "as you will find
out before you are many days older.
Are you aware that we open on Mon
day, and that you are cast for Arnold
in 'Guillaume TellP'"
"Suits me perfectly. 1t is favorite
part of mine.n
"Indeedln said Lartigues, in by no
were you ! wouldn't be SO sanguine.
Our public is apt TO be nasty at times"
81 will run my chance of that" care
lessly replied Durand. when do we
rehearse?"
"On Saturday at eleven. And, as /
suppose you will be looking for lodg-
ings, recommend you, in case of acci-
dents, only TO take them by the week" :"
Left TO his own meditations, the i'm
presarlo, after heartily devoting Colom-
bat TO the Internal regions, summoned
his stage manager, and confided TO that
functionary with much merldional
gesticulation his disappointing inter
view with the tenor from Rio.
HE is absolutely hideous, Millard,
with cutthroat face like a Commun-
ard OF II, the sort of fellow one wouldn't
care to meet after dark. What on
earth is TO be donep We can't put of
the opening or change the performance
for the Frondeurs Club insists on an
opera, and we have no other ready.
There is no help for 1t; we must try
him.
AFTER ALL" said Millard, there is
one consolation. II he fails you are not
bound 20 pay him his month"
"4er" replied Larpgues, Frightening