St. Landry democrat., 1888-08-04
"A TENOR WANTED.
Beginning and End of an ANA
tours Dramatic Career.

The fortnight before Easter is busy
time for theatrical agents in Paris, that
being the season when country man.
ayers are invariably occupied in remod-
cling their companies and contracting
fresh engagements to replace those of
their actors who have either volunta-
rily left them or have been dismissed as
not satisfying the requirements of the
local public. On a certain morning,
about ten days previous to the Paschal
solemnities few years ago, NJ. Colon
bat. the head of well-known firm of
dramatic correspondents, was sitting in
an inner room of his Office in the Rue
Montorgueil, and perusing, with the aid
of confidential clerk, the letters that
had arrived by the early post. There
were at last twenty of them, bearing the
postmarks of various provincial towns;
and as each was opened in its turn, and
the wants of the different writers ascer-
tanned, the agent referred to his books
in order to see which of them he was in
a position to supply.
Another tenor for Vieilleville," he
said, with a dry chuckle betokening
satisfaction; ''that makes the third in
less than six months. Difficult people
to please, the subscribers down there.
Vault" he continued, addressing the
clerk, "what have we got likely to suit?
I can't call to mind a single one"
'Ma fol, Monsieur" replied the lat
ter, after a moments pause, "nor |.
If it were baritone Or a bass we could
accommodate them easily enough; but
q tenor! Stay he exclaimed, s'there
Ills the man from Rio Janeiro, who was
here last week, and wanted Thousand
francs month";"
HE won't get that" said M. Colon
bat. "Lartigues never gives more than
eight hundred. Did you take his name
and address,"
II did," answered Vault, glancing at
a ledger before him: Jacques Durand,
Passage Cendrie, Is. Shall send and
tell him to call?"
'sDo so, and if he accepts can write
to Lartigues by to-night's post. If
remember rightly, this Durand is
Queer-looking customer, more like a
'traitre de melodrame' than tenor
However, If it does not happen to fit it.
is no affair of mine, and may as well
pocket the commission as any one
else.n
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
M. 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
's1roan de Dsou" he muttered;
''what an Orsini for the Tour de
Nesler" Then, recollecting himself
and addressing his visitor: do you
wish to see me on businessP" he in
quired.
"A mere matter of form, Monsieur
was the reply. ..Allow me to intro
duce myself-Jacques Durand, just ar
rived at Vieilleville, and entirely at
your service"
Jacques Durand,'' echoed the man
ager, staring incredulously at the
speaker. "Not the tenor engaged by
Colombatpn
1.-THE same.''
s.Impossible!'' cried Lartigues, evil
IDENTIFY Mortified by the unprepossessing
aspect of the olive-featured, beetle
browed Individual before him. 81
expected something very different, in
short
..Better looking" coolly interrupted
the new recruit. mo doubt, but you
might have done worse; I was very
popular at Rio
Trio isn't Vieillevilie, impatiently
retorted the manager, las 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 Tell?n
.suits me perfectly. It is Q faEorite
part OF mine"