The Osceola times., 1888-08-04
sesticulation his disappointing ,intet-
view with the tensNH hs,,n Rio

'sew WIN the teDcf from Rio
"He u absolutely hideous, Millard.
WIN cutthroat face like a Commun.
ard OF II, the sort of fellow one wouldn,
care to meet after dark. What on
earth is to be dones We can't put. of
the opening or change the performance
Tor the Frondeurs Club insists on an
opera, and VIC have no other ready,
There is no help for it; we mus, try
him"
"After ALL" said Millard, 'there il
one consolation. II he fails you are not
bound 70 pay him his month";
"Ie," replied Lartigucs, Frightening
up a little at the recollection, II a.
ways have that clause inserted in nv
engagements, md In his ease il, as /
Imagine, his 'ramage' is on a par with his
'piumage failure is foregone conclu-
sion"
Inc Saturdays rehearsal proved a
very lame sffair the now singer. on the
plea OF n sudden hoarseness, declaring
'lim~lf incapable of any vocal exertion,
and merely humming the airs and cvfl4
certed music of his part His appear
ance, moreover tended rather 10 para
lyze than stimulate the efforts Of the
ady artists; Nine. Saint-Angc, Cher
real name was Chitllard), who person.
ated Mathilde, affirming In whisper
to Gessler that he distinctly reminded
her of the monster in "rraakenstein, +"
as performed by Signor Cleric Beneni
alias Clair Benie-at the Porte Saint
Martin. The result, indeed, of this
preliminary essay was so unpromisinu
That the manager, more than ever con-
vinced of the impending fiasco, be-
thought himself regretfully of the cost
OF the new scenery and dresses which,
on the 'sprat-to-catch-a- herring" prin.
ciple, he had lavished on the revival OF
Rossini's masterpiece, and invoked d
fresh installment of malediotcns on the
offending Colomhat t. b
Easter Monday came at last, and at
an early hour in the afternoon the APP
proach to the theater was thronged by
a dense multitude OF holiday makers
from all parts of the city, impatiently
awaiting the opening of the doors.
From the excitement generally mani
tested by them it was evident that some
thing more than the national predilec.
tion for the spectacle" had attracted
them thither, and had caused mew than
one fishermen from the port to invest
his harsl.earhed sous in ticket for the
gallery. Since Saturdays rehearsal the
rumored debut of a new tenor had be-
come the talk of the town; his uncouth
exterior and presumed incapncity, pur.
poscly exaggerated by grcenroom Voss
sip, had been dispaegingly alluded to
In a looa, Journal, and his ignominious
failure predicted as a matter OF course.
Lartigues was far from unpopular with
his ellow-townsmen; but the chance of
being present at ''row" was n tcmp,a-
tion too strong TO DO resisted, and from
the highest to the lowest classes Of the
population playgoers of every degree
considered it their bounden duty to con
tribute a proper quota Of Kisses to the
common stock.
Long before the rising Of the curtain
rot place in the theater was empty;
tNe members OF the Frondeurs Club,
TIE self-styled arbitcrs of fashion at
Vieilleville, were at their post TO man,
prepared TO exercise their judicial priv
ilege with Draconian severity, and oc-
casionally exchanging salutations with
the fair occupants of the boxes. Stalls,
pit and gallery were crammed, a sight
that on any other night would have re-
joiced the heart of the manager, peep
ing at the audience through the "trou
du rideau," but now filled him with APP
prehension. They mean mischief" !"
he disconsolately remarked TO his
henchman Millard; ''if that Internal
Durand doesn't take his kissing quiz
etly, cadets! we may look out for
squallsl'
The overture with its magnificent
finale having received its usual tribute
OF applause, the opera began; and every
eye was strained to catch glimpse Of
the much talked-of hero OF the evening.
At length he appeared, and as he adj
vanced toward the footlights, MS weird
like ugliness rendered more conspicu-
Gus by the glare of gas, the effect pro-
duced on the spectators was absolutely
startling, and dead silence reigned
throughout the house while the first
bars OF the opening recitative were
played by the orchestra Suddenly a
voice, fresh, clear and exquisitely melo-
dious, rang through the crowded thea
ter, gradually increasing in power and
volume as it reached the highest notes,
and terminating with an nj de poitrine
rarely heard in such perfection since
the days of Duprcz. For an instant the
bewildered listeners remained notion
less as il cntranced; but, as the air
drew to close, their enthusiasm could
no longer be restrained, and burst forth
in one simultaneous shout OF delight,
echoed again and again from pit to
gallery. From that moment the tenor's
battle was won; rs the opera proceeded
the manifestations of satisfaction be-
came more and more frequent and at
the fall OF the curtain an ovation await
ed him such as seldom falls to the lot
of a debutante at Vieilleville. Even
the Frondeurs, although probably dis
appointed at the result, acknowledged