Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-10
SUNDAY UNION. SACRAMENTO, CAL, 10,

ner no opportunity Tor applause, and-in
his mad desire to regain his power over
the idolized public-even monopolizing
the best positions on the stage, leaving his
wife to sing in the background. But she
did not complain. Oh, no she Lowell
him too we'll; moreover, success makes
one generous. But in vain did she en-
deavor to give precedence to her loved
rival; every evening, from the shadow in
which she sought to cover and remain
unobserved, the delighted audience obliged
her to come forth gloriously in full sight
to receive the expressions of its enthusi-
astic appreciation. The singular case Of
jealousy was very soon remarked by the
other members of the company, and they
amused themselves greatly at the expense
of the envious husband. They over
whelmed him with compliments upon the
extraordinary talent of his wife. They
invariably pointed out to him the news.
paper article of the previous evening
wherein, after the four long columns usu-
ally devoted to the reigning star, the critic
accorded a few brief lines to the almost
extinguished prestige of her husband.
One day, after reading one of these al Ii
Giles, he rushed into his wife's room in a
fury, and, livid with anger. pointed to the
exasperating eulogy, crying:
The writer of that was, suppose once
your lover" To such insulting cruelty
had his jealousy degraded him. So the
unhappy woman-the feted, envied song.
stress, whose name was blazoned on posters
throughout all Paris, and whose dress was
eagerly adopted by every new style as q
guaranty of success, whose portrait adorned
the daintiest cards and boxes of CONNECTION,
ers and perfumers-endured a most miser.
able and humiliating existence. She dared
not open newspaper lest she should
read therein her praises she wept over the
flowers which were nightly lavished upor
her, and which she left to die in corner
Of her dressing-room, in order not to re
vive at home the cruel recollection of hel
stage triumphs. She even wished to give
up her cherished art, but her husband
would not listen to such an idea.
"They would say it was that made
you leave" he would reply to all sucf
propositions. And the horrible tormen
continued for both.
One evening, as a new opera was to be-
presented for the first time, the singer wa
about to go out upon the stage, when som'
one said to her in quick, low tone, "Be
ware, there is plot against you in tn,
hall" She smiled at the absurdity o
such thing. A plot against herl fo
what reason, mon Dieus Why should sh,
merit anything but kindly feeling-sh,
who lived aloof from all society?
The friendly warning was, alas tot
true. In the very midst of the piece-ir
the great duet with her husband, at tn,
moment when her superb voice, from tn,
highest tone of its register descended tb,
scale in a succession of notes equal anc
pure as pearls-a broadside of Kisses stop
ped her as by an electric shock, and lef
her pale and speechless before the audi
ence, as surprised and consternated as her
self. Their very breath seemed suspended
imprisoned within their breasts, like the
strain she had been powerlesS to complete
Suddenly wild and terrible idea flashed
through her bewildered brain Her hus
band was alone before her on the stage
She looked at him fxedly, and saw in hi.
eyes the CLEAN of malicious smile. The
poor woman comprehended the mockine
glance. 1t was he who had contrived the
ignominious affront to the wife whose fame
had maddened his envious soul
Stihed with sobS, she could only burs
into tears and disappear in heart-broker
confusion behind the scenes, to hide for
ever the glorious talent which had wrecked
her dream of love.