Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-11-27

table, and handed it to his friend with
out a word The latter received it indo
lently, disengaged from his fob pocket :
pair of eyeglasses, placed them acros:
the handsome curve of his nose, and be
gan to read the telegram with a sigh
Meanwhile the general, with a certain
air Of tragic satisfaction, repaired to the
mantelpiece and repeated his late trans
action with the decanter and tumbler.
He then resumed his chair, still in silence.
Jocelyn had by this time reread the
telegram more than once, had said
"Humphr in several tones, and had bit
ten his lip and pulled at his side whiskers
reilectively "Wen," he observed at
length, returning the paper to the other,
"she has played it pretty low down on
you, lingo, and no mistake! Any idea
what's got into herr"
The general lifted his shoulders and
eyebrows and spread out his hands. He
had temporarily become as voiceless as
he was just now voluble. He was en-
joying the dignity of unutterable wrongs.
"Any row about terms?" pursued
Jocelyn.
The in'9resario smiled scornfully, as
one who could not deign to correct such
an insinuation.
''Must be something, you know" said
Jocelyn. "a woman doesn't throw away
twelve thousand dollars a week for moth
inS. Depend on it you've stepped on
her toes somehow. I'll tell you what it
may be-you haven't put about any
photographs of her. OF counsel What
are you thinking of"
Eyes, you are one of those fellows that
think they can fix everything in five
minutes" growled the impresario,
breaking silence at last. "Now Just
you look at this" He held up a broad,
square topped forefnger THAT woman
has never had a photograph, nor any
sort of picture, made of her in her life.
She won't allow it to be done. That's
her fad, and, by Jupiter, it's pretty
smart of her, when you come to think
of it,
"Homely, is she? Has to depend on
her voice. l see"
"You don't see an inch before your
nose! She may depend on her voice
when she's nothing else to depend on.
There's not another voice like it ever
been heard in America; but-homely!
Well, | saw her last year in ST. Peters
burg, and if ever l set my eyes on a
handsomer woman I'll take 'em out of
my head and give 'em to her! No, sir!
I'm a judge, if any man is, and say
that for face, figure and movement
there amt her equal Oh the stage to-
day"
''Then why the deuce"-
Exactly. That's just it. why the |
deuce? is the whole thing in nut
shell. Everybody says it, and what's |
the result? Why, that everybodys ten |
times as hot to see her as if they all had |
her picture tucked away in their breast |
pockets, or their watch cases, or on their
if they're bach elors. She |
makes on it every time. She knows
that any woman can be made to look |
handsome in a photograph; but she's the
only handsome woman before the public |
whose photos never been seen. tell
you, sir, curiosity, if it's managed well,
will make two dollars where beauty or
anything else will make one. There's
40 advertisement ever came up to it!
And to work up curiosity has been that
pet scheme from the start.
There's more stories going about her,
and scandal and fewer facts than you
AN put your fingers on. Oh,
she's smarti''
''She's overdone it this time," Jocelyn
"'Unable to keep my con-
5ract is what her telegram says; will
pay forfeit How much is that, by the
oy?"
bah! would as lief take ten cents!
Am l man to cry about little money?
That amt my trouble. But here | am,
with my opera house built, and my post
9rs out for three weeks back, and ad-
Refreshments and paragraphs in every
paper in the Union, and everybody on
heir beam ends to get the first sight of
he great Russian prima donna Though
whether she's Russian, or Irish, or Amer
can, the devil only knows; it's Just what
hes mind to call it,, and my great
,rima donna drops me a telegram that
he amt coming, by Jupiter! A nice
lgure she makes me cut, don't she? Here
am, with public record of fifteen
ears, and never once disappointed an
or kept them waiting, or failed
o give them their moneys worth. and
low, after all my labor and planning
nd contr1ving, this is the reward 1 get
o be made fool of The jewel reputa-
ion, that's what she's robbed me of! I'd
ooner she'd done me out of a million. l
But I'll be even with her, as sure as I'm
nigo, if have to send her an ounce of
ynamite in jewel easel"
''She's never been heard in this coun-
~, has she?"
mo, nor in England either. 1 don't
oppose there's another man besides me L
New York today that has ever heard Q
seen her. She's kept herself on the E
and sung for royalty and kept 1
erset out of peoples way, as if she
'ere royalty herself-that's been her /!
anne. And first class game it is, too. y
hen woman can afford to play it, as 4
he can. She never hollers for herself: |"
he lets the others do it for her. And a
lat's why the public will pay higher to D
sten to her-if they could only get her Il
-tnan 10 any other woman that sings: m
nd travelled 5000 miles and spent to-
ose on to two million dollars lust so sol
icy might have what they wanted, and ,ts
us is how get left" M,
Cant you get any other''- te,
ANY other? Oh, yes; dare say; of Sh
'urse! l think can see 'em when 70
oppose it! Why, they've been that ma
aious OF this new woman, as they call vie
r. and of me building theatre for Ian
:, "uu q acAing ner up to be the finest ere