Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-07

an imaginative per,on himself and that he con
fined himself TO the present and his immediate
surroundings principally. The limitations Of
der the circumstances.
He says that must not sing in the street,
much longer" said Giovanni "And mus,
live wen and not ramble about at night"
HE is quite right" said the lady in black
"Have you ever thought that you would like
to choose music for q professionals care fol
your voics'and train 1t and be Q musician. {
singerg She spoke with a sense Of some in.
ward uncertainty: He was so good-temperedly
| prosaic about it all :
He smiled and gave a little sbrup AZ hi,
shoulders 81 should like 1t. he said "some.
times they make fortunes, they say-those who
have good voices and sing on the stage"
Yes, said the lady in black "A beautiful
voice Is great gift and brings great fortune
sometimes When You stop singing in the
| street it would be a good thing for You to 20 Ia
school again il you could II would prepare
you to learn other things better-to train your
voice and study music more easily-f the time
came when you wanted to do it. Maestro
| Mecheri would tell you that. too"
1t Is possible" said Giovanni "He tells me
oftenest must not strain my voice and that
must not vagabond about at night There 10 q
boy We know OF who had . fine voice-it was
| very fine"
The lady in black and the girl with the gray
eyes leaned little more toward him and looked
interested, and rather eager.
He used to sing as do" continued Gio-
vanni. Maestro Mecheri says his voice was
even better than mine. People gave him a
great deal Of money when he sang. But he
was not like me. He was not SO strong, Macs
| tro Mecheri said, and he was not steady in his
| temper. He was always talking about music
and having fancies Of what he might do when
signore who came from America. and il had
put ideas into his head. Me-" with bright,
| simple smile. II have no ideas. The other-he
had many-but they made him restless
THE other " exclaimed the lady in black, in
English. And she and the girl with the gray
eyes looked at each other again.
They spoiled him." Giovanni went on. sHe
used to sing too much. Maestro Mecheri said
ne was too impatient and he ought to have let
his voice rest He was older than L He got a
coid and began to cough. and he could
not wait until it was better. He was hoarse
and he was afraid he had lost his voice, and he
would keep trying it to see il it had come back.
But 1t sounded cracked and harsh. And he
lost patience and began to vagabond about at
night Often he did not 60 to bed until or
and Maestro Mecheri says it will not return"
what ID his nameT asked Gertrude.
Giovanni gave his shade OF shr ug again.
Il do not remember" he said. Il do not
know him: Maestro Mecheri told me as
There ID boy who comes and sings before
the hotel at night sometimes" said the lady in
black. I'VE have noticed that his voice has
been spoiled. Perhaps that is he.'
Yes, that is possible" said Giovanni. ''The
foresteri used to IKE to hear him and he went
TO all the hotels. They say there was rich
slgnora at one hotel who was a singer herself.
and had made her fortune, and she asked him
into her salon one night and made him sing for
her; and he pleased her so much that she told
him he would have wonderful life, and she
u VI 70 e.
kissed him"
And now his voice is quite gomez exclaimed
the lady in black.
Maestro Mecheri "a, it is lost forever. He
should not havo had ideas-and strained itaud
become such a vagabond."
He said it quite simply and without any air of
Ill nature or severity. He seemed to be merely
stating facts.
Where does he live? I wish you knew his
name" the lady in black said.
Il think he lives somewhere in the Citta
Vecchia, but do not know where He in i'll
they say, and seldom goes out now. He caught
more cold That was bad thing for him.
he went away soon afterward. They had
learned where his mother lived and that
Maestro Mecheri might be found and talked to-
They had not made any promises or suggested
to him the possibility of their having plans
He went of with present Of money in his
pocket and smiles on his good-lookIng face. A
IeW minutes before he went, as he was being
shown book of Tuscan songs, he stood near a
table which held one Of the pictures of the bow
with the shadowy dark eyes.
rs this the signorino who sings Italian and ia
in American he asked
The lady in black took up another picture
and passed it to him.
No" she said gently, ''this is the one who
Is in America"
This boy wore lace-rufiied fancy dress and
had brilliantly happy face and laughing eyes
He leaned carelessly againsta carven cabinet
and looked ont at the bsholders as il mere
boyish life itself was delightful think.
Giovanni regarded him with interest 1t was
evident to him that this signorine had been
born to good fortune. He was smiling himself
as he laid it down.
"And this Other" he said, looking at the first
picture. Does he also sing-and is he in
American
The boy In the picture-his noble young face
turned slightly over his shoulder-seemed to
meet the young peasants eyes with soft, cues
uonlng glance For the moment it was as il
they two had looked at each other almost az
they might have done if they had stood face to
face.
This one," said Giovanni after q moments
silence, lis he the brother of the other sig
norine-and where is hep
The girl with the gray eyes laid her hand
softly on his shoulder and spoke in a low voice,
even softer than her touch.
This one, she said, The died three months
ago.. ''A'