The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-18
PRIMA DONNA
FOR A NIGHT.

Adapted from the French of Petre Chevalier
for the Home Journal
1t was In Milan one evening during car
nival time, and o'clock had just sounded
from the great dome.
| In boudoir on the second story of
large hotel in the finest quarter of the
city, lady reclineG in an easy chair hav-
ing her hair dressed by her maid. She
was about "a years old, brunette, and
beautiful, but at this particular moment
was in terribly bad humor.
ut is maddening!" she cried in tone
of vexation amounting to fury, and toss
ing her head so violently that the maids
careful work was destroyed in a moment.
1T is an outrage, a piece of tyranny, TO
force me to make my debut this evening
after having agreed to three days delay!
l wish Satan himself would set fire to La
| Scala and put the manager inside to roast
! in the flames of the inferno per Bacco, |
| do have a terrible cold ] am really ill
to-day. If he had deigned TO inform me
that | was to sing this evening / would
not have spent last night at the masked
ball-it is plot, conspiracy But if l
venture to tell him that am indisposed,
! he will throw my contract at my head,
| and threaten to break the engagement af-
ter have rehearsed six hours every day
| for month oh, impressario, impressa-
! rio, maledettoln
Having relieved her feelings a little by
this TRADE, the diva stopped suddenly,
remarked with sigh that she had tired
herself for nothing, and looking toward
the ceiling despairingly, sent up a long
! bird-like trill, as if to discover whether
she had any voice left. Then she laughed
nervously and relapsed into gloomy
silence. The lady's maid continued her
work and after a long pause her mistress
addressed her abruptly
"Zermina, suppose we leave Milan;
now, this instant, without making
adieux or asking permission, and go to
! Naples instead of La Scala! Would not
that be pretty carnival caper2 Our
worthy manager would be in a nice pre-
| dicament."
"You cannot mean what you say sig
norma" replied the maid Familiarity, 1.-The
police would be put on our track and we
| should be escorted to the opera house by
four constables. - Pas
THAT would be delightful" replied the
! signorina, but unfortunately it is i'm
| practca blea Alas, I must sing The Mas
| cherata' tonight as best can.
She got up with the air of queen
wearied by her own grandeur, and stand
ing before cheval glass, gave sigh of
| coquettish resignation and began putting
a finishing touch to her couture. At that
moment the sound of the little door-bell
was heard, and the songstress exclaimed
anxiously:
II am not at home, Zermina." The
servant left the room for a minute and
| then returned, saying in startled tone:
at is a lady, a beautiful lady! She
looks like princess at the very least. and
| she wants to speak to signorina on a
matter of the highest Importance.
"Dio MIC, what does this meant" re-
| turned the mistress "but show the beau
tiful princes in, and leave US alone TO-
! gether."
A minute later she saw before her
woman that was as young as, aud even
| handsomer than herself, with the bearing
of the highest society, combined with an
| assurance of manner which almost
amounted to audacity. .ra
Am 1 addressing SignoraAntonina, the
| prima donna, who came from Venice
month ago." asked the visitor, and the
! other answered. 1- s-
You are, madam" .....-
And you are to make your debut this
evening at the opera house in the Mas
! cherata9'"
Alas, yes !" r.- -..-p
why do you say alasl"
"Why do you do me the honor to ask"
The visitor begged the songstress to sit
| down, and then, with easy Familiarity
took a seat beside her, before replying
II have come here, signora, TO take you
into my confidence in very strange man
ner, and to make an equally strange re-
| quest"
Then beg you to begin with your con-
fession, for your own name will be the
first word of it, and yoG~ must know how
impatient am to hear that"
II do, madam but cannot satisfy your
| curiosity. When you have heard my
avowal and my proposition you will I'M
derstand that the preser walton of my in
cognito is absolutely requisite"
80 be II, Unknown! Proceed am all
attention"
Il am woman of society, of rank" be-
gan the stranger, but believe that you
could fulfill the duties of my position far
better than do. You seem to possess a
charming sang -froid, which is so essen
tial in society, while /, for my part, have
reckless, romantic nature, admirably
suited 10 a Bohemian life. Destiny. how
ever, has placed US, for better or for
worse, on two different states, me in the
salons, you in the theaters, and although
we cannot alter our fate's decree, we
have the pc wer to perform each others
roles for one night al least. What | want
to beg of you is to allow me to take your
place in La Scala this evening"
AT La Scala! You want 10 sing nv
part" cried the prima donna, opening
her eyes wide in wonder, aud, not being
able TO believe her own ears she asked the
speaker to repeat her words.
II entreat you, as favor, as the great
est possible favor 10 me, - said the visitor,
earnestly Ito let me have the honor of
going in your stead to the theater and
singing your part in the 'Mascherata.' 1
want To be for two or three hours that
for which you have the happiness Of be-
| ing all your life
THE happiness" exclaimed Antonina,
in tone of irony would 10 heaven it
were So madam; / should then feel less
regret at being unable TO enter seriously
! into your little Jest"
81 am not joking!" cried the other wo-
man in great excitement, " assure you
am serious. Listen, and you will under
stand. Ever since became a widow l
have been going about from one capital 10
another as queen OF the salons. / have
exhausted the sensations Of fashionable
| life, the pleasures il provides for the in
telligent and the triumph II secures for
I ones salfi0ve--in short. have been
leader OF society for four years, and / am
as weary Of the pleasures as Of the perils
! Of that enyied position. Now, there Is