The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-10-02
THE PRIMULA LADY.

saw-if indeed can be said to have
seen it'll At all events, I was present at
the performance, and the evening and
its occurrences are indelibly stamped on
my memory. l was II, thoroughly I'M
musical, but possessed of keen sense
of enjoyment, and the scene, looked
upon for the first time in my life, do
lighted me. The fair faces, the gorgeous
toilets, the hum of voices, the light, the
movement, all combined to quicken the
beat of my pulse and make me feel giddy
and light headed.
The curtain went up, and after the
first few minutes I began to be bored
It was heavy OPERA so was told,
with no "airs'' III it, and full Of loud,
deafening choruses. 1t seemed to me
there were nothing but choruses--
choruses of monks and soldiers and vii
lage maidens and peasants--and thenoise
wearied mo. I did not understand the
plot, and I turned to the spectators for
amusement Opposite TO us, in Il box
Immediately facing ours, sat couple
whose appearance arrested my attention.
/ could not see the lady's face, for it
was turned away from mo toward the
stage, but in her hair was a diamond
comb Of quaint design that took my
fancy. Against the smooth dark tresses
the stones sparkled and glittered as III
setting of onyx. 1t was warm evening,
but she kept her brocade cloak Of Gu
rious shade of Rose du Barri pink shot
with gold wrapped closely round her.
She had no bouquet, but in front Of her,
ON the ledge of the box, WIS an enor-
nous black feather fan mounted in tor
toise she'll. Her companion--a slight
man with pale olive complexion and
dark beard streaIked with gray--had a
face that interested mo strangely. 1t
wore such weary xpression-more
weary perhaps than actually sad. He
looked like u man who at some timo or
other during his life had l@lde an effort
beyond his strength and had never re
covered from the oxertion. Like me, he
did not appear TO be Interested in the
story Of tho opera.
The noise went on. The peasants re
tired, and after short love scene he
tween the hero and the heroine a band
of soldiers came on and sang to some
very loud music leaned back in my
seat. My head was beginning to ache
and my eyes to feel tired. closed them,
simply for few minutes rest When /
opened them, they seemed TO Light nat
urally on my opposite aiel-L :s...,.i,t,.l !!
started as 1 noticed The Changed aspect
of tho box Tho lady had evidently
thrown off her cloak and had come moro
forward. Her eyes were no longer fixed
on the stage. They were turned toward
me- And what dbYoront eyes they were
from those / thought she would possess.
They We're soft and yelled by lashes very
little darker than her hair, which could
scarcely be termed golden, it was so
fair How could L have believed her TO
DO a brunette? She must have been
seated in the shade when first saw her
and had since emerged into the Light.
She had moved her fan, and in its place
lay bouquet of mauvo and white prim
ulas. A small bunch of tho sano flow
ers were pinned into her simple high
white dress at the throat and another
showed among the loosely coiled tresses
of her fair hair
at cannot DO the Same woman, /
said to myself, "and yet my eyes were
not closed for more than minute or
two, am certain There could not have
been time-and-yet' The irritating
accompaniment to tho "recitatiye," the
perfume Of my chaperon hostess bou
quot, the effort to explain the mystery,
the unusual1ess Of the scene, and the
exhausted state Of the air, all combined
to produce an overpowering effect on
my brain. 1 closed my eyes again and
was very nearly asleep7-not quite, am
certain-when touch from Mrs. Wal
dos fan and tho sound Of light, UNI
familiar laugh recalled me TO myself
and to q consciousness Of my duty
The first act had come to an end, and
gentleman had just entered orr box to
pay his respects to my cllaperon, who
forthwith introduced us, "Mr Venning,
Miss Linthrop." / bowed and felt very
sheepish. / had literally been caught
mapping. Mrs. Waldo's explanation was
not soothing
''NIiss Linthrop is unaccustomed to
late hours, Mr. Venning This is her
first season, and her very first opera.
wish for her sake that it had been
more amusing one. Valezzi has clearly
mistaken his vocation. He must never
attempt another opera must he? This
one is deplorably dull. "
''It is, as far as we have gone. But
still ones first opera is always-one's
first opera, and one is too well amused
to be hypercritical. I'm sure Miss Lin
throp wasn't bored, although she might
have been little sleepy
II was not at all bored, " l replied,
and then going straight to the point, as
has ever been my won't | continued
"Who are the people-the lady and gen
tleman in tho opposite boS-the lady
WITH "With the primulas, l was
going to say. But, lol they had van
ished, and so had she, and in her
place sat the tall dark woman in the
pink brocado cloak with the diamonds
in her hair.
1.-The lady with the magnificent
cloal?'' said Mr.. Vcnning interrogative-
ly. "That is Baroness Kurz, and that
is her husband with her-or rather he
was with her moment ago; but, as you
see, he has just left the box. T"
"Who is Baron Kurz?' asked Mrs.
Waldo. "I am perpetually hearing Of
him. German, Of course?"
"Only partly So" replied Mr.. Ven
ming. "He is tine son Of a Scotchman,
who made a good deal of money in Cali
fornia, and l believe his mother was
Pole. He was brought up by German
grandfather, whose name he eventually
took. He is clever fellow, bat an I'M
happy one, always fancy. She was a
Miss Charcote, daughter Of Lady
Jane Charcote "
"But who was tho other lady in the
box"-I inquired eageIly--"the lady