St. Paul daily globe., 1895-10-21

entirely forget the name of the
opera, what it was about, and who
sang 1T; but 1 know it was the first
1 ever saw-if, indeed, 1 can be said
to have seen it! At all events, !
and the evening and its occurrences
are indelibly stamped on my mem
oryDs l was seventeen, thoroughly
unmusical, but possessed keen
sense of enjoyment, and the scene,
looked upon for the first time in my
life, delighted 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
lightheaded.
The curtain went up and after
the first few minutes 1 began to be
bored. 1t was a heavy opera, so
l was told, with no "airs'' in it, and
full OF loud, deafening choruses. 1t
seemed to me there were nothing
but choruses-choruses of monks
and soldiers and village maidens
and peasants, and the noise wear
led me. 1 did not understand the
plot and turned to the spectators for
amusement. Opposite to us, in a
box Immediately facing ours, sat a
couple whose appearance arrested
my attention. 1 could not see the
lady's face, for it was turned away
from me toward the stage; but in
hef hair was a diamond comb of
quaint design that took my fancy
Against the smooth, dark tresses the
stones sparkled and glittered as in
settlng OF onyx. 1t was a warm
evening, but she kept her brocade
cloak of curious shade of a Rose
du Barri pink shot with gold
wrapped closely around her. She
mad no bouquet, but in front of her.
ON the ledge of the box, was an enor-
NOUS black feather fan mounted
IN tortoise shell. Her companion-a
sllght man with a pale olive COM
pleX1on and dark beard streaked
with gray-had a face that inter
ested me strangely. It wore such
d neaVy expression-more worry per-
maps than actual sadness. He looked
Ike man who at some time or
other during his life had made an
effort beyond his strength and had
never recovered the exertion. Like
me, he did not appear to be interest
ed In the story Of "Berna." do
not think he turned his eyes once
toward the stage. He seemed to be
SIMPLY staring into vacancy.
The noise went on. The peasants re-
tired; and, after a short love scene
between the hero and the heroine. a
band of soldiers came on and sang to
some very loud music. 1 leaned back
In my seat. My head was beginning
to ache and my eyes to feel tired.
L closed them simply for a few min
utes rest. When L opened them they
seemed to light naturally on my oppo-
site neighbors and I started as 7 no.
ticed the changed aspect of the hoy
The lady had evidently thrown off her
cloak and had come more forward
Her eyes were no longer fixed on the
stage They were turned toward me-
And what different eyes they were
from those I thought she would nos
sess. They were soft and round and
did
by lashes very little darker than her
halr' which could scarcely be termed
golden, 1t was SO fair. How could
nave believed her to be a brunette?
She must have been seated in the
snade when L first saw her, and had
since emerged into the light. She had
moved her fan, and in its place lay a
bouquet OF mauve and white primulas.
A small bunch of the same flowers
was pinned into her simple high white
dress at the throatand another showed
among the loosely coiled tresses of her
fair hair.
1T cannot be the same woman"
SAID to myself; "and yet my eyes were
not closed for more than a minute or
TWO, L am certain. There could not
nave been time-and-yet-"The irri-
tatlng accompaniment to the 'srecita
tlVe' the perfume of my chaperon
hostess bouquet, the effort to explain
the mystery, the unusualness of the
scene, and the exhausted state of the
air, all combined to produce an over
power1ng effect on my brain. I closed
my eyes again and was very nearly
asleep-not quite, I am certain-when
a touch from Mrs. Waldo's fan and
the sound of light, unfamiliar laugh
recalled me to myself and to a. con-
sclousness of my duty.
Inc hrst act had come to- an end and
a gentleman had just entered our hoy
TO pay his respects to my chaperone
VINO forthwith introduced us: "Mr
Venn1ng, Miss Linthrop." I bowed and
1elt very sheepish. I had literally
peen caught mapping. Mrs. Waldo's
explanation was not soothing.
MISS Linthrop rs unaccustomed to
late hours, Mr.. Vennmg. This is her
hrst season and her first opera. I
Wish FOR her sake that it had been a
more amusing one. Velezzi has clear
ly mistaken his vocation. He must
never attempt another opera, must he?
rms one is deplorably dull
II Is as far as we have gone. But
stiil' ones first opera is always-one's
nrst opera; and one is too well amused
to De hypercrftical. 1 am sure Miss
Llnthrop wasn't bored, although she
might have been a little sleepy?''
i was not at all bored" 1 replied:
and then going straight to the point, as
has ever been my wont, I continued:
VINO are the people-the lady and
gentleman in the opposite box-the lady
with" with the prImulas,'' 1 was
going to say. But, 10! they had van
ished, and SO had she, and in her place
sat 1.-The tall, dark woman in the pink
brocade cloak, with the diamonds in
her hair.
FThe lady with the magnificent
eloak? said Mr.. Venn1ng, interroga-
lively. THAT is Baroness Kurz; and
that is her husband with her-or rath-
er,ihe was with her a moment ago, but.
as you see, he has just left the box"
"Who is Baron Kurz?" asked Mrs
Waldo; Il am perpetually hearing of
him. German, of course?''
"Only partly so,'' replied Mr.. Ven
ming. HE is the son of a Scotchman,
who made good deal of money in Cal
ifornia, and L believe his mother was a
Pole. He was brough up by a Ger
man grandfather, whose name he event
ualiy took. He is a clever fellow, but
an unhappy one, 1 always fancy. She
was a Miss Charlotte, a daughter of