Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-02-28

''Ah, Monsieurr' he pleaded. ~ wtp
serve you well. and for such llttla
consideration! Only try me, thenr'
Hardly knowing why, finally told
him he might stay | shall never for.
get the look Of joy which came into
his face then, for it was more than
pleasure.
SO opened my engagement and
received the applause of which never
wearled, and sang as l hoped to sing
always. Charny, my new protege. for
he hardly seemed servant, proved
Invaluable to me. l was feted ana
courted and honored, and in the midst
Of the season--on Christmas hight
four years from my opening night
fifty years ago tonight--it all ended,
The Vicomte de Barnay, through his
fondness for music, possibly through
some slight fancy for me, was a man
who had been very kind to me. On
Christmas night, during the first act
in which l had no part-for was
Ferro once more-I sent Charny to beg
his presence with me in the green room
for one moment. The message return.
ed to me was his compliments, but he
begged to be excused.
what does he meany' / exclaimed.
impatiently. you are sure you are
not mistaken, Charny?"
Yes, Monsieurr said the boy. Then
suddenly Monsieur! Yesterday-can
it be? All, | am ruinedp'
He drew forth quickly tiny, twisted
note. 1T was to have been given to
Monsieur yesterday" he said, "by a
servant in livery, while Monsieur was
out. Can 1t be-"
l had torn it open hastily and read
clarence Barnay. At theater supper
Tuesday, December a. In honor of
Guido Ferrara."
stupid one!" | broke out angrily
"Of course it should have been given
to me yesterday, What do you mean?
What must be think of me? | must go
myself to apologize
II am so sorry, Monsieur" he falt-
cred, the tears rising to his eyes. 1T
is the first time l have ever"
"And it shall be the lastp' | inter
fupted, shortly. you are no longer
in my service. Go at once and leave
my rooms before | return"
"Oh, Monsieur he cried, sharply.
do not say that! | will
The bell rang warningly-the curtain
was rising.
Cor | said. "Obey me-"
Once more | sang again the For
ever" and my voice quivered little
tonight some way as | sang softly:
Perschance if we had never met,
l had been spared this mad regret,
This endless striving to forget
Forever and forever!
per semprev' Yes, it would be for
ever! Carlotta yerniti loved still.
Throughout the song | saw figure
in gray standing at the back of the
house-a slight figure which | do not
know why should have noticed. But
not until afterward did | remember
that it must have been sCharny.
l returned home very late after an
ideal little dinner at which more than
the usual incense had been burned on
my alter. | dismissed my valet, who,
in a decided state of reniscence, | re-
member. met me in the anteroom, and
l went in alone.
A little fire was burning in the CRATE,
in the armchair before it half lay
Charny. The boy had not obeyed me
then. After all it was the first offense,
and l mightBut he neither turned
nor looked at me. | went to him, bent
over him, touched him, calling him by
name, and thea with low exclama-
ton of horror | gazed as If spellbound
on his face-upturned TO me, yet with
no look of recognition-the boy was
quite dead.
But that was not all. Oh II little
table lay note-a note in Italian Of
which Charny did not know one word!
1t ran:
my darling: ! have died rather
than leave you. You have not known
me in these two months-the happiest
| have known since once-long ago.
Do not part with my secret and do
not look on my dead face as you looked
at me in London. Ali | cannot think
Of that! Try to think Of me sometimes,
Guido, and remember that | have died
for love of you.
Carlotta Yerniti.
Stunned--doubting the evidence OF
my own senses - stood looking on
that dead face; the lines and colors
Of disguise were gone, and the face
that smiled up at me was the face
| had once loved--I love 'till--better
than life itself
For months lay i'll with the terrible
brain feyer-ill unto death for many
days, and then utterly without
strength. Then when | was well again
| went abroad All prayers and threats
and entreaties were of no avail;
would not return to the stage. was
tired of it, and of everything, and
was filed with a never-ceasing long