The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-08-02

Of palms and pot-plants in front, its OPEN
| winged piano and music stands. All was
In bright light but empty and deserted.
! hard desoation seemed to reign there
| in the absence of the graceful figure In
| shining draperes.
| 1t was no dream, all was real, especially
| the scene painters marble portico and sea I;
very real, but yet through the comparative
silence scarcely interrupted by the sub
! dued hum of voices. rustlins OF draperies.
| sound of footsteps, and pushed back chairs.
| rang in his ears the pure golden notes OF
! the beautiful impassoned voice:
| oh! can ne'er forget
| Robin Adar.'
| All true and real
| He beckoned TO boy with programmes
and took one. keeping his place while peo-
pie moved and surged round him, some 90
ing out in the ten minutes interval, some
! seeking friends and chatting THE ceie-
brated soprano, Miss Ruby Elliott" he read.
Every one had heard Of, II not actually
heard, Ruby Elliott yet this man with
| music in his face, seemed new to the
! spell Of her singing Miss" he pondered.
that has won recognition. The handsome
pianist might still be her husband Mr..
Ralph Somers,-a known. but not a first
| class name. The concert was in aid of To-
cal charities. patronized by long list of
| town and county worthless, amongst them
the Rev. DR.. Ashworth, vicar. The sight of
| this name was as steel to the stone of the
mans face 1t flashed fire. Taking the
ole t,n rod tIn irc1
In front quite near the stage, was white
| headed clergyman. grave, dignifed even
stern; he turned at the moment. his profile
| traced sharp and clear on the crimson dra-
peries below the stage He seemed to be
! speaking to a lady near. At the sight of the
old clergyman the stranger quivered again.
| the glasses once more dropped by his side,
| to be again raised and intently gazed
| through. A lgh. treble laugh rose from
behind the scenes, accompanied by a cheer
| full pop, suggestive of champagne; the mo-
| mentary opening of door let out confused
murmur of voices, clinking of glass and
| china. and sudden chime of chorussed
| laughter dullod by the closing of the door
and dying down to quiet again. The sweet
| hearts were absorbed in each other. the
young carpenter. square, ruddy, and clean,
| gazed upon the homely face of the girl be-
| side him with sort of sacred rapture;
their words foated up to the man standing
| behind them, holding the glasses above
| their heads.
"Isn's Miss Elliott beautiful" the girl
| whispered.
Beautiful, hum. Easy to look nice in
| white satin and gold and jools Fanny.
| The beauty for me is when anybody looks
pretty first thing in the morning, in
print gown tucked up. and bare arms,
sweeping out of trent door. All. my
/ dear, and looking for somebody as comes
round the corner and gives her"
Go on. you great stupid And nice and
silly we looked, with the boy bringing the
breakfast rolls and grinnng!'
"Ill grin him. next time | catches him!
Fine feathers make fine BIRDS Fan; Miss
Ruby Elliott cant be so young as she looks"
"She was a woman grown when mother
lived parlor maid at Ashworths, George"
Before you was born or thought Of
Sheve kept we'll. Singing is like salt
Fan. She lived with Ashwor,h's, didn't
she?"
mo, she lived long with her uncle, old
Mr.. Forde, the lawyer. Her real names
Forde, Beatrice Forde, Ruby Elotts only
her singing name. Mothers heard her sing
many a time at Ashworth's There was
a pupil there used to make up to her, him
over there by Dr. Ashworth.'
"Mr. Vereker, that old parson?"
"He wasn't much of parson then, mo-
Their says. Always up to something. him
and young Mr.. Ashworth together. That's
Mrs and Miss Vereker alongside of him.
| Mother couldn't bear him. Poor Mr.. Rob-
| bin was different, no harm in him. Miss
| Vereker's pretty in the pink"
mot my style, Fan. What would she be
| in n cap and apron?"
A burst of applause surged out; people
had rustled back to their places, and the
glee singers we're forming groups on the
stage, the star amongst them. The pro-
gramme showed the chief burden of the
evening to be sustained by her. "She does
it all for love-" Fanny explained to her car
penter land for the sake of old times
The tenor was local; he cracked slightly
on the high notes, besides going a little
fat at the end of the evening; the con-
tralto was an amateur with NOBLE I'M
trained voice; the glee singers were ANA
teur The cello player was welt-beruhmt,
German and npronounceable; the audi
ence scarcely knew that in the stringed
quartette his instrument had the chief
part, much less that few but he could so
render it. AS for his obligato to Ruby