The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-09-17
G r a G e

manager Of the great Continental thea
ter, the principal play house of the
metropolitan city in which he resided
He was bachelor, was Thomas Tomp-
kins, and on account of the great sue
cess he had made Of life he had a bet
ter opinion of Thomas Tompkins than
he had of any one else, except, Of
course, Grace Grace his seventeen
y'ear-old ward.
Thomas Tompkins. as the head of
the Continental theater, and Thomas
TOmpklns, as his individual self, was
dlsgruntled, sordid, frigid, curt and
cross parsonage, that is, he was sordid
body except Grace; and Grace! Why
he idOlized her.
1t was many years before that Thorn
as Tompkins took in a little waif of
the street; her years numbered few, but
she was a sweet, coy little individual,
the very personifcation, he thought, of
all the graces he had ever heard, and
that's why he named her. Grace. He
never knew just why it was that he
was attached to her, because he never
DID like children, but he could not help
1t. When he had adopted her, he gave
up his bachelor habits at his club and
secured a more commodious place of
residence in a genteel part of the city,
and there he domiciled Grace and him
self, with hOusekeeper in charge.
AS years sped on Grace grew into
girlhood, maidenhood and now she
was fairly blooming into womanhood
She had known no parents or friends
other than Thomas Tompkins and his
efficient housekeeper, and of late years
had not even been with them much of
the time for the reason that she had
been giving her attention to her stud
les. Thomas Tompkins had decided in
his own mind that Grace would have
all the educational advantages it was
possible for girl to have, and, in his
minds eye he pictured her, at the age
OF tWenty-one, as cultured, refined,
highly polished and sensible leader in
society.
But Grace did not think much Of So
clety and had taken a fancy to the
stage. On every possible occasion She
would talk to Papa Tommy" of join
ing the professional ranks, and though
this was the very foundation on which
his successes were based, he did not
approve of his Grace making a show
of herself behind the footlights
to edify stupid audiences" Thomas
Tompkins attempted to dissuade his
ward from even entertaining thoughts
about a life On the stage but she seem
ed to be imbued with the idea that her
forte would be in opera and not in So
ciety. ..
At an early age Grace had shown
1csi 011 ALI Nd Oh,
older she was possessed of beautiful
voice, and Thomas Tompkins saw to
1t that her musical educa ton was not
neglected, for he considered tkis val
ia bic and necessary ACCOMPLISHMENT
One day Manager Thomas Tompkins
came home in turbulent state of
mind. So wrought up over something
was he that he even talked cross to
Grace. However, at the dinner table
his anger of the lunch hour had
changed to agitation and his counte-
nance showed traces of great 9worry
and disappointment. Grace deter
mined to know what troubled him and
finally ELECTED the information that
Mime. Yatti, the leading soprano singer
OF the opera company he had spent so
much money and time in organizing.
had so injured herself by fall from a
bicycle that she would not be able to
appear at rehearSals for a long time,
and consequently would have to with
draw from the cast. Manager Tomp-
kins did not know where to secure an
other person to take her place at the
late honr, and even if he did he was
fearful a change would be detrimental
because already he had featured the
madame's portion of the performances:
During the time of Thomas Temp
kins' recital Miss Grace wondered why
she could not take Nine. Yatti's place
and no sooner had Papa Tommy fin
lshed talking than she impaired her
thoughts to him. Of course Manager
Tompkins considered the proposition
impossible. but after Grace had reajted
to him her frequent successful appear
ances in private theatricals and con-
certs, he promised her he would give
her a trial at rehearsal
She acquitted herself so admirably at
the first rehearsal that Manager Thorn
as Tompkins invited theatrical critics
to be present on several occasions, and
from that time on the amusement col
umnS of the papers rang with praises
Of Miss Grace Tompkins, and in no
insignificant manner
<aS TIC l1ule VI Tie opening hight
drew near Manager Thomas Tompkins
was nearly beside himself with JOY,
for Miss Grace had excited so much
laudatory comment that he could pot
but feel that the opera was to be {.
success and that Grace would win
for herself International fame and
then, incidentally, and under cover. as
it were, he thought of the additional
notoriety and wealth it would brIag to
Manager Tompkins- but 2race's ad
yancement was uppermost in his nfrd.
The great Continental theater vas
brilliantly illuminated from top to bot
ten and the hundreds of ;rii1escent
electric lights threw their glare over
and about one of the largest and most
fashionable audiences that had ever
been within it's walls. The occasion
was the opening night of the theatre
for the season and the piece on the
boards was the new opera in which
Hiss Grace Tompkins was to make her
initial appearance and as the leading
ploist.
Manager Thomas Tonlpkins was IN
his private stall and he was surround
ed by number of representatives of