The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-16
The aahita ary eagle Trmrsaau urne aamuaru g. 1856

Inc oUU 1neQ were dIndZCu-
This high priest, stolid in the accep-
| lance of the smiles, gaZes and signs
! of his slaves, was as cold as pagan
chief. He frowned down from his
| throne upon admirers who pressed its
\ edges, waved laces into his face, and
cried approval. His face was blank,
his arms hung awkwardly along MS
slim body and, bowling indinerently, he
slipped into the wings and made exit
through an alley to miss the Swarms
of enchanted girls who fingered in the
corridors for a farewell glimpse.
There was an nuusual demand for the
rows of places nearest the piano. The
seats directly under the instrument
were the very first to be sold Places
| on the stage would have brought Dig
premium. 1t did not matter that the
effect of the music was marred at close
range. There were many Of the most
advantageous chairs left without oc-
cupants in the scramble to be close 10
the idol Many VINO were compelled 10
view from distance came to the pit
at the close and, leaning upon the stage
orchestra rail. stood in semi-cOnScious-
ness duping the little encores at the
end.
PaderewsRi has seen so much Of this
| worship that he pays absolutely no al
| tention to il. His apartments were be-
sieged all day. 1t took one boys whole
time to carry cards from the office up
the stairs and into the hands OF the
worthy outside guard. Bevies of woT1-
en- came with all manner Of pretexts,
urging all manner Of reasons why the
rule should be fractured in their cases,
bringing letters to the hero and proffers
of dinner parties and claims for renew
al of friendships. The tunnel 10 the
theater entrance was lined with fetch
ing loiterers, waiting for single glim-
pse into the face of the enchanter.
The little man, with a, high hat bal
anced on the shock, appeared on the
grand staircase later than the hour for
the recital His body escort divided
itself into two sections. thanking him
on the right and left. All the women in
sight flocked nearer the marble way
anOd every man rushed into that end OF
the lobby. The object of the suriosity
as abashed as a boy who has been
whipped. He did not enjoy the demon
stratiOn and bobbing at the heels OF
the four men who manage him he raced
past the rows of frantic girls and
lodged Through the stage door.
His dressing-room did not nave a
punching bag, nor yet a parlOr eXercis-
er, nor a stationary rowing machine as
barbarian might expect from an eXhi-
bition Of his technique. He merely
yauked off his coat, as any other man
would do, and asked for the electrician
and the stage manager. He had a
right to complain, being a star. He did
not like the settings. He was opposed
to playing in front of trappings and
furniture all gold and red. The light
was too strong. He ordered the velvet
cuntain dropped, the lamps turned down
saying in his Polish-English tongue
that he preferred semidarkness.
a man who has never had $500 wom-
en- at his feet wOuld have been inter-
ested in the sound which came through
the curtain. 1t was a buzz of excited
gOssiping-a swell of female whisper
ings-a low rumbling like a summer
breeze in a forest. 1t was unnoticed by
Mr.. PadereWski. He slid back into the
range of his looking glass and posed
for a moment as he warmed his fingers
over the radiator. He made no COM
ment that the audience was heaviest in
the region near the stage. His only OBJ
servatiOn was to a big man who came
from the box office with the statement
that the sale had been marvellous.
He made his entrance from the left
wing. There being no other performers
in the show, and there having been one
or two pictures of the man printed in
the papers, he was easily recognized
even by those who had never seen
him before. The applause which well
coined him was very little less than
that which greeted his work. He bow
ed once at 1.-THE side and again at the
chair. They on the front seats unbut-
toned their Jackets and settled back
in rapt admiration. a thousand opera
glasses were leveled at the man. lev
elad for what? To see whether his hair
was real or whether he had powder on
his face or whether his eyes are blue?
Why?
There was a unanimous sigh and all
was still. The shock of a. pin fall would
have disturbed the silent worship.
There was not a murmer from curtain
to gallery end. The little man doubled
his coattafls from under him. He took
a glance under the piano. and appar-
nelly satisfying himself that the brac-
ing was alright, he lifted his arms like
a man beating a. striking machine at
a country fair. He brought both hands
heavy on the lower end and gallOped
like a cavalry troop along the entire
gamut. He did not miss key, black
or white. and did not stop until he
struck the wood.
This was the prelude. II did not
count. He let his arms fall and then
gaZed into vacancy as though undecid-
ed what 10 do next He thought a min
ute or two, and then picked out bunch
of gymnastics and confusing sounds
contrived by Brahms and sold as music.
1t was a fugue and variations on Il
theme by Handel. and aside from the
splendid exhibition Of muscular endur-
ance. it was evident that the audience
thought Paderewski could not have
made q dTearier selection had he spent
a day in hunting. The applause was
mild, except from the front rows and
the cult which thinks the king can
never do i'll
This wrestle with strange and COM
plicated measures having been COM
pleted. Pade-ewskt awarded the pa
tience given it by faithfully avoiding
any repetition Of the same kind during
the balance of the program He play
ed a Beethoven sonata. Each man
present was 50 Softened in feeling that
he was sorry ne had not paid his tailor
bill The women leaned forward and
rested their arms on the rails n front.
They patted ElOved hands for an en-
core, but the idol only bowed and bowed
and bowed. looking Steadfastly into the
floor and not into the $500 feminine
eyes fixed upon his retreatinE form
Pa1erewS1i had only time 10 smoke
half his CiCa ~stte IN the dressing room
before the FIVE minutes rest was I'D.
Re came out bcwing and started in the
second half The interm.Ss.on had Csv-
en- the audience time to resume its
buzz II alteration. and the volume OF
the first gale was increased about two
fold. All the neopytes had been cap
turef The cheering grew u-t-h each