The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-10-03
GRACE.

manager Of The great Continental Thea
ter. the principal play house Of The
metropolitan city IN which be- resided. i
lie was a bachelor was Thomas Temp B.
kinr, and on account Of the great sue.
cess he had made Of life he had a bsg-
ter opinion Of Thomas Tompkins than
be had Of any one else, except Of
courss. Crace-Crace his seventeen
year-old ward.
Thomas Tompklns. a. the head Of
the Continental theaicr. and Thomas
Tompklns. as his individual Eclf' was
disgruntled. sordld. frigid, curt and
cross parsonage. that is, he was sosiid
and frigld aud curt and cross % even
body except Grace; aud Grace! Why
he ldoiiEed her
Il vas many years before that Thom-
as TOmpklus took In n little walf OF
, he street; her years numbered ieN. DIT
! she was n sweet. coy little Individual.
/ tie very personificntion. be thoughi. q
/ all the graces he had ever heard, ara
, that's why he named her Grace. lie
never knew just why Il was that he
: was attached to her, because he never
did Ike children. but he could not help
7 Il. When be had adopted her b. gave
= up his bachelor habits 81 hts club aud
e secured more cOhmodious place OF
i residence In a eenteel part Of the city
= ard there he dOmiciled Grace and HUI
y self. with housekeeper In charge.
As years sped on Grace glew Into
zlrlh0od. maldcnhood and now she
/ was fairly blooming into womanhood.
y She bad known no parents or friends
"a ether than Thomas Tompklns and his
Il eaicieni housckcepeT. and Of late years
m had rot even been with them much OF
n the time for the reason that she had
been giving her attention 20 her stud
!, les. Thomas Tonipklns had decided In
y hts own mind that Grace would have
- all the educational advantages Il was
is possible for a girl 10 have. and. In his
l. minds eye he pictured her. az the age
g. of twenty-one. as q cultured, refined.
e. highly polished aud sensible leader ~
ar society.
> But Grace did not think much Of 30
clety and lad taken a fancy 20 the
= stage. on every possible occasion shi
would talk 10 Papa Tommy" Of join
ing the professional ranks. and though
this was the very foundation on which
his successes were based. he did no
approve Of his Grace making q show
OF herself behind the footligh,u
70 edify stupid audiences" Thomai
Tompklns attempted 10 dlsfuade hl
ward from even entertaining thcusat
about a life on the stage but she seem
ed 10 be lmbued with the idea that he
forte would be In opera aud not 10 81
elety.
At an carly age Grace had show
rare musical abilities ard as she grc,
older she was possessed OF beautlfu
voice. and Thomas Tompklns saw 1
Il that her musical education was nc
neglected. for he considered this va
liable aud necessary accomplishment.
One day Manager Thomas Tompki1
came home IN a turbulent state q
mind. So wrought up over somethln
was he that he even talked cross
Grace. However. az the din7-f tab
, his anger Of the lunch hour ha
changed 70 agitation and his count
nance showed traces Of great won
4 aud disappointment. Grace deie
mined 70 know what troubled him N
apally ELECTED the information IN
T., sime. Yatti. the leading soprano sing
rel the opera company he had spent
mucb. money and time In ofganix.n
had 20 injured herself by a fall from
bicycle that she would not be able
appear at rehcassals for long iin
and consequently would hnEn{o Wit
draw from the cast. Mans
klns dld not know wilore 20
other person 10 take her 2
ate hour. and even u be
. fearful a change would be -
because already he had fe&tursd
one madame'e portion Of the per 4oymanc
ems During the time OF Thou3ns Ton
lese kins' recital Miss Grace woff lercd "
the she could not take Nine. Ytttis DC
wen and no sooner had Papa T
ller. lshsd talking then she i'm
"a, thoughts % him. or cours
rompkins considered tie prcpositl
impossible but after Grace had reeii
10 him her frequent successful aprc'
ances IN private theatricals and &
how certs, he promised her be would g
rive her a trial at rehearsal.
SAYS She acquitted herself 80 admirably
Al. the 6rst rehearsal that Manager Tho
=, as Pumpkins invited theatrical crit
W NC INNNNNA va NNHNAAl "NNAA"N"""t
~ from that time on the amusement I
ie'H umns Of the papers rang with prai
!. but Of Miss Grace Tompkins. and In
laid Insignificant manner.
and a. the time Of the opening VII
and drew near Manager Thomas rompk
AIKEN was nearly beside himself with J
,nau- FOR Miss Grace had excited 80 ml
>, 4. laudatory comment that he could
- but feel that the opera vas to b
success aud that Grace would
TOT fer herself international fame.
{ the then, incidentally, and uudcr cover
one Il were. he thought Of the add tlo
8 the notor,esy and wealth Il would hria'
! ton Manager Tompkns-but 3mre's
q. all vanocmcui was uppernosi In his N
~ F. Tho great Continental theater
-. brilliantly Illuminated from TOP 10
.0us' t,In aud the hundreds ~ irifles'
Aoole electric lights threw their glare {
al IL aud about one Of the largest and q
into fashionable audiences that had I
Nov been within It's walls. The 0cca
n the was the opening night Of the the
lining for the season and the piece on
boards was the new opera IN W
Miss Nfuct lohitAlua MaA " htNAt
initial appearance and a. the lea
I,n..,, aolOlst.
.. Manager Thomas Tompkina vs
ple''y his private stall aud he was surro
over cd by number Of representative
b the the press. Amidst the blare ol b
10 adj and the shrill tones Of stringcd I'M
'ellent ments the curtain arose. dlsplayin
N low the audience an immense chorus.
hoes motion from the orchestra le
n az. the musicians ceased their pla
In and a another sweep Of the lea
wand the chorus, accompanied by
= eu' orchestra. burst forth into the <
lheie and glorious opening song Of the 81
lrmers Al The same instant heauteous {
onnltW -. ...tts. has aaau,IuuIV cnlf.nnr