The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-04
CHAPTER X.

ovation to me. certainly no one pres
ent in that great audience myself least
Of all, dreamt that, without heraldry
or announcement, 1 was taking my
leave Of the stage for ever. No last
appearance of a public faVourlte was
ever so little advertised nor so I'M
consciously undertaken. Yet rarely
had / achieved such a triumph as
l did that evening. My concluding
song. upon which the curtain fell IN
the second act. gained me recall after
recall. and my enthusiastic admirers
would not be content until L had gone
down to the footIights and made them
an impromptu speech of thanks. "A
singular coincidence l consider IT, that,
in the middle Of a prolonged engage
ment, an opportunity should have
been thus unexpectedly afforded me,
upon this occasion Of all others, to
make my acknowledgements to that
public which had so long supported
me for the favour and esteem they
- had always shown me.
Few women, however free from
vanity, could have been Indifferent to
such a spontaneous and genuine trib-
ute as that which caused the theater
to ring and vibrate with shouts and
L
ing remained unmoved through it.
Rather, it stirred me deeply, perhaps
because my emotions had been much
troubled of late, and tears mingled
with smiles as I curtsied low behind
the footHghts, and bowed in grateful
recognition before this multitude,
whose warm appreciation of my efforts
made them seem to be old friends.
q i
ing-room, laden with baskets and
clusters of rare and costly flowers, my
heart beat high and joyously with graf
flied pride in this final proof 1 had re-
ceiVed that my early ambitions had
been abundantly fulfilled All harass-
ing memories Of criticisms that might
Getract, or of opinions that might in
jure, were swept from my mind by a
feeling Of infinite delight in this fresh
and fragrant laurel-wreath that had
been laid upon my brow. I was no
longer the meek and humble woman,
trembling before the breath of cal
muny, but the proud and successful
artist flushed and glowing, enrap-
tured and intoxicated, with the &C.
stay of conquest.
Scarcely did the thought of Richard
moment. The regard of one man,
even though in calmer minutes ne was
au-sufficient to fill my universe, could
scarce at such a time count for much
when compared to the adulation and
homage of a concourse. 1 had risen
above earth and its troublous conse-
Quences; I was in the empyrean, float
ing far aloaft, above SANDER, Fremont
tons, fear, and apprehensions of every
sort, in the delicious ether Of enchant-
ment.
Never was woman less prepared to
encounter disaster and misadventure
than l in that hour. Laughter was on
my lips, eXultation in my heart, tri-
ulnph on my brow. Anticipating Rich
ards visit, [ had given orders that no
one else should be admitted to my
DIRE ssing-rOOm, and I was therefore
obliged to pause outside the door a
few moments tC receive the congratu-
laions and praises Of those who were
wont to pay their respects to me at
this time, and who now felt them
selves iIl-reated by their unwonted
exclusion.
AS soon as possible I dismissed them,
for now l was growing impatient for
the approval Of a single individual And
then passed on, still elate and joyous,
ana gained the door of my own apart
ment 1t was as usual ajar, and
Jeanne stood, grasping It's handle,
awaiting. as she always did, my re-
turn. As she saw me advancing she
came forward to meet me, and tried to
delay my progress by making an an
nouncement in a low, significant tone.
Madame, wait a moment; there is
someone in there whom you do not eX-
pect to see.'
/ raised my flowers that she might
behold their beauty and abundance.
orn cit c.otl
ingly. Are they not lovely? O Jeanne,
It has been such an EVENING"!
was too engrossed with my own
self-sattsfaction to note that her face
failed to display the unselish gratifica-
ton with which she usually hailed NV
triumphs had not complied with her
attempt to detain me. and we had
reached the very door before she again
said:
Wait moment, madame; 1 have
something to tell you. 1 wish to warn
you who 1t is that is waiting for you
within"
1 gave a gay derisive little laugh.
and shook off her hold. She wanted to
tell me who was waiting within, did
she! 1 glanced at her anxious face and
made moue Of amused disdain.
fancied [ knew, even better than she
did, for had not L given the right of
entree to the visitor.
Thanks" 1 retOrted; 81 am already
well-informed" and, lifting my satin
shod foot with my toe l gave the un-
resisting door a push my hands being
otherwise occupied; and, f1ower-Iaden.
radiant, sparkling with animation gor-
geous IN my magnificence, I passed
through and entered the chamber, ex-
pecting to find a solitary guest await
ing me.
Instead of one, found three. All.
God! that weak humanity can suffer
such extremes as 1 underwent in that
single glance, and not die Of the eXpe-
rience.
got no further than one step across
the threshold before revelation burst
upon me, Then [ halted, and nv arms
dropped nervelessly by my side, letting
fall unheeded upon the floor their rich
and perfumed burden. 1 stood a
second or so, staring, stricken with
horror before me; and then there came
TO me an impulse similar to that which
had constrained me long years since.
when l. child had been discovered
dancing in WantOn disorder in an attic.
Scarcely without conscious volition, I
raised my dropping arms and crossed
them over my naked shoulders And
thus stood, abashed and silent, evinc-
ing in my look and attitude all the
signs of conscious guilt, a miserable
culprit before my child.
She remained at a little distance
fianked on either side by Richard
Quintard and his son, the two men who
We're my best friends in the world
The eyes of both were bent not upon
me, but upon her, whose divine and