The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-02-24

colorless face, and trying to find some
sign of hope-in vain. This very day
he might either die or live, and the doc
tor had said that she must prepare for
the worst. 1t was impossible-sh
could not, she would not, believe that
Ralph might die.
As she sat there the nurse entered
and brought her letter. Nellie looked
matter now? She took ii in her trem-
bling hands and tore it open wearil'.
AS she read sudden red flush sprang
into her cheeks and sharp light flashed
into her eyes. She read on confusedly.
What she read made no impression
upon her at first. The letters danced
before her eyes and the words appeared
stupid and meaningless; but after
minute they became clear and she be-
gan to understand.
Nine. Lucille, the professor wrote,
was unable to sing at the Albert Hall,
that night, and she, Nellie Underwood,
was to take her place.
She looked at Ralph-ill, perhaps dy.
ing-on the bed, and then she turned
back to the letter. Her chance had
come at lastl The chance that she had
waited for 30 eagerly had come at last
like wonderful miracle, or else like
fiendish trick.
She looked at it for q moment Logger
and then she broke into harsh, unmean-
ing laughter. She was to sing at the
Albert Hall that night.
The manager regretted that Nine.
Lucille had been taken i'll. He was ex-
tremely sorry and he was angry, too,
for Nine. Lucile's name on the bills
had more than half filled the house;
and now her place was to be taken by
little, pale-faced girl who looked hope
lessly plain and unattractive.
Underworld The very name was
commonplace The audience sighed
impatiently, and leaned YEARLY back
against their cushioned seats. They
looked more weary than ever when
Nellie stepped upon the stage. She
was clothed in white-a plain, old
fashioned gown, years old, and without
q single flower; and they Uttered audi
bly, behind their fans.
The accompanied sat down and rat
tied off the opening bars Of famous old
song. 1t was the cry of woman for
lover she would never see again, and
it was go old that people thought it was
worn out.
The accompanied played on; the
notes became slower and finally ceased,
and then he waited.
Apparently Nellie had not heard.
The music had fallen from her hands,
and she was staring out with q set,
white face at the crowded hall before
her.
"Stage fright, poor thingl" people
murmured.
Some of them stared at her coldly;
some of them put up their opera glasses
to look at her; but they could not see
what she saw-a man lying tossing,
perhaps dying, on bed; they could
not feel what she felt, that terrible ach-
ing at her heart and that choking at
her throat.
Suddenly the mist cleared from her
eyes, and she saw, with q start, the
waiting audience before her, the
glasses leveled to her face, and she
turned to the accompanist. He under
stood her glance and commenced again.
Then she raised her eyes and stared
straight toward the gallery. When she
opened her lips, her voice rang out
clear and full across the crowded hall.
1t never faltered; the notes fell from
her lips liquid, wonderful. and the au-
dience suddenly became still. They
ceased to stare at her, opera-glasses
fell--it was strange that they had be-
come dim-and in that great hall there
was scarcely a sound to be heard.
The song went on. What was there
in that old-fashioned air to hold them
spell boundP A girls fresh voice call
ing to her absent lover. They had
never heard it sung like that before.
The eyes Of beautiful women became
moist; strong men leaned forward to
hide their faces. They scarcely real.
lied it when the music stopped; then
they looked up to see her disappearing
from the stage, and for a brief moment
there was dead silence.
Then the storm began. Artificial
women forgot their artifciality; wearied
men woke to life again, and shouted
wildly at the empty platform.
Nellie heard it family at the back,
but her only thought was to get away
to Ralph, and while she was speeding
homeward in cab, a man was making
profuse apologies to the audience. He
was sorry that Mrs. Underwood could
not sing again that night, but he hoped
and believed they would hear her again
very soon.
When Nellie got home the room
seemed to her very dark. She saw dis.
tinctly two figures, which came toward
her as she entered, and then she heard
faint voice-Ralph's voice-speaking
to her from the bed.
She heard neither the doctors ad.
monitions nor the nurses entreaties
She knelt at her husbands side ant
sobbed her heart out on his pillow.
n
1t was a long time before Ralph thor
oughly recovered, but when he did
there was no longer any fear of starva
ton staring them in the face.
Nellie's voice had driven the vol
from the door.-Anon., in Londol
Answers.
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