The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-02-24
CopYRraHT By AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION,

sign contract. and find I'VE got left,
don't go back on it, do |? Oh. this Is II
sweet world for honest folk, this Isl
rye been in this business fifteen
years. by .Jupiterl I've 70 all
the big singers in this country
and in Europe, and II you Americans
have ever seen IN opera decently put on
the stage you may thank me for it.
Where would all these blessed stars and
divas. with their three and four thou
sand dollars night, where would they
be If Moses lingo hadn't shown 'em up
and worked for em, and kept EN- straight.
and humored 'em, and stepped out and
told lies for em to the publics face, by
Jupiter? And here am, n poor man
today, and they rolling in riches! And
haven't just gone and built the finest
opera house in the world for "a million
and a half Of dollars out of my own
pocket and"---
Eyes, for n poor and virtuous man
you've done pretty well, general" put in
Jocclyn, removing his hat and yawning.
"But what's the matter? Has the chorus
struck for higher wages9 or won't the
electric light work. or didn't that fellow
at the club pay you the five dollars you
won Of himp or haven't you had your
cocktail this morning? or WHAT"
With an air of terrible calmness Gen.
lingo arose, took the telegram from the
table, and handed it to his friend with
out word. The latter received it indo.
hntly, disengaged from his fob pocket a
pair Of eyeglasses, placed them across
the handsome curve of his nose, and be-
gan to read the telegram with q sigh.
Meanwhile the general, with certain
air of tragic satisfaction, repaired to the
mantelpiece and repeated his late trans
action with the decanter and tumbler.
He then resumed his chair, still in silence.
Jocelyn had by this time reread the
telegram more than once, had said
"Humph!" in several tones, and had bit
ten his lip and pulled at his side whiskers
refectively. SWELL" he observed at
length, returning the paper to the other,
''she has played it pretty low down on
yOu, lingo, and no mistake! Any idea
what's got into herr"
The general lifted his shoulders and
eyebrows and spread out his hands. He
had temporarily become rs voiceless Us
he was lust now voluble. He was en-
joying the dignity OF unutterable wrongs.
ANY row about termsT pursued
Jocelyn.
The impresario smiled scornfully. rs
one who could not deign to correct such
an insinuatiOn.
"Mnst be something, you know" said
Jocelyn. "a woman doesn't throw away
twelve Thousand dollars week for moth.
ing. Depend on it you've stepped on
her toes somehow. I'll tell you what il
may be-you haven't put about any
photographs OF her. OF coarse! What
! are you thinking of"
Eyes, you are one Of those fellows that
think they can fix everything in five
minutes" growled the impresario
breaking silence at last "Now just
y0n look at this" He held up broad
square topped forefnger. '-That woman
has never had a photograph, nor any
sort of picture, made of her in her life
She won't allow it to be done. That's
her fad, and, by Jupiter, it's pretty
smart Of her. when you come to think
of it!'
"Homely, is she? Has to depend on
her voice. q see."
"You don't see an inch before youl
nose! She may depend ON her voice
when she's nothing else to depend ON.
There's not another voice like it ever
been heard in America; but-homely
Well, saw her last year in st. Peters
burg, and If ever | set my eyes on q
handsomer woman I'll take 'em out Of
my head and give 'em to her! No, sir
I'm a judge, it any man is, and i say
that for face, figure and movement
there amt her equal ON the stage to
day"
"Then why the deuce
Exactly. That's just it. why the
deuceY is the whole thing in u nut
shell. Everybody says it. and what's
the result? Why, that everybody's ten
times as hot to see her as il they all had
her picture tucked away in their breast
pockets, or their watch cases, or on their
mantelpieces, If they're bachelors. She
makes on 1t every time. She knows
tuo1 any Woildu Cdu 10 tIlduc W lOOk
handsome in photograph; but she's the
only handsome woman before the public
whose photos never been seen. | tell
you, dr, curiosity, il it's managed well,
will make two dollars where beauty or
anything else will make one. There's
no advertisement ever came up to it!
And to work up curiosity has been that
woman's pet scheme from the start.
There's more stories going about her.
and scandal and fewer facts than you
can put your fingers ON. Oh
she's smart!"
'She's overdone it this time" Jocelyn
remarked. "'Unable to keep my con-
tract is what her telegram says; will
pay forfeit How much Is that, by the
byY'
"Bshl Iwould as lief take ten cents!