The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-06-09
CorYRrcnr BY AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION.
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CONTINUED
She had intended not to bring Joce-
lyn's name into the conversation, but
as it had slipped out she now thought 1t
best to say. 1T was he who intro
duced me 20 Gen. lingo, and he has been
acting as my agent-paying me the
money. And he said" she added. wish.
ing to do her enemy justice, that it was
by his exertions that Gen. lingo was per-
suaded to raise my salary after the first
month,
Wallie threw away his cigarette and
rubbed his nose well" he said. pres
emily, ~ dare say Jocelyn knew what
he was about ] should like to hear
what he has TO say in lnigo's presence.
Impresarios and agents are human, and
need looking G'ter occasionally"
"What | thought was,' she resumed,
"that if it should turn out had no legal
right TO the money, should really have
to make some more, whether | liked 1t
or not. IL would have to be made in
some way, You know, and papa-and
there seems to be no other way but for
me to go on singing. if l can get an en-
gagement."
"As to that" said Wallie smiling, III
wanted to make fortune | would turn
impresario and make you my single in
vestment. Let us assume, for arguments
sake, that from the pecuniary stand
point you are perfectly free either to go
on or not. Now, of course there are
ways in which you might CT ltivate mu-
sic without keeping in opera. You could
sing Mt a church, or, when you felt in
the mood, at a private or public concert
But there is something else in the pro-
fession besides the singing-there is the
audience. Do you know what mean
yes" said she, in a low voice.
at is = magnificent stifSulant," he
continued. "There is no other to com
pare with it in the world They say
when you have once felt the delight of
it nothing is so difficult as to give il up
There is nothing that you would ex-
change for it."
THAT is not true!" said she, lifting
her head. In a moment she added "But
l have felt that it would be u great con-
ISOLATION" Wallie glanced up, and she
blushed.
He rose again from his chair and took
another cigarette from the box ON the
low bookcase. Then he went TO another
place for match, which he scratched
underneath the mantelpiece. Then he
lit the cigarette and threw the burnt
end OF the match in the fire. after having
shaken it rapidly to and fro to extinguish
it. She watched him half absently.
tyly Nm hnf 1t.~,,, Il.
how quiet, how honest, how kind, how
quick of apprehension. But through
him, beyond him, in his place she was
seeing another figure, which she never
hoped to behold again in reality. Oh,
the penversity of human affairs! The
goodness that we meet with is not the
goodness that we want; the evil that
happens to us is not the punishment of
our evil!
Wallie glanced at her through the
smoke of his cigarette with a sympa-
thetic interest half sad, half humorous.
The heavy fur lined cloak that she wore
was thrown back on the chair; her head
leaned backward, showing the white
throat; her richly made, close fitting
black dress revealed the 1.-THE beauty of
her figure; there was a soft dimness
about her eyes; little strand of bright
hair had strayed across her forehead.
How mOurnful she looked. How easily
she might be happy! How gladly he
would make her so! But those who have
the good will have not the power, and
those who have the power "I hope
to gracious" exclaimed Wallie to him
self, 'that he is suffering the torments
of the damned! may have been fool
in my time, but nothing should ever
have made me turn my back ON a wo-
man like that" And he reseated him
self with a resentful vehemence that
drew a creaking remonstrance from his
armchair.
"Do you think, Miss Randolph" he
asked, "that the time would ever come
when you would prefer the consolation
to the-thing it consoled you forg"
"a consolation is only-a consolation
she replied, with little smile. "But
you must not think that | am-was
meaning anything except in n general
way. l should only find it more tire
some than usual to have nothing to do
now that know what it is to do some
thing"
Speaking in general way, however,
don't you think it would be unwise
to seek consolation as such until one
was quite certain, beyond the possibility
of a doubt, that consolation was the
thing one neededY"
"Oh, of course there can be no doubts"
she answered. But there was in her
tone, and in the sudden, inquiring ex-
pansion of her eyes, feeling less of con-
viction than Of misgiving and suspense,
as if the earnest emphasis with which he
had spoken had led her to suspect that
he might know something of great mo-