The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-26
An 0PERAI|C HERO
100000
BY Arthur Warren.
Boston Hearid

Con1ured him not TO make lne IIlstdhe'
The women thought 1t courageous ana
fine-spirited in him, but nobody valued
their judgment, because women ike
tenors and tn" have no regard for the
great practical .att2r OF re, Which Is
To put by a fortune or acquire respect
ability in government office, learn
ed profession, or a wholesale trade.
The men said that Armor would be a
fool to give up the bar. But Richard
was young, and he replied that he
would be a fool If he didn't. He had
never done anything there worth
speaking Of Two years of 1t had
shown that fate had shunted him down
the wrong road, he said. And then, to
the infinite scandal of his father, the
judge, and of his mother. who was a
Delart, and of his many brothers and
sisters, who had some of the narrow
ness and all the pride Of both stocks.
Armor declared that he had thrown
over the law and was going on the
stage.
That was a year or two before the
theater had found salvation in the eyes
of the minor clergy and fashionable
hostesses. SO, Armors doom was set
tied and he went forth to meet it with
an assurance that was criminal in the
eyes of the right-minded.
He had voice to Justify him. He was
the best known of the amateurs and he
had often thrilled the elegant congre-
cations at the Church of the Holy
Frescoes. But the more he sang, and
the better he sang the less were clients
inclined to trust him with briefs. When
the fact was borne in upon him, he
made the announcement which evoked
the jeers of his friends and the tears
of his family. He took the voice to
Paris to train it, but before he went
we gave him dinner, wishing him
joy of his tomfoolery, and in return he
made FftzGibbon, the chairman, pres
ent of his practice and good will. You
see, we really thought Armour a fine
fellow.
You shall all have stalls at the
opera" said he, when l make my
debut as Faust
He was really a fine fellow.
Two years after that he returned
from Paris and made his debut, but not
as Faust. He appeared as a concert
and oratorio singer, and with the usual
luck. He did not subscribe to the musi-
cal journals, nor pay them for priting
portrait, so they told him he had better
return to his teachers and learn the
rudiments of his profession. The crit
les of the great dailies were more geh.
erous. They said he was a conscien.
tious and intelligent artist, who would
probably make some success as a, bal.
lad singer At the end of the season
he disappeared, but in the following
autumn he was heard of as principal
tenor if a provincial touring company
singing in Madame Favart," Les
Cloche de Corneville' and la Grande
Duchesse." 1t was Hector Stroebel's
company. When we heard of this we
said, This is the end Of Armors am
bition.'
There was no call for surprise. The
affair was working out as everybody
had anticipated. And, of course, every
body was satisfied. On my own part
though, there was some resentment
Why should my friend have thrown
away his splendid chances in order tc
go monkeying about in provincial cities
painted up to the eyes and warbline
the inanties of operate heroes? AND
opera bouffe at that. Grand opera
would have been bad enough. But
this! Fancy a grown man earning his
livelihood by Stimulating passion tC
the measured beat of a bald-headeC
conductor and death to the accompan
iment Of trombones. But am only g
lawyer and have no Imagination fol
these things.
1t was a thousand pities. Armor wa.
the handsomest man of his time and
am bold enough to say one of the mos
gifted-in everything but law. He hat
the best manners of any man I hav,
known, the grace of his old Frencl
line grated on our sturdy Anglo
Saxon stock. You never saw a NOR
striking face or franker one, nor wher
you come to that, a more wholesom,
man. If / were asked to name my idea
OF gentleman I should say Richard
Armor, at once. Manly as he was, h,
had way of winning every one.
think he never had an enemy, unless i
was Hector Stroebel.
1t was a stupid thing for Armor t,
take up with that life. If he could hav,
gone to the top of the tree there Nigh
have been some excuse for the eccen
tricity. But on his tree there is no lowe
branch worth climbing to. That is coun
sells opinion.
One day ment him in the Strand.
Congratulate me, dear boy" h
cried, I'm going to America will
Stroebel"
And what to do there?"
"Oh, the same things, opera bouffe
opera comique-what you like"
But l don't like" said l. when W,
were chums you We're a sensible crea
ture, now you're
"Pve heard all that before, old man,
he said, gayly.
But your grand opera-your Faust
and Romeo"
'Oh, one has TO work up to thos
things. You shall hear me sing then
yet"
do you expect me 70 go to Americ,
for that pleasure?" said /, with half ,
sneer.
"Croaker! I shall sing Faust at Co
vent Garden within five years"
THE devil you will" retorted.
"No. De Rezeke will sing the Devil
II never heard a man working IN
as you call it, to grand opera by wa,
of Dorothy and Nine. Angot' and Il,
Jolie Parfeumause,' said /. 1 though
1t best TO be pleasant.
Didn't you? Well, you shall hear O
it. then. A man must take his chances
and Stroebel is giving me mine. 1 shal
never forget Stroebel"
And then we shook hands an
parted.
Six months afterward ! received Ar
mor's wedding cards, and a newspape
giving an account of the marriag,
NOW" said /, Dick has done for him
self. He's finished" He had married
girl In stroebePs company, over ther
In the states. He might at least hav
married out OF "the profession" Blu
there's no accOuntiurr for tho daads =