The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-11-01
A GREAT PUZZLE.
Taclanu, the Charming Vocalist, at
Keith's New Theatre.
Miss Mildred Irving Makes an Unsuccess-
full Attempt 10 Solve l.

programs sometimes are, And IN is es-
pecially SO I'm vaudeville Huses. where
YOU see the names OF "Elmenora and
Jaciantu. presenting their irresisliblv
comical melahge OF drolloucs and dra
matte satire" and don't for the life OF
YOU know which is The man and which
the woman, so that when YOU e.t n ,r,a
and want TO- pour out the Walls Of your
wrath on the one who was excess bag
gage" and praise the work of tba otba.
YOU simply can't do b.. PossfbIv tbis -
intentional on the part of thos in IA
torial control Of tho program. but IL
they think 1t prevents any woman IRON,
expressing her opinion, they're might
ly mistaken
4 had a terribly annoying eyu.rionco
Yesterday with one of theg. pr1prann
puzzles. / went 20 Keith's and Inn the
prOgram and on the announcement
cards saw simply tn name Tacianu
with the enlightenng dcscrIpilve linz
i'm the former "the gifted Russian vo-
caIist." II the name had been pr. raded
nv Alexander" or "Fl0sslp" v.9uldn't
have thought much OF H. but in the alb
sence OF such assistancg my WomanIy
curiosity was aroused, and So ! Va6fed
Tacianu's 'Nurn' with -agerncss
When Tacianu appeared, i'm "A hand
some robin s-e.gg blue gown ornament
| ed with silver spangles. / heard "A sweet
/ soprano voice of much power and ax-
pressiveness which made "A naIodious
German song all the more Charming
All woman's witcheries of graca and
manner and eXpression were exercised
with rare skill. and ! resolved that she
was decidedly 1T IA an excellent pro-
gram. Her rendering OF the second verse
/ however. brought something Of a shock
! FOR sud ienly me fair sing ran exceed
4 inglv attractive and fascinating woman.
by thu way. I said 90 myself-droppad
/ her voice 10 rich baritone and with
some artistic touches % comedy set the
1 audience in a roar. ian Which surprise
/ nlaved its part. Again. IN the second
song was the experience repeated and
( delight. suTprise, shock and wonder
ment coupled with growing feeling
of curiosity. were experienced in turn
and in combination ana when, at the
! conclusion of the third number. most
| dairtily sung I'm English. the singer re-
/ moved her wig and displayed a WE'LL
/ shaped head with short brown hair
parted i'm the middle, the climax was
| rsachd. Was she man or was he a
/ woman?
| AS T had before decid d. she or he
was certainly it so far as success was
concerned: but the awful question nOW
! stared ma in the Face What Is IT."
! Was this a woman 50 clever as almost
/ To fool US into believing that she was 2
| man. or was this a man 50 artistic in
/ his methods possessed of so remarka-
| Bile a voice and so finished and clever
| an actor as first TO have deceived Us
| into believing him a woman and then
ffarr--fSt4@@ei-e -4tis-tl--t4+-t to
whether he really was a man efter all
and really hadn't fooled us at all? The
more | wrestled with the puzzle. the
/ more | got tangled up with a combina-
/ tlon OF other complex mental questions
! that set my brain all In whirl; and
| saw that everybody else sbout me was
| AS much i'm danger OF g0if.g crazy as
I was. / simply couldn't stand IL any
| longer. / never would have known a
thing about the next act on the bill II
| / had stayed 10 see T; and ] got right
ND and Went out. dts a delightful feat
ure OF 'the continuous that YOU can
! go out when you wan 90. except IN the
| case OF male clova-lovers and it's de-
| lightful that they 'can't
Sltraightway l marched up 20 the
manager. who, With all the suaVity and
! delicate courtesy ftb which ne is
known. kindly confessed" In answer
to my question. that personally he was
unable To relieve my deyouring curlos-
! ity, though he would be only too de-
| lighted" TO do anything in his power
and all that sort Of thing. But can
see her. him. it. whatever YOU can thls
being?" | asked in desperation VIII
be- delighted 10 send your card IN 70
her" NJ replied. ''but Of course j don I
know whether he will see you or not,
for | imagine he Is very tired, Tor You
know she works very hard in ms acl.
Now. wasnW that gust enough more
10 drive any one frantic, the way ne
mixed up those personal pronouhs.
pitied him afterward. however. Nhth
he explained that so many people We're
constantly asking him This same un'
answerable question mat ne ndrulS
knew which end he stood on ana Wds
thinking OF taking refuge In dear ana
dumb asylum.
Poor man. don't believe he realized
the liberti u, was taking win those
little parts of speech.
accepted his \ ipG SUGGESTIONS anu
while the bright and polite mes'engei
boy whom every it2ulaI patron "a .lf
Willie TtrLaps because ihdt ~
HIS naIna was gtnr with my 'arI' /
tackled the press representative on the
| momept0us question. lut all inc EAT, :.
faction ! so was he b'ggeSt l'"y
have run up against in tunE lIih'' III
I'll get even with him yet Tnese edl-
tors who have been In ky enough Z" get
out OF the newspaper business ana INTO
/ the "profesh" needn't think ihtI' A--n |
few = US left.
The answer was favorable ana 0"l' a.
lv | was ushered into her-hls- Weli'
Tacianu's dressing-rnom. and s'''o race
10 face with the certainly charm ng
creature, still in stage costume. VINO
greeted me I'm broken English, Win a
marked German flavor, iu am eNquis. .ie-
~ gracious way. and se.m'j 70 ietl
really BATTERED that | had calico.
My ewes glanced quickly ru1h3 th'
room 20 see whethar p.r''aai- o'
trousers hung on the walls. nul n'if'-
pie 20 relate there was n'inHe 'n
sight oh. how was .'un..1 10
break into those trunks 2 tried to he
pleasant and shrewd at h' sa.a' 'n''
ana To leaf the convct sJiI d. 'N '' 'Nr
point OF askin the important lI. Sb'n I;
/ ana Just az II hune 900 uE u'- q IAi .
tered, Tor think how 30 would 'nnd.
what "A fool wouli app ar ,u n' max .
| lrg of myself, "Arc yuu 20 man ]
snuddered as | though .i No !
Couldn't Are you H.m'n' Ny.
Never. And how could ] a0.ia - con
Iess myself 50 ignor3ut tnt "a}' yet
sdld TO myself TN find som way To
put II before | leave.
80, | sm1ihered m" feelings mnnr-
arily and tried T. be as Dut..airirg ae
1 IN