Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-24
ONE ON THE INTERVIEWER

about mine years ago." said one Of the
Chicago correspondents. when was COW
ering the hotels for my paper in Chicago.
Miss Emma Thursby. the once-renowned
scnsstress. arrived in town and took q suite
at the Hotel Richelieu. With q view to q
special about the famous song birds OF
Miss Thursby's day, sent my card up to
her, and the bell boy returned with the
message to come right up A white
eproned maid admitted me to Miss Thurs
by's reception room and left me there, say
ing that her mistress (who, by the way. had
left the concert stage q number Of years
before) was dressing. and would see me in
few moments. I sat down to wait.
hardly had a chance to look around before
1 heard, evidently proceeding from the next
room, which was screened from the recep-
ton room by heavy portieres. several bril-
liant chromaic runs, apparently proceeding
from a feminine throat, followed by a rem
clifton Of about ten bars from one of the
.Ernani arias, very faithful as to tech
nique.
:" The prima donna is practicing as she
dresses thought, and time seems to have
wrought no depreciation of her vocal
powers
tied when the music suddenly ceased and
the same voice called out:
" Who are you in that front rooms?
Why 1 started to reply. I'm
" Get out of here at once! the voice COM
| manded. You're a bad lot! Who told you
to come here, anyhow
Here said 1 to myself, is nice. cordial
treatment. After being invited upstairs,
I'm coolly told to take my leave. Wonder
what I've DONE and, in a Quandary, 1
picked up my hat and cane and started to
depart
ing me on my way to the door; I don't care
whether you remain not; it matter of
the most complete Indifference to me. as
r,ritea holt ho no ha
Puzzled? 1t seemed altogether the queer
est proposition 1 had ever stacked up
against. Horrible thoughts of carefully COW
ered-up insanity shot through my head.
1 sincerely beg your pardon, mad
anne ] started to say, when 1 was in
terrupted with:
| fdgety! Just take a seat, can't you, and
wait until l am ready to receive you? Oh,
la! you nervous men! L am not angry with
you; l am simply ennuyed. until, oh. my
gracious goodness SakeS-, and the speech
seemed to wind up in the most prodigious
yawn.
This is about the limit I thought to
| myself when l sat down again. 1 had in
terviewed great many eccentric person.
ages, but this seemed about the most ex-
traordinary reception had ever been given.
The voice in the next room burst into an
Italian love ditty, clear and sweet, If
| trif1e shrill, and l twiddled my cane and
wondered what l could say when the prima
| donna appeared, in view Of the way 1 had
been received.
Dye like that? inquired the voice be-
! hind the portieres. "A little thing 1 picked
up in Venice-sweet and pretty, but not
| much to it. 1 begin to grow away from the
| Italian music, anyhow, 1 find, and were my
| career ahead instead of behind 1 think
| should go IN altogether for Wagner. Oh,
| the deuce!'
The objurgation seemed a queer wind-up
| for conversation so sanely begun.
| 'How?' l inquired.
| " Mind your own busineSSr said the voice
sharply. Why will you persist in meddling
in my affairs? What claim have you upon
| me, anyhow? You are annoying! You
fatigue me dreadfuliy. indeed you do! "Oh,
| Leonora-' and the voice began on few
| bars from I'll Trovatore.'
| We'll, l at length ceased to extract
amusement from being roasted like this
| and l arose to take my leave feeling just a
bit naughty and hot under the collar.
| " Madame 1 started to say, L am truly
| sorry If | have disturbed you. but in ven
| turing to send my card UP to you 1 had
| supposed that you would be quite willing
| to receive me-a supposition in which | was
encouraged when you sent me word to
| come upstairs at once. Whatever annoy
ance l have caused you, 1 sincerely regret,
| believe me. but, nevertheless
| Il had got this far when Miss ThurSby
| stepped radianty in through the door of
her private hall, and he'd out her hand
| cordially.
| in, might 1 inquirer she asked me, with a
| somewhat puzzled expression around her
| eyes. r.
| why said I, I was under the impress
| sion that 1 had the honor OF addressing
| you, but
| Her face lighted up merrily, and she fell
| into a burst of uncomfortable laughter.
| Then she thrust back the portieres, and
| there sat top of easel her famous
parrot. The parrot eyed me humorously for
a second, and then burst into ha-ha-ing
| that threatened to deprive him of all his
| feathers.
Has he been ribald and insulting to
| YOU? asked Miss Thursby. He is falling
| into the habit lately of treating my guests
| shamefully, but he is old and perhaps testy
| for that reason
The birds imitation of Miss Thursbys
| speaking tones was almost perfect, l
| observed when she spoke. He could sing
! and talk in nine languages, l understood;
but, for adj that. in view of the bad quarter
of an hour he gave me, l didn't gTieve
=. much when 1 read the other day that Miss
| Thursbys famous parrot, valued at $1,000
| had cashed in and gone to the great UNI
| known
| PARADISE FOR BIRDS.