The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-17
ITALIAN LOVE STORY.
Signor Russo and Signorina Pouetini,
of the Lambardi Company In
Trnnbla


of the Lambardi Company In
Trouble
Signor DOmenico Russo, the diminu-
tive tenor of the LambarCfi italian
Grand opera company, whose wonderful
voice delighted the audience at the
Crawford theater last night. is in love.
In this fact lies much trouble for the
young Italian, for in turn ne is him
self loved But it is by another woman,
a rival of the one on whose smiles his
Italian nature thrives.
COllamarini, the mezZO soprano of the
company, is Russo's hearts delight
SignOrina POllettini would have Russo
for her hearts delight if Russo were
willing, but Russo is not And therein
is the trouble.
Russo and CoIlamarfnf sang together
all through South America, and were
together at the opening of the engage
ment in the City of Mexico. They were
sweethearts and spent their leisure time
IN romantic 1dleneSs. But the old story
of true love never running smooth came
to pass, and shortly before the end of
the Mexican engagement COllamarini
and Russo had a bitter quarrel. In a
moment Of Italian heat COllamarini told
Russo she hated him, and with an equal
amount of fire Russo returned the COM
pliment- A general disturbance fol-
lowed, and COllamarini threw up her
contract and left Mexico City for n. Y
For days after her departure Russo
spent his time in weeping and swear
ing. and incidentally looking for cOnSO-
It came to him in the person of Sign0r-
ina Pollettini the leading contra1to.
The Mexican engagement was ended,
and the 7Pany crossed the border
and entered the United States. No word
was heard from COllamarini, and Russo
was evidently satisfied in. the cOnsOla-
ton of Signorina PolIettini. The pro-
greSS OF the company IN this country
moved along until it reached Denver for
an engagement of several weeks.
And then something happened that
1T ~ h.. nd
his devoted contraltO. When he went
on to sing Don Jose" in Carmen" on
the opening night. 10 and behold, it was
Signorina COllamarina who confronted
him in the role of the cigarette girl
She had been sent for by S'gnor Lam
bardi and unknown to Russo had again
Joined the company.
And then a realistic performance Of
Carmen was seen. Looks of reproaeh
from the little tenor were met with ten
der and half frightened gIances from
the nezzO soprano, and through 1t all
crept the old love of the two BY the
end of the performance Russo had for
gotten PoIlettini. his consider. His
eyes We're for COllamarini, and Cola
marini alone.
Italian natures are quick to resent an
affront, especially when it strikes af
lection Polettini was true to the land
Of her birth She heaped reprOaches
on Russo She threatened to inf1ict per
sOnal injury on both him and his sweet
heart To the first he turned a deaf
ear and at the threats he laughed
This condition of affairs continued
during the time the company remained
in Denver and up to the time it reached
Joplin, Mo. There a climax was rea CHI
ed. Collamarini left the company and
went to Kansas City to rest, and in
joplin Pollettini thought she discovered
Russo writing to her. She started TO
heap abuse on him with all the warmth
Of her southern nature, and Russo left
the hotel to avoid her She followed
him down the street, still abusing him
At last his Italian nature asserted it
self. He pushed her from the sidewalk
and slapped her in the public street
With fire in her heart PO1lettini
sought out a. justice of the peace and
had warrant issued for Russo He
was arrested and put in jail, refusing
to pay his fine He was to sing that
night but in emphatic Italian declared
he would die in prison before he would
pay one dollar to secure his liberty.
But a woman is a woman the world
over Italian or other nationality as the
case may be, and when Polettini heard
that the man she loved was content to
stay in prison rather than buy his lib
erty she went before the magistrate
satisfied to show herself a woman in
this She took RussO's release to the
jail and shook it in his face
That night on the stage POllettini
again started to abuse Russo for writ
ing to Collamarinf- This time the tenor
did not stop at shaping her. He threw
neE on the stage AooL anu Stoo0 over
her like a gladiator He made an aW-
full threat Of what he would do if she
did not cease bounding him And the
contralto, frightened at what he said,
promised to allow him to go his way
in peace before he allowed her to rise.
Since that time Russo and COllama-
rini have been loving each other as
much as they care, without interrupt
ton and PoIlettini has been going
about with a logged look on her face
and a sparkle of fire in her eyes Other
members of the company say the trou-
bic is not yet over. They say PoIIettinf
will never be satisfied until she is
avenged for unreQuited love
And so Russo. hearing these murrnur-
ings, is much disturbed. and COIlama-
RIM likewise. And the little tenor
signs when he speaks of love, and
makes you understand in broken Eng
lish that it is better for man. at least
an Italian. to fail to love one face bet
ter than another.