Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-05-25
"A. COLD, STONY GAZE.
HOW EMMA JVCH FROzE AN INDIS-
- GREET REPORTER.

- GREET REPORTER.
An Interview In Which the Sympa-
thet1c Newspaper Man Got an Invi-
tation to Retire and the Menda-
ciOus One Got the Story.
I never heard the critics accuse EN-
ma Juch of lacking sympathy or fire in
her art, but there must be scores of in
reviewers in this country ready to
swear that she was reared on lemon ice
Upon occasions Nine. Juch appeared
the personi6cation of joyousness, the
very goddess of mirth, but these occur
usually when guarantees look bona fide
and when there happens to be no other
lady soloist on the bill. "
Unluckily I encountered the famous
songstress at time when che had lost
$500 by the rascality. as she expressed
it, of st. Paul manager; also, as 1t
happened, Mile. Clementine de We're
was on the programme, strong in her
possession Of fresh young voice that
thrilled audiences in aria or ballad and
won applause of the spontaneous sort
that critics call ovation. Nine. Juch re-
ceived the applause, but not the ova-
tion, and. per consequence. was un-
happy.
Hearing that the fair warbler had
sustained financial reverse, the editor
of the Minneapolis Journal naturally
wanted to know all about it for pub
lication. and / happened to be detailed
for the, interview. Nine. .Juch was at
the West hotel I sent up my card, and
despite the somewhat unreasonable
hour-it was scarcely half past 10 in
the morning-received an invitation to
visit the prima donna.
Just as wis about to enter the ele-
vator a reporter for another afternoon
newspaper stepped up. He was rather
new man. an excellent fellow, but, as
it seemed to Tue, somewhat lacking in
finesse. E
''1'm going up to see Emma he
said. "Where are you goinge"
"Same erzand," I replied. "We'd
better tackle her one at q time. hadn't
wet"
"Lord, moi" he responded. "We'H
both 60 in at once. You do the talking,
and I'll take notes.
The plan didn't suit me very well,
but there seemed no help for it. As we
entered the apartment, Nine. Juch
rose from her lounging chair and took
a step forward. She was attired in
some sort of loose, white morning gown.
with dash of color here and there that
made the thing look as if it cost 81, 900.
Ny companion gasped and subsided on
a horseh air settee near the door.
Nine. Juch appeared majestic, statu-
esque. magnificent, if you will, but
cold-very cold. She bade me be seated
in a refrigerated tone and asked to
what she was indebted for the honor,
etc. Heaven defend me from the not
able who opens an interview that wayl
A queer noise reached me from the
direction of the settee, and I supposed
the other fellow was swinging his arms
to keep warm, but dared not look
around. -.
In as few words as possible I ex-
planned the object of the call, threw in
a few mild remarks indicative of my
belief that the st. Paul manager was a
soulless scoundrel, who ought to be
lynched, and then I waited.
It is entirely unnecessary to recapit-
ulate the interview. Nine. Juch went
over the conditions Of her contract and
described the treatment to which she
had been subjected with some little ap-
proach to warmth of expression. She
really seemed to be thawing when that
unregenerate wretch over on the hcrse-
hair settee Clipped in. The singers re-
cital of her financial woes had excited
his ire against the man who had de-
frauded her, and he blurted out, refer
ring to the recreant manager:
''He's big stiff; that's what he is
a big stiffr'
I shall never forget the expression of
acute nausea that enshrouded the usual
ly immobile countenance Of the great
artistic as she turned, with cold, stony
gaze-a gaze that would freeze liquid
air-in the direction Of the voice and
carefully focused the other man with
her lorgnette. saw the other man
shrink fearfully. He looked just about
a tight fit for a bantam's egg when the
lorgnette landed.
"Good gracious!'' said Nine. Juch in
panied way. ''Do you-er- know
that person3"
"Never saw him before in my life,"
I replied. It was mean thing to do,
but the paper wanted an interview, and
I hadn't half finished.
"Would you-er-mind leaving the
room," said lovely Emma, addressing
the other fellow. Perhaps detective
sort Of a person, don't you thinkf" she
added as the other fellow escaped.
I indorsed the opinion and went on
with the interview. which lasted an
other Is minutes Then I bowed myself
out and hunted the other man. intend.