The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1899-09-16
A COLD, STONY GAZE.
HOW EMMA JUCH FROzE AN INDlS-
GREET REPORTER.

An Interview In which the sympa-
tb4sic Newspaper Man Got an Invi-
tation to Retire and the Menda-
ciOus One Got the story.
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 personification 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 l encountered the famous
songstress at a time when she had lost
$500 by the rascality, as she expressed
it. of a st. Paul manager; also, as it
happened, Mile. Clementine de We're
was on the programme, strong in her
possession of a 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 a financial reverse, the editor
of the Minneapolis Journal naturally
wanted to know all about it for pub
LEGATION, and l happened to be detailed
for the interview. Nine. Juch was at
the West hotel. 1 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 | was about to enter the ele-
vator a reporter for another afternoon
newspaper stepped up. He was a rather
new man, an excellent fellow, but, as
it seemed to me, somewhat lacking in
finesse.
'I'm going up to see Emma" he
said. Where are you going?"
'Same Grand" l replied. "We'd
better tackle her one at a time, hadn't
weY"
Lord, mol" he responded. "We'll
both go in at once You do the talking.
and I'll take notes"
The plan didn't suit me very well,
but there seemed nc 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 a dash of color here and there that
made the thing look as if it cost 81, 600.
My companion gasped and subsidized on
a horsehair settee near the door.
Nine. Juch appeared majestic, statu-
esque, magnificent, if you will, but
cold-very cold. She babe me be seated
in a refrigerated tone and asked to
what she was indebted for the honor,
etc. Heaven defend mt from the not
able who opens an interview that wayl
A queer noise reached me from the
direction of the settee, and | supposed
the other fellow was swinging his arms
to keep warm, but l dared not look
around.
In as few words as possible l ex-
planned the object of the call, threw in
a few mild remarks indicative of my
belief that the st. Paul manager was a
s~oulless scoundrel, who ought to be
lyncneQ, ana Gnen L Walleu.
1t 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 APP
proach to warmth of expression. She
really seemed to be thawing when that
unregenerate wretch over ON the horse
ho;, e14+na 1hirnnl ~ Tho oi posoy.,o no
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:
Hes a big stiff that's what he is
a big stiff"
/ shall never forget the expression Of
acute nausea hat e~nshrouded the usual
ly immobile countenance of the grea'
artistic as she turned, with a cold, stony
gaze-a gaze that would freeze liqui(
air-in the direction of the voice an(
carefully focused the other man will
her lorgnette. i saw the other mai
shrink fearfully. He looked just abou
a tight fit for a bantam's egg when tn
lorgnette landed.
| GOOD g%raciousl' said Nine. Juch il
a panied way, "Do you-er-knov
that personP"
"Never saw him before in my life,
: l replied. 1t was a mean thing to do
t but the paper wanted an interview, an,
l hadn't half finished.
would you-er-mind leaving tn
ROOM" said lovely Emma, addressini
the other fellow. 'Perhaps a detectiv
9 sort of a person, don't you think2" sh
added as the other fellow escaped.
I l Endorsed the opinion and went O.
with the interview, which lasted an
other 10 minutes. Then I bowed mysel
out and hunted the other man, intend
ing to placate him, but he wouldn'
speak to me and hasn't since. Tha
chap doesn't appreciate the exigencie
, bf the profession. Minneapolis jour