Rock Island Argus., 1899-05-31
A COLD. STONY GAZE.
NOW EMMA JUcH FROzE AN INDIS-
GREET REPORTER.

An Interview In Which the Sympa-
thetic 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, hut 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 personifcation 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 1 encountered the famous
sougstress at a time when she 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 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.
sustained a financial reverse. the editor
of the Minneapolis Journal naturally
wanted to know all about it for pub
lication, and 1 happened to be detailed
for the interview. Nine Juch was at
the West hotel / sent up my card. and
despite the somewhat unreasonable
hour-it was scarcely half past 10 in
the mcrning-received an invitation to
visit the prima donna.
just as l was 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 me, somewhat lacking in
fnesse.
I'm going up to see Emma" he
said. Where are you gOing?'
Same errand, 1 replied. "We'd
better tackle her one at a time, hadn't
WEI"
Lord. mol" he responded. "We'n
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 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 a dash of color here and there that
made the thing look as if it cost 81, 900.
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 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 1 ex-
planned the object of the call, threw in
n few mild remarks indicative of my
belief that the st. Paul manager was
soulless scoundrel, who ought to be
lynched, and then l waited.
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 ap-
proach to warmth of expression. She
really seemed TO be thawing when that
wretch over on the horse
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 tine recreant manager:
"He's big stiff: that's what he is
a big stiff
/ shall never forget the expression of
acute nausea that enshrouded the usual
ly immobile countenance of the great
artistic as she turned. with a 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. 1 saw the other man
shrink fearfully. He looked just about
a tight tit for a bantam's egg when the
lorgnette landed.
Good graciousl'' said Nine. Juch in
a panied way. do you-er-know
that person2"
Never saw him before in my life,"
| replied. 1t was mean thing to do,
but the paper wanted an interview, and
L 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 think?" she
added as the other fellow escaped.
l indorsed the opinion and went on
with the interview. which lasted an
other ) minutes Then bowed myself
out and hunted the other man, intend
ing TO placate him. but he wouldn't
speak 10 me and hasn't since. That
chap doesn't appreciate the exigencies
Of the profession. n.-Minneapolis Jour
nal