The Elk Mountain pilot., 1899-11-07
ROMANCE OF A VOICE.
THE LOVE STORY OF A SINGER
OF VIRGINIA.
Has Made Piucky Struggle for RecoR
nition-During Her Dark Days She
Met Benefactor Who Is to Become
Her Husband.

Here is a charming romance of to-
day, fresh from the lapidary's wheel,
scven-starred brilliant of a story for
novelist looking for plot: Sanders
was Virginian. He was well to do,
had many slaves, and fine old South
ern home Of the ante-bellum kind.
When the civil war began, he entered
the artillery and served with distinc-
ton on the Confederate side. The war
burned up his fortune. But he did not
let misfortune break his heart. When
the war was over he took off his coat
and earned a modest competency for
his wife and the girl child who came
into the family later. Col. Sanders
died in 1880, when Margaret was little
more than a baby. He left a few Sc
curities, little money in the bank, a
small life insurance, for the support
Of his widow and the baby. When
Margaret passed from girlhood to
young womanhood it was found that
she had sweet soprano voice, which
promised great things. Encouraged by
the best teachers of Richmond. Va,
where they lived, the mother spent
freely OF her small fortune to have
the voice cultivated
MY voice is my fortune" said Mar
garet. I'VE must make it support us
in the future" She believed that with
1t she would be able to climb the hard
but golden ladder which leads to sue
cess on the concert platform or the
operaic stage.
When Richmond's teachers had done
IL al Go, No T1
her mother went to New York and
sought an engagement where there are
so many places to be filled and so
many singers to fill them.
She made the round of the agencies.
She called upon the persons to whom
she had letters of introduction. She
steeled her heart against many re-
bluffs, which often made her weep on
her mothers breast, and refused to
take No" for an answer. She was
tried by the Castle Square manage
ment and was rejected. She tried to
get an audience with Mr.. Grau and
failed. At last she got the promise
of chance to sing in a church in
New York in case the soprano soloist
should be taken Ill. But she was a
healthy girl. who went through the
season without SO much as suffering
from a cough" says Miss Sanders, who
can smile now over those dark days.
Meanwhile the little stock of money
was dwindling. The New York music
master was eating up the dollars in
huge mouthfuls.
Mamma" said the young Virginian
one day, II am going to do something
desperate. We will go to London. en-
gage the hest singing teacher we can
find. spend our last dollar IL necessary
and command Dame Fortune to be
kind. Make or breaks the motto. II
l can't become singer I'll turn kit
chenmaid." They went. In her pocket
were letters which Albert G. Smith, a
young business man of New York city
and fellow pupil here, had obtained
for her from influential people. She
engaged for a teacher an ex-impresario
of note in London, who brought out
the latent possibilities of her voice
wonderfully, and soon secured profit
able concert engagements for her. Mr..
Smith went to Europe last spring. He
met Miss Sanders at the home of n
friend in Kensington. She thanked
him for the help that he had given her,
and told him that her professional fu-
ture was assured. She sang several
times that evening, and Mr.. Smith lis
tening to the new notes which had
been discovered in the liquid voice,
grew strangely jealous Of the public.
This story ends as all good love stories
should. But not until Mr.. Smith had
come back to this country and spent a
summer in the Adirondacks did the
answer come to the question which he
%-an