The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-22
A REMARKABLE
DISAPPEARANCE.

Snat part OF LONDON which. took an In
telligent interest in ali'that was passing
In the great world. Mile. Refine DIAL
vary, the famous cantatrice, who had
won paeans OF applause in Vienna, IN
st. Petersburg. and last. though assur-
eddy not least, In Paris. had vanished.
1t was on May "a that the Startling
fact became known. 1t was on Tuesday.
Mile. D'Aivary, whose beauty was duly
enualed by her talent, and OF whose
Marguerite in Faust the Paris "Fl-
caro-" critic had said there was no COM
parison with others, so excellent was 1t,
was billed" to appear In Gounod's
masterpiece But at 7:30 o'clock, the
star had not appeared at the theatre,
and the manager-in-chiel always ner-
yous and anxiety-haunted, sent his
second In command Off In hanson to
make inquiries.
But Mr.. Vian. the assistant manager,
on reaching the hotel near Leicester
square, could derive no asetul fntelli-
gence.. Yes. said the door porter the
lady had left; he had heard her tell the
driver OF the hanson TO 30 to Covent
Garden.
Wan putN W t.lt tUGulTe, MS
superior was waiting for him.
''Weli?"
"She left the hotel at.twenty-fve min
utes to s."
Have you changed the opera?"
mo: It Is impossible. Miss Brown
must take the part"
Meanwhile what had occurred to
Mile. D'Alvnry, who was absent from
the house where the exquisite overture
to Gounods opera was being played. 1t
was simply this: Refine was young
singer who had made her name In a
season and q half. She had no friends In
London. Besides the old dame who
travelled with her and the manager at
the opera house, SHE knew nobody in
the English capital. -
She had only arrived In London on
the 18th Of May. and she was TO sing
ten times during the season at n fabu-
1ous fee. That evening, when she got In
TO the cab she felt pleased. gratItied. md
hardly at all nervous. London would,
she was sure, treat her kindly
En- route the hanson became damned
in q maze OF traffic. ut the far end o,
which was a policeman holding UP HIS
hand. The cabman. as he sat there,
surveyed things In general, including
the copy of the evening paper. which
Idu tUlu MIN MS IlOIse WIS Il loser tnlt
day; suddenly felt his coat pulled. A
stnart-looking man, in a blue serge suit.
and q bowler hat. was standing Just
there.
"Cabby,"i he said. do you want to
earn fifty pounds?"
Yes. my lord" was the reply.
Then you will have It IL you do as
you are told"
What am I to do?"
Get off your box, hand me your
number, and let me drive"
But the Lady,"
Cant I drive herr"
"You are gammoning me?"
mo. Let me have the reins, and
drew out pocket5ook stuffed With
bank-notes.
The cabman hesltated.
IT was driving the lady to Covent
Gardea.' he said.
well. will drive her there. 1t Is only
for q wager"
But what about my cab?"
IT will meet you with 1t on the en-
bankment at Charlng Cross in an
hours time"
There will be no harm done?" 8
Not the least"
The capman got down. took the five
NtilHtIs "lIl-i Liz SNluStE Ileh Oul
to him. while the man In the blue serge
suit mounted on the box. A minute later
the traffic was released. and the hanson
in which Mile. D'AlvarY sat. dreaming
about her coming triumph. proceeded on
Its way under its new conductor.
But the new drivers way did not lead
TO Coyeat Garden. but In an entirely
different direction. He drove smartly In
TO the Haymarket, cantered his horse
through Trafalgar square and then
took Parliament street. which was COM
paratively free from traffic. At tho
corner OF Westminster Bridge he stop
ped. Near the Boadicea statue two
men were standing talking. The ANA
teur cabman stopped by then.
1t wac relatively speaking, dark
there. and neither the policeman on
duty opposite st. Stephens Club, nor
anybody else noticed anything unusual
happen. The "cabman" jumped down
and opened the door, while one OF the
other two men leaned forward and
passed handkerchief over the face of
the diva, whose voice was 20 have caus-
ed tears to flow at the opera house that
night The third man then leaned for
ward and lifted her out OF the cab.
a gray cloak was thrown round her
light blue dress. and the man who had
lifted her out Of the cab carried her
down the steps TO the river, being fol-
lowed By the "cabman" and the third
individual. The cab was left unattend-
ed, but the horse did not evInce any
tendency TO run away.
The clock at Westminster sounded the
hour Of 8. At the pier, which creaked AS
Il rose and fell, q smart steam zach;
was npoored; II was so close that the
men could step on board.
sTe q ncl,ol 10
forward.
yes"
Good"
An order was given and the vessel be-
gan to move rapidly away down stream
The captive was carried Into n mag
niicsntly furnished saloon. and handed
over to the care Of an elderly woman
who called the unconscious girl Poor
darling"
The yacht was n fast-goer; 1t raced
on under Charing Cross and Waterloo
bridges. and In half an hour had left
London behind. the only evidences OF
the city consisting OF lonely-looklng de.
tached buildings. which stood up out oil
waste fiat lands In the moonlight, which
was now wonderfully clear.
1t had been daylight for hours wher
Mile. Refine awoke the following morn.
ing out OF n troubled sleep. She tried
10 collect her thoughts She had start.
ed for the opera house. where she was
10 have sung. and then-and then what
did happen? she could remember moth.
ing--noth!rg. try, Us she might.
The door opened. and n woman enter.
ed, bearing q tray on which was q Sill
yer tea service and roll and somt
toast. The woman went up to the bet
and spoke.
''Wil you have some tea?" she said
'oIcase. but where am II"