Daily inter mountain., 1900-12-28

The curtain had fallen and the singer,
with the smile suddenly slipping from
her face like a mask, gathered up her
| silken robe and turned toward her dress
| ing-room. Beyond that curtain a great
roar was going up, but she scarcely
knew it was applause until the hero
stopped her.
'"They are tearing the house down."
he cried exultingly. 'You must go on,
If it's only to bow.
SO she put the smile on again and went
out and bowed, but they would not have
1t so. The roar grew deafening and
swelled into a thunder storm of clapping
hands and pounding canes.
And while she stood there, hes,ta ting,
| violin down in the orchestra began a
| soft low wall that was like the ghost of
The Old Kentucky Home"
| They thought for moment that she
was about to faint. They saw her close
her eyes and cover them with her hand,
While her slender figure swayed; and
| there We're even some who said after
| wards that they saw the glitter of tears
| on her cheeks. But the majority de-
! clared it the finest piece of acting they
| had ever seen, especially when she looked
down with that frightened bewildered
air at the figure of the musician.
Presently. though the slight form
Strengthened; the eyes opened and looked
! at something far away. 1t was a mo-
| ment before they found that she was
| singing: singing in a soft, absent, home
! sick voice that seemed part of "a dream.
| Why it was that the song made them
/ weep they did not know but there was
flutter of handkerclliefs everywhere,
and they looked at her through tears.
| ux-1,o r; hi
| in world where there We're songs like
| this? If there had been applause before,
| this was an ovation.
The manager met her behind the cur
tain and reminded her that she had
| given him an option on her next season,
if she sung for anybody.
She was in the dressing-room in mo-
ment throwing herself down with a
sigh.
! The maid handed her a great cluster
| of exquisite roses, With the glitter OF
jewels down among them She tossed
| it to the table, with a frown the flowers
| did not deserve.
But mademoiselle will see heem one
| little meenute?' asked Marie insinuat-
fngly mindful of the liberal fee for her.
self which had come with the roses.
"Oh, Marie, don't speak of him." she
i cried wearily. ''Get these things off-and
keep everybody out. 1 am SO deathly
| tired
"Ees mademoiselle not well?" asked
Marie, as She deftly removed the stage
trappings and substituted the street cos
| rume. when mademoiselle pleases
every one she should be happy
But Marie's Establishments were of no
! avail. The young singer was looking
! back over the weeks since she had be-
| come a sudden success since she had
! been lifted from the chorus to the higher
ranks; since her name was on every
body's lips. Men had thronged around
her, had offered her attentions which
! sickened her soul, had pursued her with
tattery. Among them all there was not
| one sincere or honest soul; not one who
was chivalrous enough to save her from
temptation if it came. If there We're
| only one on whom she could depend
one who would stand by her like a
| brother.
She began humming something softly
| to herself. The one who had paused
outside the door heard the murmured
| words:
"They sing no more by the glimmer of
| the moon
! On the bench by the old cabin door,
But lnduelnOlSelle Deg TO De excuse
| this evening"" sad Marie, in response
| to his knock.
'"Tell mademoiselle it is the violin in
| the orchestra" said a low voice; and in
a moment he stood before her.
| She arose as he came toward her; her
face ,blanched, here eyes wide with some
thing like terror.
He was tall and bronzed and well
worth looking at.
"And it was you," she said presently,
with the suggestion of a catch in her
voice. How did you find your way into
the orchestral
TT was only for the night" he said
quietly Il was determined to find you
and the leader is an old friend Of mlne
told him l knew what you would like
| best for an encore, of all the songs in
the world-and l was right, wasn't L?
1t was great suceess-the morning pa
pers will have more to say about that
than about the waltz song"
You have no right to follow me up
and annoy met she exclaimed haugIh-
tily.
Marie, had gone out, and she could
have it out with this man who had come
up like a ghost out of her old life.
Il have no rights at all, where you
are concerned Nora he said, with the
same impass.ve quiet.
The Old name went through her with
a thrill, and it was in rebellion against
the momentary weakness that she cried
scornfuiy:
''Then you follow me without the
right"
II follow you because I must, Nora"
he replied; mot for any interest of my
own. Do you think I would be such
cur as to urge my love on you when
you threw it away as you did? No.
am not here to talk of love to you'
slow color crept up into the face
that had been SO pale. Her eyes fell.
You are very kind" she said, with
touch of weariness under the words.
"You don't ask me why l came" he
went on steadily. "And yet you should