The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-04
A Cha nge of Program.

| When Alicia Hinton first came to Chi
| cago to study vocal music she confident
| ~ expected 10 become famous soon. she
knew 50 well just how fame was to come.
First, lessons Of a really good teacher,
| who was 20 discover her wonderful tai
| emit Immediately and do great things for
her, then concert appearances multiply
ing with grand opera, fame. But wnen
| the first step had been taken so thor
oughly that the hard earned money saved
up for the singing lessons had all melted
away the outlook seemed dark and
dreary. The great teacher could do
nothing for Alicia. He had never said
that he could. as Alicia was forced TO
admit, but he had spoken largely and
mySteriously of the church work
which could pretty generally be found
if one knew how TO go about it, and
Alicia had taken his generalities liter
ally, as he had meant that she should.
No; he could not wait for the money for
more lessons until she had pupils. She
had lovely voice, true, but il needed
much more training, and there were
plenty of similar voices in Chicago. She
had better go back TO the country and
teach urtil she had more money-which
Alicia, far various reasons, was deter
mined not to do. So she struggled and
sought work and hoped and prayed and
agonized until her last dollar was gore
and she couldn't go down ITO luncheon
because she was ashamed to do So.
owing such big board bill, and then
she sat in her own room and sang soft
ly to herself. She didn't sing because
she was happy, but because she was a
singer by nature and couldn't help It..
And the man changing his cuffs in the
room next door thought he had never
heard sweeter music.
Presently the maid brought Alicia word
that Mr.. Warner would like to see her
in the parlor Mr.. Warner was the man
whose room was next to her own. Alicia
just knew him to speak to- that was all,
but she thought his attractive and man
ly. She felt most too tired and listless
TO wonder Nnat he wanted with her
but she smoothed her hair and gave her
necktie a little feminine jerk neverthe-
less. Then she went down to the parlor
and stood listening to Mr.. Warner
Il was just listening to you as you
sang, Miss Hinton, he said. "You
have a beautiful voice.
Alicia smiled family. To speak of her
voice just now was like speaking OF
somebody dear and dead, since her hopes
for that voice had vanished But Mr.
Warner went on, gravely:
Il do not know what your circum-
stances are, Miss Hinton. but your voice
attracts me so much that l should Ike
TO make You business proposition, any
way. The firm with which l am con-
nected makes business of preparing
Photographic cylinders, and if you cared
to spend an hour or two a day filing
these cylinders 1 could assure you hand
some pay"
l should be only too glad to do so,
Mr.. Warner" said Alicia, bravely, al
though with a momentary, unavoidable
pang at the thought of the other things
she had hoped to do with her voice, and
the matter was settled. She made q trial
of the work that afternoon and was pro-
nounced success. The landlady waited
for her money cheerfully, being a kind
hearted woman when she wasn't COM
PEELED to steel this same kind heart or
be worsted in life's battle, and the worn
out shoes and shabby gowns soon came
to be replaced by handsome new ones.
Best Of all. too, the singing lessons
under another really good teacher"
howeyer-were resumed shortly, and now
for all this happened nearly three
years ago-the church position is a real
ity. Mis- Alicia Hinton appears fire.
quently on concert programs, and Paris
doesn't seem so far away. But the
grand opera dream has been relocated
to the real of dreams only. Alicia prom
ised to marry Mr.. Warner some months
ago, and they have agreed that mar
rover fields will content her.