Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1900-10-11

to have come up to the castle one day
when you sang to the villagers. ana
that she lost her chance through this
illness. She raves and weeps alternate
ly and will not sleep, begging always
to be taken to you so that she might
ask you to sing one little song to her"
"Where Is she? Take me to her, doc
tor, and will sing to her at once"
Half an hour later, with all her soul
In her exquisite voice, she was stand
ing in the cottage singing song OF life
and love to the bewildered Villagers
while the sick child, propped up by pill
lows to hear the desire of her heart
cried out that 1t was an angel who had
come In answer to her prayers.
1t was midnight, twelve hours since
Eva had charmed away the shadow Of
death from the village home, and she
was holding a great assembly hushed
and spellbound, while her voice. no
longer softened and subdued, rang with
all its glorious power through the large
opera hall which she had lately added
to her castle.
| 1t was the moment Of her browning
triumph, the moment when Desdemona,
realizing to the full her danger, and the
infiexible purpose Of Othello, trans
formed by jealousy into murderer,
ceased to plead for her life, and in
stead proudly and passionately de-
clared her innocence.
Count Devas, the Italian singer, who
had already won universal applause for
his wonderful rendering Of OthellO,
faced her, the madness of rage that was
consuming him portrayed wildly In
every feature of his face, in every
movement of his tense, nervous fingers.
There was silence. intense, dead 81
lence for an instant as Eva's last note
died away and then, as she covered her
eyes with her hands, the Count, with
one swift step, was at. her side. press
| ing with ruthless hands the cushion on
her upturned face. and the curtain be-
gan slowly to descend on the death
| scene.
An electric thrill ran through the
audience, the horror and despair of the
tragedy before them seemed suddenly
! real and tangible; the scream, strang. ed
In its birth, that came from the beauti-
full singer seemed an appeal to them for
help; and then an amazing thing &C.
cured.
| In the excitement Of the scene no one
had noticed the sudden arrival In the
hall of DR.. Harrowden, who, pale and
breathless. stood watching the descent
of the curtain. until, apparently over
powered by impulse. he ran up the hall.
leaped up to the stage, and. springing
across the footlights, threw himself
upon the Count.
In the desperate struggle that ensued.
momentary as 1t was, before the para
lived onloOkers rushed to separate the
combatants, no one noticed that Eva
herself had not moved, and lay still
under the cushions.
There was the flash Of knife. an ex.
clamation from DR.. HarrOwden. and
then, as he dropped. stabbed in the
shoulder, a dozen hands were on the
Count, and, though he fought with the
limitless strength of a mailman, he was
overpowered at last by numbers, and
carried off the stage. bound and help
less.
DR.. Harrowden, whose faintness was
only temporary, had risen already. and.
dlsregarding the help offered him, hur-
ried to the couch and raised the cush-
Ions.
Eva lay there insensible, with the
40 sxv1,t t1,a
Counts fingers had gone near to suffo-
eating her.
DR.. Harrowden bent and laid his ear
to her lips and heart.
"She Is not dead" he said briefly.
Garry her to her room. will attend
to her"
Wondering EXPLANATIONS broke out on
all sides. What had happened? Had
the Count really attempted Eva's life?
How had the doctor been aware of her
danger? And thousand other ques-
tons and surmises. Later. when Eva,
very weak and ILL., had recovered con-
seriousness, she told the story of the
Counts strange. wild love for her, an
infatuatiOn which had seized him when
they first met in the Opera House mt
Milan. Of her inability to shake or the
influence which he exercised over her.
in spite OF her dread and dislike Of him.
Of his appearance at the castle when
she was arranging the cast OF "Othel-
TO-" and imperious demand to be allow
ed to remain there and to play the title
role.
"uow can ever thank you enou"h? ?"