The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-29
A Heart of Pearls.

|
A loud burst of applause greeted the
| famous singer, Olympia, as she finished
| the Queens song at the Gaiety Theater.
OF Olympia's origin nothing was known,
| though there were many stories circuiat-
! ing about her. The one which gained
! most general credence portrayed her "a
| a great lady who had been drawn ire
| sistibly from a high social position to the
stage, and, thereupon, disowned by her
family. The only certainty felt about
her was that her reputation was ire
| proachable, and that she kept the scores
| of adorers constantly rotating about her
at respectable distance.
When the song ended the queen retired
! to a throne to receive the homage Of the
! subjects in the play. 1t was sumptu-
Gus procession which passed before her
| in gorgeous costume. Each subject, as
! he passed his queen, stopped, bowed, and
| then moved on to make room for the
next. One among the number had ex-
cited her interest and her sympathy. He
| seemed different from the others; his
/ bearing was dignified, his face refined,
his manners perfect. That he had suffer
ed some misfortune she felt as sure as
that he was worthy of something better
than humble part in a fairy opera.
When the play was over she pointed
| him out to the manager.
who is that MANI" she asked.
"a poor devil named Chatelain,'' replied
the manager. There are hundreds like
him, doing this kind of work for three
francs a day."
The manager was mistaken. His poor
devil Chatelain' was in reality a Span
ish gentleman named Juan Rodriguez de
| Penaflor. Born in Madrid, reared in the
midst of luxury. ne had inherited at his
parents death an enormous fortune.
Through bad management and extrava-
gance this had gradually been reduced
| until only a small part remained. This
Juan thought TO use in the only way he
knew as means of redeeming the
| whole, at the gambling table, and here
he lost all that was left to him.
1t was at this time and under these
circumstances that he fell in love with
Olympia. The very hopelessness of his
passion deepened it, and he worshiped
her as q Greek might have worshiped a
woddess. 1t was through his love that
the greatest temptation of his life came
to him.
On one of the most frequented boule-
wards, in a jewelers. window, he had no.
ticed an exquisite piece of jewelry a
heart of pearls-and from the moment
his eyes fell upon it he had longed to
possess it in order to present it to his
queen as token of his alteration.
One day the heart was gone from the
window and Juan could see it inside the
shop, lying, with many other pieces, on
the counter. He stepped inside, where
several people stood looking at all sorts
of beautiful things displayed by the jew
eler.
The heart of pearls was pushed little
away from the others; the people were
not looking his way; his hand stole out
and slowly moved toward the cherished
object He turned cautiously to make
sure he was unobserved and looked
straight into the face of the Olympia
the singer, who was standing just behind
him.
II saw you and followed you in she
continued. Il have wanted to speak to
you for a very long time. I am sure
that You can find something better than
your present position in the Gaiety. If
you will take my card to Roberts, the
theatrical agent I am sure he can find
you something more suited to you,' and
she drew a card from her pocketbook
and wrote an address on it with little
gold pencil and handed it to Juan.
He managed to stammer his thanks,
and she left him without knowing what
she had saved him from.
Sleep did not come to Juan that night.
Looking over his next mornings paper,
his eyes fell upon the following an
nouncement:
Don Jaime de Penafor, who died re-
Gently at Madrid. has left his entire for
tune to his nephew, Juan Rodriguez de
Penafor, who left Spain some years ago.
Every effort is being made to find him. "
The beautiful singer Olympia had just
returned to Paris from a successful tour
| through Europe, and every seat in the
house was sold for the opening night.
When the actress opened her dressing
room, on the table lay a large bunch of
lilies of the valley, and beside them a
small jewel box. She opened it, and saw
lying on white velvet a beautiful heart
Of pearls of exquisite workmanship. The
name on the card was strange to her
Don Juan de Penaf1or."
After her last triumphant appearance
of that evening a card was brought to
her bearing the same name.
II will Sc him." she said to the boy.
When he came in she recognized him
instantly, and it was her turn to be con-
fused.
you are not NJ Chatelain?" she said.
"No mademoiselle; 1 have come to my
own again. he replied, simply; but
have never forgotten your kindness"
IT must thank you for your gifts
said Olympia The flowers l will keep,
but the pearls I will ask you to take, as
, I cannot accept them. They are much
; too precious for singer who thinks on
ly of her art"
"If Olympia cannot accept them as a
singer, can she not do so as the promised
wife Of the Marquis Penafor?'
At the close Of Olympias Paris en-
gagement a simple wedding took place
at a little suburban chapel covered with
ivy. The bride carried lilies of the val
ley, and her only ornament was a heart
of pearls.-From French.