Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-06

very incarnation of willful coquetry and
diablerie. but before this quiet simple
professor. with the calm gaze that
searched her soul, she was only a wo-
man, trembling with hope and fear
under the eyes of the man she loved.
He had not readily yielded himself a
victim to her beauty as others had done.
She had had to fight for his love with
every power of mind and body, and it
was this sense of something uncOnquer-
able in the man that had been his final
charm for her, for underneath all the
vaneer of her culture was the savage
nature that exulted in the strength
that mastered it.
Mam'selle's uncle was aghast He
had planned a brilliant and wealthy
match for her, and that she should
throw herself away on Il mere school
teacher-a man with neither money nor
rositon-filled the rich merchant with
furious amazement. There was a
stormy scene between him and MANI
selle in which he forbade her to ever
see or speak to her lover again. At
the end she stood up, tall and straight
before him, her dark eyes flashing fire.
II will marry him." she cried. though
the arch-angel Gabriel himself should
forbid it,.
IF you do, out of these doors into
the street, a beggar you CO." returned
the old man passionately.
Mam'selle gathered up a little lace
shawl she wore about her shoulders
and made him mocking courtesy.
Il CO. she simply said.
The professor himself was not in the
city. or perhaps Mam'selle had taken
SSrsS, nj hnr
thought was 20 take angry leave of her
uncle. and acting upon the impulse.
she called to Toinette to bring her her
gloves and bonnet, and in moment
they We're hurrying down the street.
Always music and the stage had been
| calling to Mam'selle, and almost with.
| out vOlition she found herself breath
| lessly questioning the impressario of
! the French opera. Could he-would he
give her an opportunity to sing?
! Would he enroll her among his artists?
! M'sieu bowed himself to the ground
! before the petted society beauty. He
| knew of her voce-in Paris-her old
| master had told him. "Ah. but lie bon
Dieu. was good to him. 1t would be
! given to him to present new diva
| to the world. When all was said, MANI
sel!e's coming was nothing short of a
miracle. for the artistic who was to have
sung tonight is indsposed. The opera
"L'Africanne" The role? Selika.
Nam selle knows Il. and can sing to-
night. Otti? Oh. tres bon"
| Blown by some intangible wind of
| gossip, the news flew through the city
| that Mamse!e was to make her debut
in opera that night. and when the cur
tain went up the house was crowded
J with critical and wondering audi
| ence From the first note her triumph
! was superb. Never had the score been
| sung so brilliantly. and as the story
| of the slaves passion for her master
! unfOlds-the eternal tragedy Of the love
of the black woman for the white man
the spectators sat spelibound, tense
! emotion. while the rich. falcon voice
thrilled through the house with its cry
of hopeless love and despair. But un-
derneath all the fury Of enthusiasm that
| stormed about her. what was this dead
ly cold whisper that crept from lip to
lip and blanchcd every cheek?
1t said that Mam'selle was a negress!
She had but darkened her skin q
little to depict Seiika, the slave Vascc
; Da Gamma brought home with him
after his voyage in strange lands. but
in an instant, in a lightning's flash
everybody knew, and the truth was
written for every eye to read. Intan-
gible suspicious took shape. Half for.
gotten gossip was recalled. A mar
whispered behind his hand the story
of a beautiful quadrOOn. who was
(;rigsby's hOusekeeper in his yOunge,
days. and the mystery Of old Grigsby's
niece was a mystery no longer.
Evil news flies apace. and when the