Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1902-08-15

the swinging lanterns ane the low
music ga,e an Oriental tone 90 it ALL
( The throne was a marvel of beauty.
with the profusion Of palms and flow
ers, aud when the queen. followed by
a dozen girls, all gowned in White
took her place She was greeted by
shower Of roses and cheer of glad
ness.
The preceptresS had taken seat
near the stage. a strange gentleman
was with her. and wondered whom 10
coad be, for I had heard her say she
expected no one as her guest and he
did not seem to know any one else.
The audience was appreciative, and the
girls were doing nicely, when Herr
Leitz came TO me and said, hurriedly:
81 cannot find Marietta and her number
is next but one"
I followed him. The thought Of the
plan of the two girls came to my mind
and | wondered if they had carried it
out after all. looked here and there
and all ABOUT the school, softly call
ing Marietta, and finally found her by
the old stone wall near the chapel She
was a picture, standing in the moon
light, dressed in the same old gown she
had worn the day old Otto brought her
to MS
80, cannot sing. cannot sing when
they hate me So" she said.
! reminded her Of how kind Herr
Leitz had been and how hurt he would
feel if she disappointed him now, and
she went with me without further
words, but knew that she was trem-
bling, and wondered if she would be
able to sing atall.
Herr Leitz met us at the entrance to
the stage and said. joyfully: little
Marietta, you cannot fail; your voice is 1
divine, divinel say, come, they are
waiting"
The orchestra began to play strains
from the Bohemian Girl" and it
was then that realized why Marietta
had worn her old tattered gown. She
came before the people and her sweet
voice fosted out TO MS in the quiet Of
the evening. Even the leaves on the
trees seemed to listen with us, to the
old familiar words:
81 6reamt dwelt in marble halls.
with vassals and serfs at my side,
And OF all who assembled within those
walls.
That was the hope and the pride"
Marieta's voice was beautiful. and /
forgetting herself, the people and the
of the world. she sang with /
her soul. and the effect was all that
Herr Leitz had hoped for
The stranger with Miss King hadsalso I
forgotten the people and his surround /
ings. He had left his seat and was
standing on the stage with his arms 4
to Marietta. saying with
a voice full of longing and tenderness: |
my little girl! My little grill"
Marietta looked frightened for a mo-
ment, then pulling little locket from
her dress and looking at it intently,
then at the stranger, she rushed into
her fathers arms, and burst into tears.
It. was an act from real life after all,
and when we heard the true story Of
Old Gioto's death and how he had con-
fessed TO Marietta that she was a child
of noble birth and had been secreted
for revenge; how he had given her the
address Of her own people, and how
Miss King had sent messages. receiv-
ing no acknowledgement and how Ma
rieta had given up all hope, we were |
delighted at the unexpected ending Of
our entertainments
Marietta left MS and is now happy in I
sunny Italy. the child of fortune and of 1
love; and i'm all Of our hearts there is /
still a fondness for the sweet little 4
singer Of The hand organ days.-De- 1
troit Free Press.