The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-08-01

ulbug-d voice All lllts al Nbltt an Suul.
trembled: the audience quivered.
Still that strange being stood in the same
position; still did her great, luminous
eyes gaze continually upward. She SEEM
ed not to heed her fellow artists. She
would glide by them like vision, light,
ethereal, graceful. No one heard her
walk.
Again the curtain went down. Again
the delighted audience cried out in a
delrium of joy.
Immediately sought Cassella's apart
ments as before, but they were empty,
and returned to listen to the animated
discussions among the audience.
"Cassella is eclipsed," they said II
seems that no one but Barzillai. the
tenor, had spoken to her. He told her of
his wonder. his admiration, and she an
swered him in Milanese dialect, I'VE
shall meet again."
The bell rang. and the curtain went up
slowly. The lights seemed dim, the at
mosphere murky; the heat was sitting,
but upon the entrance of the mysterious
singer a chill seemed to pervade every
one.
The audience listened breathlessly, and
pernatural beauty. | noticed that from
one of her ears hung a large, bright stone,
similar to the one | held in my hand.
Scarcely had seen it when she caught
my eye. She smiled-the only time.
averted my gaze. The music went on.
The scene where the unhappy Lucia.
after having been dragged to the altar by
her heartless brother, realizes the full
atrocity of his conduct. seemed to influ-
ence the somber, spirtlike prima donna,
for she reused herself at last and acted
with the frenzy of passion-acted with
the sublimity of pathos and despair. She
was intense, superb, in the mad scene.
Her voice had sobs of anguish
The eliminating point arrived, and the
pains and pangs of Donzetti's master
piece vibrated on her lips as they had
never done before. She gazed wildly,
stupidity, about when she stopped. The
curtain went down slowly. The house
was in tears.
In half an hour all New Orleans
knew of the miraculous performance at
the st. Charles theater. The last act was
listened to without interest, Lucia not
appearing in it. Nothing occurred except
Barzilai, who was taken i'll at his hotel
and who, | afterward learned, died that
night.
New Orleans outdoors all fun, frolic
and animation, could not comprehend the
story told and repeated in the cafes and
on the streets by members of the audi
ence. The reports were called eXagger-
ated and the singers phenomenal voice a
myth.
But no one could find her. She disap-
peared as soon as the curtain was lower
ed, and the manager told me confidential
ly that he was as nonplused as the audi
ence.
Full of conflicting thoughts, | walked
homeward and heard again through the
quiet streets far away from the riot and
revel of the carnival the heavenly echo of
that unutterably divine voice.
| walked on and passed across the st.
Mary cemetery, near by my lodgings. 1t
was late. The noise of the city's festivi-
ties reached my ear from time to time
family, but needed it not, wrapped as |
was in my own thoughts.
Within a few steps of my boarding
house, separated by Il high wall from the
tllu vi lut SiUNtN ulNs lutlC bNlltdll u
few cypress trees, in the full glare of the
moon. saw a sight that made me shud-
der with an unknown fear. lmpcled by a
power not my own, advanced to the
spot and remarked with establishment
that a tomb had been desecrated. The
sod on either side had been strewn and
scattered here and there footprints were
plainly visible, and to my horror | saw
that the coffin was open. In it, wrapped
in faded yellow shroud, was a human
form. ! was about to go for assistance
when my eye was attracted by a twin
king near the head of the coffin. | stoop-
ed over and to my amazement saw dia-
mond earring in the lobe of the corpse's
ear-the mate to the one | had found in
Cassella's dressing room.
The moonlight, checkered by the tree
boughs, did not allow me to get view of
the face, and trembling like a leaf | drew
aside and lighted match. Approaching
l gazed on the face before me. 1t was
that of the spectral songstress.
Utterly bewildered, with haggard eyes
and quivering knees, | grasped at the
coffin lid and hurriedly replaced it over
the CHASTITY face: On the plate was en-
graved: Virginia Grazzani, Queen of
Soprano. Died September, 1899. Requi-
escat In Pace"
A wild thrill of horror came over me,
and fell senseless. For weeks | raved
in delirium. When | had sufficiently re-
covered, left New Orleans and came
north, where | have made my home ever
since. People were still talking about the
mysterious prima donna and the famous
representation of Lucia.
They have not understood, but be-
lieve in spirits.-Omaha World-Herald.