Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-03-13
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Valuable Voice.
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comic opera troupe. He was very bust
nesslike with the members of his COM
pany, but they all liked him.
One morning he was receiving apph-
cations of candidates for the chorus. A
girl with brown eyes and comedy face
and figure was admitted.
you are'-he asked deferentially.
looking admiringly at one unusually
refined for chorus singer.
"LeOnaretta Traver.'
"You sing
Soprano
After trial of her voice she was en-
gagged.
Leonaretta sang so we'll that she was
soon cast for one of the inferior parts.
| At the first rehearsal after the assign
ment she astonished the manager by
singing a deep contralto. Few women
could reach the notes she struck.
whats the matter with your vOicer
asked the manager, astonished.
Don't know, sir"
"YOu have been singing soprano for
two weeks, and now you have bloomed
into a contralto."
Sometimes my voice is much lower
than at others"
'Your part isn't written for con-
tralto. I'll have to change it or change
you. / don't want to do either"
81 may be able to sing soprano when
] | 60 ON in costume"
The manager studied the matter,
looking the while at the girl curiously.
1t was a very strange case.
well" he said presently. "Pll have
to make some change in the part and
have it ready in case you come before
the audience with those profundo
notes."
Leonaretta sang contralto till the
evening of the first performance. when
she came to the theater looking pale
and thin.
by Jove." said the manager, you
look as if you'd been keelhauled! hope
there's no new voice to provide for"
"Pve had a sick SPELL replied the
girl. p think my natural voice has
come back"
"Whaty'
81 shall sing soprano tonight"
The manager hurried off to attend to
another matter, but his mind was on
the girl and this remarkable change of
voice. When Leonaretta went on, she
sang soprano like bird and so delight
ed the audience that the manager was
delighted also and cast her for a higher
part at the next performance.
One morning Leonaretta was in the
managers private office drawing her
salary when he looked up at her and
said:
I'm going to put on a piece next
week with a mans part in it that
would just suit that contralto voice
you took on not very long ago. Now, il
you could only call it up at will, Ia
cast you for the part and pay you $50
q week"
when is the first rehearsalT
con the 18th"
al may sing contralto by that time"
You may?'
Eyes"
"What makes you think SOP
"Well, I'm liable to relapse at any
time and haven't had one for a long
while. It's due now"
Nonsense"
He engaged a baritone for the part,
who deserted three hours before the
performance. Leonaretta was with the
manager when he received the unwel-
come news.
III take the part she said.
"You? Has your voice relapsed"
"Not yet, but 1 think it will before
o'clock this evening"
"Well, upon my word! Do you mean
to say that
"I'H be here ready for the part, de-
pend upon it" And she skipped out
before the manager could recover from
his establishment
at $40 o'clock she went on with one
of the finest baritone voices that had
been heard in that house during the
season. She had been announced YER
bally as Signor Barilli to take the part
of the man whose name was on the
programmes. At the end of each act
Signor Barilli was called before the
curtain and at the end of the opera re-
ceived perfect ovation.
"Now, see here" said the manager
after the performance. You're a Won
der. You're worth much more than
am paying you. A girl who can sing
soprano or baritone at will is worth a
fortune. We start on the road next
week, and if you'll go with me and
will guarantee to sing the different
parts as 1 may require I'll give you a
hundred a week and all expenses. You
see, l save the salary and travelling ex-
penses of one principal role. I'll make
you another proposition" He dropped
his businesslike tone and spoke fer
vently. 'You know very well that you
have long been my favorite in the COM
pany. Indeed, 1 may say that ever
since 1 first saw you I've been dead
gone on you. Will you marry me?"
The girl burst into a laugh.
"Come home with me-" she said, "and
talk it over"
The manager consented. and when
they reached Leonaretta's lodgings she
excused herself for few moments.
She soon returned hand in hand with a
young fellow, the very counterpart Of
| herself hpr twin brother