Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1903-11-27

after having been dragged TO the altar
by her heartless brother, realizes the
full atrocity of his conduct, seemed TO
influence the sombre sprite-llke prima
donna, for she reused herself at last
aud acted--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.
Up swelled the yertiginous staccato
high above the means of the orchestra.
She raved, she wept. and the large
tears rolled down her white cheek
her hair tloated wildly over her CULVER
Ing shoulders, and still rang forth her
magical, heartrending notes.
| trembled; the house groaned.
The mad scene neared its end, and
the musicians, as II ordered, ceased
to play. They looked at her, she sang
unuccompanied. 1t was terrible, un-.
ique. sublime.
The culminating point arrived, and
the pains and pangs OF Donizetti's
they had never done on lips before.
She gazed wildly. stupidity about,
when she stopped. and | saw drops
of blood ooze from her mouth; she
fell heavily upon the stage, and the
curtain went down. The house was In
tears,
Half an hour later all Milan knew
of the miraculous performance at the
Scala. The last act of the opera was
listened to without curiosity, Lucia
not appearing In It, Nothing occurred
except the indisposition of the tenor,
Grazzini, who WAS taken suddenly i'll,
and | afterward learned, died that
night. ..,..-'-
Milan, outdoors, all fun and anima-
tion, could not comprehend the story
told In the cafes and on the squares
The reports were called exaggerated.
and the singers phenomenal voice a
was In vain that l waited for more
than an hour In Alfieris box.
The director told me confidentlally
that he was as nonplused as the audi
ence, and had never beheld the mar
velous singer before. Then, as he
left me, he superstitiously added: "She
was a spirit, believe"
Full of conflicting thoughts, | walk
ed sadly homeward, and heard again
through the quiet streets, far away
from the riot and revel Of the carni-
val, the heavenly echo OF that unut-
terably divine voice.
| walked on, and passed across the
Saint Italda Cemetery to near my
home. 1t was late. The noise of
Milan's festivities reached my ear
from time to time family.
Within a few steps of my house,
separated by high wall from the
end of the graveyard, there, beneath
a few cypress trees, In the full glare
of the moon. | beheld an unusual
sight.
The cemetery, through which | pass
ed regularly, and which | knew In
every nook and corner, presented In
that particular spot a singular aspect.
l Advanced, and remarked with as
tonishment that tomb had been ex-
humed.
Sure enough, the sod on either side
was all strewn and scattered here and
there. foot prints were plainly visible,
and, to my horror | saw that the
coffin was open. In 1t, wrapped rather
loosely in faded yellow shroud, was
a human form.
was about to call for the guard,
when my eye was suddenly attracted
by faint greenish light twinkling
near the top of the coffin.
stopped over. and TO my amaze
ment saw diamond earring In the
lobe of the corpse's ear-the mate of
the one | had found.
The moonlight. checkered by the
tree boughs, did not allow me to view
the face, and trembling | drew aside
and lit match. Approaching. | gazed
On the body. 1t was the spectral song
stress.
Utterly bewildered. with haggard
eyes and qulyerlng knees. | grasped
the coffin lid and replaced 1t over the
iiyid face. On it was written in large
letters:
Virginia Cosseli, queen of soprani,
died September, 1871, requiescat in
pace.
| remember wild thrill of horror
came over me and l fell senseless
For weeks | raved in delirium. When
had sufficiently recovered | left
Aiiiun. People were still talking of
The mysterious prima dona.-Saturday
Evening Post.