River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-12-03

Inc AduilIy W Ne LHOu2AL VI. GfEA Liz
rags were begrudged her. This spirit in
her own home communicated itself cas-
lily to all the people in the court, even the
children, and the child grew up in an
atmosphere of taunt. ridicule and con-
tempt. She was easily the most useless
and unpromising living thing in Hobbs
court, for even the dogs were loved by
somebody.
1t was when Mary was in her fifteenth
year that a stranger drove into Hobbs
court in a shiny trap with bright red
wheels. He came to see Tobe Heller
about a bull pup. lobe raised bull
pups for the market, but generally trans
Of his patrons. So the shiny trap and
the gloved and groomed stranger was
an episode in Hobbs court and all the
inhabitants were at the windows and
the children gathered about the trap in
awed silence.
Then strange thing happened. Mary
was singing somewhere in the Jackson
notes of the song waited through an
open window AS he came from Tobe's
puppery, the stranger paused and lis
tened to the notes He glanced up at
the window and looked surprised. Then
he walked up to the door, knocked and
was admitted He asked Mrs. Jackson
if he might, hear the girl, whose voice
he had heard outside, sing. To be sure
he could Mary was dragged into the
front room and commanded to sing. She
was so frightened that her voice broke.
Then the man spoke kindly to her and
talked easily about many things, putting
her at her ease. Then she sang for him.
Madam" said he to Mrs. Jackson,
may | take this girl down town with
me? She has wonderful voice. |
would like to have Signor Volenci hear
it. It is quite probable / can put her
in the way of making considerable mon
ey. Here is my caro-. Mr.. What's-his-
name-Deviler or Heller-the bull pup
man next door, will tell you that l am
responsible and mean no harm"
Mrs. Jackson glanced at the card
which read Benjamin Ekstein, Manager
International Opera Company"
When Mary emerged from the Jack
son fiat with the swell stranger, and was
driven away in the shiny trap Hobbs
court nearly had spasm. The calls
Mrs. Jackson had that day broke the So
cial record of the court.
But that was nothing to the sensation
that was precipitated by the announce
ment few days later that Mary Jack
son., the despised, the reviled, was to
appear at the Garrick theater and sing
in grand opera 1t was incredible and
Hobbs court could not become recon-
ciled to it. And when some of the more
prosperous and venturesome of the
young fellows of the court went to the
theater and squandered half dollar
(doubtfully obtained) to sit in the gal
lery and brought home strange tales of
Mary (who figured in the bill as Marie
JacksonD appearing in a maze OF silks
and laces and other embellishments
known only by tradition to the Hobbs
courtites, the wonder grew into bewilder-
ment And when the papers spoke of
Mary as 'the child wonder" and "a
beautiful and dainty creature with a
voice of marvellous sweetness and power
and a range seldom possessed by the
greatest prima donnas" and recorded the
fact that the new prodigy had taken the
musical world by storm, Hobbs court
became speechless and gave the problem
up. Hobbs court could understand bull
pups and strikes and rag men, but
this translation of Mary Jackson was
too severe a strain on it's thinking pow
ers. The Jacksons were more de-
pressed than the rest They had given
over their legal hold on the child to Ben
iamin Ekstein for 5000 and had thought
it was simply marvellous find. Now it
began to dawn on them that they had
sold a gold mine for song.
A gay party sat in box at the opera.
'How remarkably like your Helen
that girl on the stage looks, Mrs. Van
derbeck," remarked one of the women
to another. "Who is she, Paul?"
One of the young men glanced toward
the stage. ooh, that's the new child
wonder, Marie Jacksoni, they call her
on the bills. Ekstein found her some
where or other in hovel-and, by
Georgei she has divine voice.
The girl began to sing. The woman
addressed as Mrs. Vanderbeck leaned
forward, watching the girl with breath
less interest. The very intensity of the
glance attracted the singer involuntar-
lily and she glanced toward the box
and sang her song straight at the
handsome woman with eyes so like
her own.
Mrs. V3nderbeck sank back, pale as
a sheet, when the song was finished
"Why, you are ill.," remarked the
other woman, in alarm.
"The heat has brought on one of
my wretched headaches" replied Mrs.
Vanderbeck, weakly 'T-I-think will
have to go home, Claude" addressing
a gray-haired man.
Certainly, dear, l will call the car
rage" replied the man, rising.
When Mary appeared next on the
stage and looked eagerly for the eyes
and face which had affected her so
strangely they were gone
So in the starless. songless night
I lift nv face and trust