The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-09-09
CHAPTER III.

1t was that of the young musical de-
butante who, but month before, had
stood up before great assembly of
expectant listeners. beautiful. fascinat.
ing but tongue-tied. A wonder, with
every promise Of song in her blazing
eyes and upon her trembling lis, but
with no voice at her command, no an
swering sound to the orchestra's invit.
ing tones, nothing save the moan with
which she finally gave up the struggle
and sank, overcome and annihlated,
behind the falling curtain. Selma VAL
di! He remembered the name well,
and all the talk and criticism which
followed her defeat, and, moved by 4
boundless compassion be took her by
the hand. Immediately she added:
AT least that is the name by which
I was known to my teachers and e1-
pected to be known in the world. My
real name is Jenny"
Why did she not finish? Why did
she look at him so strangely and drop
her eyes and shake her head? His eX-
preston had been one of expectancy,
and all his manner was encouraging.
But she seemed to tremble before him,
and did not speak the name, only MUIR
INJURED:
"But forgot. I have sworn not to
tell my name. l am Selma Faldi with
out the success which was to make
that name illustrious"
Poor childT' The words left his lips
unconsciously, she looked so desolate
and forsaken. Poor child! your heart
was set on success, then! You expect
ed to be singer
"Ohw
The exclamation spoke volumes. She
had clasped her hands and was trem-
bling now, not with weakness, but
eagerness.
! II had a right to expect it." she de-
Glared. II can sing; / have a voice
that has made every master who has
taught me patient and gentle and
eager. The rooms have rung, just
Tung with the notes have raised, but
u cannot face crowd. At the sight
of faces surging in sea before me
such terror seizes me that want to
shrek instead Of sing; something
catches me by the throat and I am suf-
focated, lost, drowned in q flood of
horror, to which can give no name
and against which it is useless to strug-
gle. Oh, is is cruel fate. But can
sing; listen!'
And with sudden impetuosity her
voice scared up in an Italian air, so
sweet, so weird, so thrilling, that he
stood amazed, entranced, subdued,
marveling at the freshness, the power,
the soul-moving quality of her tones rs
well as at the perfection of her man
ner and the correctness of her inter
probation. A living, breathing genius,
glorying in her own gift, was before
him, and he could but acknowledge it
with delight.
She saw his pleasure and rose in dig
nifty and flushed with power. Her
voice left the intricate ways Of Italian
song and deepened into the broader,
deeper channels Of German opera. 1t
swelled, it rose, it triumphed, till the
strange and shabby room became an
elysium, and the atmosphere seemed
laden with the breath of gods. A &C.
MUS? She was more, or seemed so
while her voice thrilled and her beauty
flushed, but when all was still again,
and she stood painting and deprecatory
before him then she seemed only ten
der child again, craving sympathy and
expecting confidence.
"Marvelous! Marvellous" So he
spoke, lifted out Of himself, first by
her power and then by her humility.
"And with such a gift as this you
could be discouraged by one failure,
overcome by one fright!"'
"Ah," she murnlured, "that is how /
can sing to you, but can never sing
like that to the multitude"
Never"
1 Never
But, dear child, you are not s;!rc OF
this. You are very young, and after
some few months Of training you will
gain courage and reap full success.
You cannot help it, with your genius.
God does not give such voice to be
smothered in obscurity."
"God?"
With what an indescribable intona-
tion she spoke. He looked at her in
amaze.
do you believe in God?" she asked,
and her face took on strange look, al
most like that Of fear.
81 do" he returned, "and so will you,
when you have lived long enough to
realize His goodness"
She shuddered; 4 change came over
her; she no longer looked so young.
81 have not been taught" she MUIR
INJURED. 81 have not been trained in
church ways and church thinking.
Would it have been better if 1 had:
You look so good; would that have
made me good, too:"
The old simplicity and childlike man
ner were coming back, but with some,
thing new in it, that, if not compre-
hended, affected him deeply.
care you not good?" he smiled. You
have committed one Sin, know. but
that was the result Of frenzy, and GER
tainly does not argue bad heart. But
good, as man recl;onS goodness, you
must be, or your eyes would not be sc
clear. or your smile so inspiring. If
you were happy"
"If were happy" A fresh change