The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-01-22
LITTLE BLACKBIRD
BY Yiaao Toepfer.

BY Viggo Toepfer.
Copyright, 1904, by w. r. Hearst.)
We had been busy arranging a new
and the parts a all been given out ex-
cept the Blackbird In 1.-The Dance of the
Birds" For this part 1 wanted a young
girl with large, dark eyes. dark hair and
delicate features, slender and graceful.
Many had aspired, but I had not found
girl who suited me.
1.-THE day after the first rehearsal the
Stage manager came to me and said hat
he had found just the girl l wanted.
She is very young, has the most beau
tiful eyes, a pure Roman profile and aris-
tocratic hands and feet. She comes from
Warsaw and speaks French with just the
least little bit of an accent. She lives in
an attic in Quarter Latin"
The next afternoon l knocked at her
door. having climbed five steep flights Of
stairs. A servant opened. and I entered
a scantily furnished room, where 1 saw a
very young girl lying on a sofa.
1 told her that l had written a play for
he Theater des Varieties and wanted her
to take one of the parts. She was de-
lighted at the prospect, and we were soon
talking together like old friends.
From the next room came the Sound OF
a piano, and when she stopped to listen
1 pointed to u stethoscope lying on the
mantelpiece and asked what it was and II
she could play on 1t.
She smiled and said: Yes, 1t does look
like a musical Instrument; but 1t is used
to count the beats of my heart. 1t belongs
to NJ. Villars, a medical student, who Is
very good to me-
Are you often sick"
"Yes. there are days when my chess
hurts me so that l can hardly breathe. and
M Villar re- "a va I n,J1St ha vary parafnl ~
d you follow his advice?"
She smiled sadly and looked thoughtful-
ly at the dying embers in the fireplace.
LAS far as 1 can. But 1t is the old story
about wine and ggs and chicken broth.
when you are lucky to be able to have q
crust of bread"
/ felt ashamed, knowing that I had come
to offer her IL francs a week.
I thought she was going to tell me the
history OF her life, but she only old me
that she was an orphan, her parents hav-
ing both died with consumption soon after
coming to Paris, that her name was Made-
line, and that she made a living making
ane embroideries
TIL music in the next room continued
weird, sad and melancholy tunes which
made a strange impression upon me.
She saw that I was listening, and saidt
"Oh, that is Kowoski, q countryman OF
mine. We call him the ghost because he
ID bO kClkAoly AAAAtAy aAAo AAS ~ 49, SVSA
church mouse. He always plays his own
compositions when he Isl
The door opened and a tall, bony figure
entered. He was indeed 80 thin that he
was nearly transparent and his once black
Prince Albert coat was rusty. patched and
threadbare.
When he saw me he turned to leave, but
Madeline called him back to ask him to
look after her fire, as she was going out,
and would be back. He nodded his assent,
and a minute after we heard him playing
again.
HE never has any fire. so I always ask
him to look after mine when I go out"
Madeline said, with an indescribable e1-
preston of kindness In her beautiful eyes,,
For two weeks Madeline was at the re-
~hearsals every day, and 1 soon discovered
that she was a born actress, a genius who
would have the world before her feet IL
her physical strength would allow her to
continue on the stage. 1 began writing a
play for her in which she would conquer
Paris. .0
One day she did not come to rehearsal
and a few lines from NJ. Villars told me
that she was dangerously Ill. 1 went to
him the next morning and he told me
there was no hope.
"She is crazy for the theater, and The
idea tha her part now Will go to another
worries her terribly. You must go and tell
her that you will wait for her and that
40 one else will play the ~blackbtrd.'
We went into her room. She was sleep
Ing, but she looked as If she were dead.
Kowoski sat at her bed and hot tears
we're rolling dow his poor, wrinkled
cheeks. I slipped a hundred fracs bill into
his hand and whispered to him to see that
she had the best of care, and left the room
SO as not to wake her up.
The next day / brought her a sketch In
water colors of her costume in the play.
and her face beamed with Joy while she
looked at it. She called Kowosk to her
bed and said:
See, Sascha, how ! am to look In the
play-cap with black feathers, velvet waist
with lace. shoes with heels of steel, Inc
toes that look like claws" 70
He tackled the sketch upon the wall over
ler bed where she could see IL, and I told
ler that we were waiting for her to get
we'll. as we could not do without her.
A few days after / b brought her the cos
tune, which made her radiantly happy.
She sat up In bed and could not get tired
cooking at the little satin shoes with steel
lee1s and claws.
"Oh, how l have longed to see all this.
You have made me SO happy that I feel I
must give you a kiss"
1 bent down to kiss her forehead when
she suddenly sighed and fell pack on the
pillow.
Wowoski hurried out for M. villars, who
game rushing in a minute a%fterward.
Bring the lamp over here and take
Kowoski ava He must not see her.
But poor old Kowoski had already seen
enough. He stood leaning against the wall
looking at the blood which had dyed the
sheets crimson, but which now had ceased
flowing.
she is dead" he sobbed. And he was
tight. My poor little blackbird was no
pore.
Value Of Being F~riendIes..