Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-17
XVIII.
Caught.

VduSQt.
Karloff came around to music. The dra
matist's wife should play Tosti's "Av,
Maria," Miss AnnesIey should play thu
obligato on the violin and the prima donna
should sing: but just at present the drama
fist should tell them all about his new
military play, which was to be produced IL
December.
Count, beg to Decline" laughed tn,
dramatist. II should hardly dare to tel
my plot before two such military experts a.
we have here. I should be told to write
the play all over again, and now 1t is too
late"
Whenever Betty's glance fell on hel
fathers face the gladness in her own wa.
somewhat dimmed. What was making tina
loved face SO careworn, the mind 50 list
less. the attitude SO weary? But she was
young; the spirits of youth never flow Ions
in one direction. The repartee, brilliant anG
at the same time with every sting with
drawn, flashed up and down the table like
SO many firef1ies on wet lawn In July, anG
drew her trresistibly.
AS the courses came and passed SO the
conversation became less and less general
and by the time the ices were served the
colonel had engaged his host and the others
divided into twos. Then coffee, liquors
and cigars, when the ladies rose and traileC
into the little Turkish ROOM where the
dlstlngu1shed-looking butler supplied
them with the amber Juice.
A dinner is function where everybody
talks and nobody eats Some have eater
before they come, some wish they had, an6
others dare not eat for fear of losing some
or the gossip. l may be wrong, but be.
Eeve that half of these listless appetites are
due to the natural confusion of forks
nr fh0 Err,-o I1I 4I.1t
his labor was done, and he offered up a
snort prayer of thankfulness and relief
heavens! what mad, fantastic impulses
had seized him while he was passing the
soup; Surprising he had spilled the hot
liquid down Karloff s, back or poured out
a glass of burgundy for himself and drained
1t before them all, tor slapped his late
colonel on the baekoiard asked him the
state of his liver? It was fnaddening, and
he marveled at his escape. There hadn't
been real mishap. The Gelonel had only
scowled at him; he 4Was Safe He passed
secretly from the house ana hung around
the bow-wlndow which lee Uut on the low
balcony The window svaS open, and &C.
casionaily lie could Rear d voice from be-
yond the room which was dark
1t was one Of those nights, those mild
November nights, to- which the novelists
of the old regime used to- devote a whole
page; the silvery pallor on the landscape
the moon-mtsts, the rexnd -white, inevitable
moon, the stirring bFsezes the murmur OF
the few remaining leayss, and all that. But
these busy days we have 4ot the time to
read nor the inclinat19n to describe.
Suddenly upon the stiffness of the night
the splendor of human voice broke forth;
the prima-donna was trying her voice. A
violin walled note. A hand ran up and
down the keys Of the piano. Warburton
held his breath and waited. He had heard
Tosti's Ave Msria many. times, but he never
will forget the manner in which 1t was
sung that night. The sUngstress was care
free and among persons she knew and
liked, and she put her soul into that mag
nihcent and mysterious throat of hers. And
throbbing all through the song was the vi
brant, loving voice Of, the violin. And
when the human tones died away the In
struments ceased to speak. Warburton felt
himself swallowing rapidly. Then came
Schumann's Traumeref' on the strings,
Hahdels Largo Grieg,s ..Papillon'' and
baliade by Chaminade. Then again sang
the prima-dqnna; old folksy songs, sketches
from the operas. grand and light. Faust, .
THE Barber OF Seville" LA File de Ma
dame Angot. In all his days warburton
had never heard such music. Doubtless he
had-even better: only. at this period he
was in love. The imagination Of loves
young dream b the most etretchable thina
: know Is: Seriously, hweSer. he MsII Z