Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-12-11
Continued.


cry; and her master encouraged her
by remarking that it was not unlikely
she would attain her wish.
Months passed On. The angular
girl, all legs and wings, like a pullet,
grew into a graceful young woman,
with face which, if not beautiful in
the regulation way, was singularly
striking, with its dark skin and flash
ing eyes and rather large but mobile
mouth.
There is a great future before that
girl" M. Faber would remark to his
wife, good-natured woman, who
treated all her pupils as If they were
her own children.
But he did not hurry.
zone does not learn to dance in a
day, he would say when Finetta beg
ged him to get her an engagement,
even if it were ever SO small one.
Patience, my good child, and when
the tine comes-well, you shall see
The time came and Finetta APP
peared among the ladies Of the bat
tie at a small provincial theater. He
kept her in the ranks for two years;
then gave her solo part and lastly
obtained an engagement for her at the
Diadem.
To dance at the Diadem was the
height of Finnettas ambition. Her
heart beat that night as had never
beat before-not even on her first
appearance at the provincial theater
but it did not deaden the music or
drive her step out of mind, and when
she had finished, tie roar of delight
arose in the theater proclaimed the
fact that Finetta had scored a
triumph, and that M Faber had not
labored in vain.
That was three years ago. Her
popularity had steadily increased. She
was now the rage. Her salary ex-
ceeded that Of a cabinet minister:
the percentage alone was a good in
come for the patient, persevering M.
F'aber.
When she appeared at night, the
house roared a welcome and rewarded
her efforts with thunders of applause.
Her photographs were placed among
the other celebrities in the shop win
dows-next those of the royal family,
the great poets, the eminent states
men-and sold as well, if not better
than the rest. Outside the theater
hung huge transparency showing
F'inetta in her Spanish dancing dress;
the tobacconists sold a cigarette bear
ing her name.
All this ought to have turned her
head 1t did little, but only a little.
To tell the truth, she was a good
hearted girl, and in her prosperity
did not forget those near to her. She
set her father up in the wholesale
coal trade, and put her mother into a
nice house in Islington, sent her
brother to school, and her sister to
live with her in her pretty house in
st. Johns Wood; and though the
world said hard things of her, she was
unjustly accused and illuminated.
Her manners were not those of Lady
Clara We're de We're. She gave sup
per-parties at which only gentlemen
and ladies of the ballet were present;
she talked and laughed loudly; she
knew nothing and cared less for the
proprieties; was fond of champagne
and enjoyed cigarette; delighted in
riding and driving tandem, and did
both surprisingly well; but scandal
could find no chink in her armor
through which to shoot It's poisoned
darts, and the worst the world could
with truth call her was 'Finetta, the
dancer
The men who thronged around her
called her "a good fellow" and when a
woman of her class has earned that
title, depend upon it she is not so
black as the virtuous paint her.
She knew half the peerage-the
male side-but she was as friendly
and pleasant to a struggling young
journalist as to my Lord Vinson.
These sent her letters telling her they
adored her. She lighted her cigar
cites with them, and told the writer's,
when next she saw them, not to waste
ink and paper upon her, but to make
up a party to take her for drive and
a dinner at Richmond
Sometimes-very often-they sent
her presents-diamond rings, brace
let's, pendants, lockets, with their por-
traits (Which she always took QUIT i,
and she accepted them with careless
sang-froid which was amusing-to all
but the donors. The horses she and
her groom rode were a gift from
well-known turf-lord 1t was said
that the lease of the house at St.
Johns Wood had been given to her;
but that was not true.
why shouldn't I take 'em!'' she
said to her sister Polly. They'd
only give 'em to some one else who
wouldn't look half so we'll in them
wouldn't know how to ride 'em!"
So that SHE often danced at the
Diadem wearing gems which made