Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-12-14

ana seemed to reeoilect herself
Nest stood guilty silent at the letter
She had believed herself to be brave, but
she suddenly discovered that she was an
arrant coward. She absolutely dared not
tell madame the truth.
Why do you stand there like fool ?"
cried her employer in the same shrill
Key. Another girl would say she was
sorry, or would suggest something, but
you are utterly worthless whatever way
you are taken. Don't you see that l
must put up with you as my accom-
panist-you, with your lifeless, colorless,
schoolgirl playing, when l expected to
have bad the professor2 Don't you
know that the whole thing win fall fiat
and shall lose my engagements? /
might have gone to the top of my pro-
fession, and now | shall sink into a third
rate artist, and only get common engage
ments. If / knew where Miss Gillespie
IS! But she went off without leaving
any address, and besides, there is no
time. He has treated me brutally. When
he was here this morning he never said
word of this"
She stopped again, glancing at Nest.
Then by an effort she partially Gained
herself.
Come" she said sullenly, "and let us
go over the songs. Or it might be best
to write to the duchess and say am i'll Z
But no, that would never do. They will
hear that he is gone. Come!'
Nest always looked back to that day
as terrible remembrance Madame,
cruelty disappointed, showed herself in
her true colors and all her wrath fell on
her unlueky young assistant
If Nest had never learned to know her
own worthlo ssness before she would not
mske any ii::seskc about it in future, for
her deficiencies were lisparingly pointed
out
When at last, faint, wearied and trem-
bling. she took her place in the carriage
which was to convey them to the Ouch
ess' she was almost at the verge of en-
DURANGO. Her Dress had not been thought
of until the last moment, and then ma
dame had declared it was disgraceful,
countrified. and poverty stricken, and
had only consented to allow her to wear
1t because there was no time to procure
another. She rallied at everything as
they went along, until Nest grew at last
40 distracted that she was on the point
of jumping from the carriage before it
drew up at the duchess door.
She was dazzle9 by the glare and mag
nifieenec as they entered, but madame
swept along as If she was in her ele-
me1rt. They W re ushered into a large
brilliantly lighted apartment in which
they found some of the other performers
already waiting. Two or three hurried
up to Mlne. st. Aubcrt.
I,,aI. II
late" said tall, striking looking man,
whom Nest found afterwards to be the
conductor of the concert "She was so
charmed with your singing at the re-
'hearsal that she changed the order OF
the programme yesterday, and You are
Ito give one of your songs first instead
of second. / had Just time to get new
programmes printed. But where is Prof
VolkmaTr?"
"Such misfortunel" cried madame
with o miserable attempt at her usual
manner. "IIe was summoned to Ger
many today by the sudden illness of his
father. Nothing else would have induced
him to leave us, but he mad no choice
other than to obey the summons. He
was in despair. / cannot describe to you
the day have spent since"
Sand whom have you provided to play
your Accomplishments ~ he asked, his
face growing blank Madame indicated
the shrinking Nest, standing frightened
mnd unhappy in the background
''She has been practicing them with
me-" riadame said 1T was the best |
could do; there was absolutely no time
"Well, there is no time now" he said.
his face growing still more doubtful.
"Inere-that is the summonsl We must
no forward"
He gave his handto madame, and Nest
followed, wishing at every step that the
ground would open and swallow her 1lp.
The stage opened off the room in which
they were gathered, and in moment
they were IN the great brilliant, crowded
concert room. 1t seemed TO her to be a
blaze of light and full of faces all turned
towards where she stood. A sudden
faintness seized her. Mime. st. ALBERT
was bowling in response to the applause
wh96h greeted her appearance and was
eln-ning her music, but Nest remained
rooted to the ground, unable to move to
her place at the piano or overcome the
terror which paTalyzed her movements
The conductor approached her, and in
1E3@Haf2 NOHhtItat W NWJNG1 Ills ODlIl1OM
ir a singing whisper.
@Arc you an idiot, nademoiselle? The
Who'll. house is waiting for your"
He took the music from her hand, and
in come way known only to himself con-
trived 10 seat Nest at the piano.
'Play4' he commanded.
She could never clearly remember those
awful minutes. She preserved a con-
fused ruecliertion of stumbling and fail.
ing and stumbling again. until at the
end OF thu song she was hurried away by
the furiCus conducto: and followed by
the still nsore furious Mime. st. Aubert.
She stood white and trembling, an.
swering nothing to the angry reproaches
which were heaped upon her. All she
knew was that she had made her first
and last appearance on the stage that
she had been n total failure and had
ruined her Fatroness' reputation.
Mime. st. Aubert informed her that
she reed re: return with her that even
ing, Lut riigkt find employment where
SIZE pleased The other performers were
standing around witnesses to her humil-
iatsou-tb,, cup of her misery was full
NI-t,-,, v,,esdax-.., boA ,axnfaI bor oro