Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-04-22

' more cOmManQlng center La Zaidee had caught him with . flashing glance. Such color as she had! Such dancing eyes! Such baby-pretty lips. She met him half way, with both her jeweled hands ex- tended to give him greeting. l "Oh, Wess," she said, T nearly failed to come here tonight, till I suddenly { remembered that you were one of I Lena's friends.
 l I'm glad you came.' murmured ! Snow, not without confusion. Are i you going to sing?'
 For these funny brutes?' she re- 1 piled, with laugh. Not much! By the way, what about those races Sat urday? You are going to take me. l sure?"
 Here, Wesley, give me this girl" interrupted the voice of Lena Dun ming. 'Zaidee, dear, you've got to open the ball with song."
 T can't. I won't" said La Zai- dee. protesting as Lena dragged her forcibly away "Ill slap you, Lena!" and she burst into mellow laughter.
 Two six-foot actors assisted their hostess in bringing the unwilling art iste to the piano. Once there, she played furiously, riotously, but she still refused to sing.
 It was all unconventional to tho last degree. Hilarity, indeed, was soon the motif of the evening. Love i scenes were enacted with genuine i abandon, astonishing to see in par. Tor. Coon songs, male impersonations by clever women, cake-walks, trage- edies burlesqued, vaudeville audaci- i ties and Parisian drolleries all had their turn.
 It was not refined There was < something bold and daring about it l all. Wesley Snow was dangerously near to being fascinated by the free dom and unrestraint about him.
 When he looked for Genesta he saw that she still stood apart, but now beside a sweetly pretty, sharp-eyed 1 little daughter from Maine, whose sensibilities were evidently under. going something of shock at all she i saw and heard.
 On the two, however, Wesley Snow stood looking only for moment. | Some lively commotion behind him diverted his attention. He turned in time to see La Zatdee make frl- l tile attempt to escape from several captors. Kicking and skipping at the men who held her she was car. ried to the circle, and to Lena Dun. ning's accompaniment she began at last to sing rollicking Parisian lyric. l Then for an encore she threw back her head and treated the party to a richly unctuous conception of the coon song: When You Ain't Got No Money You Needn't Come Round"
 Meanwhile the irresponsible, good natured Lena had been looking about among her guests for those who had not sung. In her quest she bounced upon the sharp-eyed little Puritan from Maine.
 There was no denying Lena. who knew that her compatriot was stu. dent at the London School of Orato- rio. Presently, therefore, the blush. ing slip of maiden went toward the piano, with Lena herself to play her accompaniment.
 To the amazement of all, including l Lena-who played. nevertheless, with splendid certainty-the opening bars proclaimed the last song that any one there would have expected-"The Holy City"
 The little singer seemed like a child. an innocent but wonderfully resolute child.
 j Pure, melodious, earnest with feel. ing and intensity. the notes came forth, instantly compelling attention and silence, and weaving upon the listeners sense of awe.
 ] Forgetful of all else, Lena played as she had never played in all her life. Like shaming rebuke to mockeries, to everything unreflned, the song scared upward as the brave little heart swelled with its purpose. ] It was not that her voice was great in volume. but tonight it became all- sweeping in its purity, its epic cour- age, its moving sincerity.
 The applause came quickly, in a crash of sound that brought the little singer back to earth.
 Then she looked about. The only eyes she saw were those of Wesley Snow. who gazed upon her so oddly. so appealingly. His face was tense. When he presently lost the little singer. Snow appeared like one be- reaved. He thought, however, of Gen. esta, toward whom he went swiftly. But Lena Dunning interposed. She bore him impulsively away to little red den. She was crying.
 Wesley, I don't want you to think things of me-that l mean-all this" she said to him. brokenly, waving her hand toward her array Of guests. Its all put on. My heart is breaking. want so to have Mir. Cunning hack with me here in my home. And he's coming-God bless him. But I couldn't let you think-I'm happy, Wes,ey-like this" He could make no reply. but she knew he understood. He let her cry it out. and then with a word of com fort. friendship and confidence, he went to Genesta.