Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-08
CHAPTER ".

dSel watched tHe EldSe III IL passed.
out of sight. He admired her enormously
she was pretty, so plucky. so high-spirited,
SO kind. noble woman. She was right.
however, when she said she was no genius.
She had a personality, and had been per
fectly trained by the nuns at a convent
school and an old French professor from
the Conservative in Paris. From the nuns
she had learned distinction, and from the
professor she had learned technical skill;
she had inherited yivacious, emotional
temperament.
Paget had been drawn to her in the first
instance by her sympathy. He felt HIM
self interpreted, justified and subtly fiat
tered as he had never before been inter-
preted justified and fattered even by his
own conscience. That she was very young.
very attractive, and sweetly in love with
him added to the enchantment Of their re-
lationship. On his side it was>a marriage OF
tender devotion-she was always sacred to
him, and therefore little remote. On her
side. it was a marriage Of romantic senti-
ment longing for self sacrifice. The long
ing at least was destined to be gratified.
Her unselfshneSs was constant reproach
to Paget, who was manly enough to appre-
ciate her virtues, but not saint enough to
emulate them. 1t shamed him to see the
refined. delicate girl living with patience, in
surroundings which he found absolutely in
tolerable-actualiy degrading. They had
between them something under two pounds
a week-she washed, and swept. and cooked.
and mended: cleaned windows, and boots,
scrubbed floors, and worked as he declared.
like deckhand. But whereas she never
surrendered, and kept up her gaiety, laugh
ing at the squalor. discerning humor ana
divine intentions under every repellant APP
pearance, he became mOroSe ll-humored,
unha ppy, and at length crushed by despair
She could think of her unborn baby; he
could only think of his wasted career.
The suggestion that they should separate
came mercifully from strangers. They
had been together for year; the boy was
six weeks old; the mother (she was not
seyenteen) was ordered change OF air. as
sink into decline. The nuns who had
brought her up, and from whom she had
run away IN order to marry Paget, onered
to take her and her baby as boarders Tor
trifiing sum for an indefinite term. Such a
promise seemed the opening Of PARADISE.
and for the child's sake it was claimed with
Thanksgiving.
schaum. in order to pay the cab fare from
Edgeware road to Charing Cross. and his
watch paid the journey money nrs'.ciass'
to Paris. Funds did not allow MIN 10 ac
company them further than Boulogne. put
he saw them safely into the train LOT the
JOYOUS city and wildly kissed the two poor
creatures mother and child and, after their
ara under the cover of the night as he
naced the quay. 1t was all for the best
but what a best. What downfall!
Youth, however. is fun OF resources, ever.
seriously of leaping into the sea but WINE
he contemplated the action, he stroled a., IN
the direction of the hotels Wf!ch were Siit
tering with lights and from eacn one %
which the strains of band, playing iote
songs and dances, put a gay Hit l'ito MS
tagging pu,se. BY chance or uesthS ne en-
tered the largest ard brightest OF tteae
"a hlishrnents and studied its register IN the
fantastic hone that he might ma some
name there he knew. The fifth name uhuer
his hand was the autograph OIL the ech-
ductor Of the Opera at Brussels.
Was he in?'
Yes monsieur was in his room"
Paget had no card. but he wrote note
saving that he was in Boulogne. without
plans, seeking an engagement an. anu, Ivy ~
of introduction. he mentioned .iie i"'i'' y"
his teacher at Milan.
IF he will see me. l need not THROW
myself over the edge today, thooght
Paget. ,,e .i+
ing calmly for the answer 1t came a1ter
twenty minutes delay. Ihe great hitii
would see him. Pagets appearance al
shaved the traces of misery. astonished
Monsieur Ribardo, his two secretaries. ana
his manarer. What trouvallie' when
he sang although he was niue hoals Sc;
his hearers exchanged glances. A fortune!
Another Maurel" He sang second song.
The conductor urged him to come to Brus-
sells.
What for?"
IT can 60 nowhere on an uncertainty:
The manager now felt quite certain that
there would be something.
Ten days later he maze MS hrst IN n
phatic success as a slngef-appear,hs III
les Hueuenots. The first check he re-
ceived was spent in purchasing a bracelet
for Cara and a coral for the boy. he Ieit
sure he wrote, that trey were htifp9 III .i ne
convent News Of his trfumphs reached all
the relatives who had broken with MIN
on account Of his imprudent marriage.
They sent him congratulations. ana: When
no rat1,rned to London he was invited 10
their houses. introduced as coming celeb
rity and praised as brilliant felloW.
He sang at fashionable parties and at
taIIad concerts; he gave recitals: ana ms
photographs were reproa nas m IA it
WAS never sufficient for his expenses or
MS wants. and half of 1t was sent: scrupu-
lously, to his wife and little Renoei.
Cara. after two years Devotion 10 the
.hi1d reclaimed her strength and accepted
on enqae cement to walk on" in Shakes
nearian revival at one OF the large
theaters She, too, found irlenas. she' .oo'
obtained a hearing; she. too. made sue
oass. she too spent her first considerable
check in gifts-a gold cigarette case TOT
Rendel. and an absurd perampulator on u
springs for the chila- ,ho +o1s
hor husband. Life together under the
Same ner roof was unimaginable.. Both de-
cided to keep the fact or a., their marriage
eve were both too young TO avoid mis-.
takes" she would always say; now let
ne both he too wise to make them. Ihey
remained friends, but. by common consent
thav met seldom and wrote seldom
There was, about the time OF Caras re-
turn TO London. a small school of dramatic
art established by some really accomplished
versions. It's classes were held in hall near
Regent street and its presiding genius was
the famous Isabella Dallas Glyn. now de-
ceased fierce instructor but a noble
friend. she exerted herself to help the pa
thetic Mrs Otway (as Cara was now called);
secretly and for nothing she gave her extra
lessons. and at last arranged the special
matinee of Romeo and Juliet at the school.
pa get. on hearing Of his wife's ambition,
| hecame alarmed and the tension of his
mind was not eased when he found her. I'm
calling at her lodgings. learning her part
and rocking the baby to- sleep at the same
time She was grooming a kind of lullaby, to
which she had adapted the words Of Juliet's
speeches As Paget entered. she motioned
him to remain silent while she continued her
musical murmur:
wilt thou be gone? 1t is not yet near day;
It was the nightingale. and not the lark,
That pierc'd the fearful hollow Of thine ear.
Nightly she sings yon pomegranate tree.
Believe me. love, 1t was the nightingale
''You cannot work In this way" exclaimed
the indignant artist; at is absurd
-, No1-