The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-10-24
r RAN z.


It was the stormiest rehearsal of
the season. Everybody temper was
rough edged, from the leader of the
orchestra down to the jolly little drum
mer who played zylophone solos while
the comic man was doing his dance.
The slender baton which the profes-
sor held tightly in his nervous hand
had beaten continuous tattoo on the
music rack the stage managers voice
seemed harsher than ever, and his
commands all the more dictatorial.
Perhaps it all never would have
happened but for the carelessness of
several of the chorus girls, whose
groupings and poses at the last few
performances had been worse than
the tableaux at a car drivers ball.
The star had noticed this shirking,
and, with commendable ambition to
make the New York run series of
brilliant hits, had conferred with the
stage manager; and call for dress
rehearsal posted in the wings was the
result. Of course it had made every
body mad.
"To think of it," said the man
who played the part Of fat, awk-
ward old prince, who was always get
ting laugh for the way he trod on
the trains of the court ladies, ''it is
simply provoking that with the work
of hard performance on us, we've
got to rehearse and rehearse, just be-
cause a cheap chorus can't do its
work.
"And the day before matinee,
too," said the tenor, whose chief am
bition was to save his voice for his
duet with the prima donna.
Such remarks were being made on
all sides, and they only ceased when
the cues carried the takers to the
stage. The leader of the orchestra,
whom everyone feared, and whose
remarks and criticisms were cuttingly
sarcastic, had the fercest temper Of
all. He was as mad as baby ele-
phant that finds its trunk too short to
He had said ali he Could st88 88ff the eMhfe9nn Mmhefni
bers of the orchestra, and everyone
expected to see him throw his chair
at some discordant player at any
moment.
He raped his baton again, and the
sweet, restful air of lullaby hoated
up from reed and string. 1t had a
quieting effect, but not half SO much
as the presence of the beautiful wo-
man whose soft, rich voice was ming
ling with its notes in exquisite har-
mony. Though they had heard the
song a hundred times and more, all
listened, so sweet was Its melody.
With perfect ease and enchanting ex-
preston she touched her highestnotes,
until they sounded through the va
cant theater like the tinkling of some
sweet toned bell. Her face, fair and
serene, was as beautiful as the song
she sang, and each note found a re-
sponsive chord in the hearts of those
around her; for in the company Of
three score there was not one who did
not love her. She was the prima
donna, the one particular star of the
cast. To her singing thousands had
listened spellbound, only to break
forth in rapturous applause-yet she
was so lovable, so companionable, SO
kind and willing to help those below
her. Many a time single word
from her lips had famed into blaze
of success the smoldering fagots OF
ambition that failure and the lack Of
of an encouraging word had left to die
out on the hearth of trial.
Presently there was fearful dis
cord in the orchestra. 1t broke into
the song like black cloud across a
summer sky. 1t came from one OF
the violins. The singer ceased, and
the music stopped. With anger in
his eyes, and lips quivering with rage,
the leader turned towards crouch
ing figure In a chair beneath the
stand.
"What do you mean-what do you
mean, I say? Have you not played
| that bar thousand times ?"
There was no reply, but a boyisf
face, with anguish in every feature
was uplifted towards the angry man
"Do not look at me in that stupit
way. Have I not taught you betterr
"But, sir" pleaded the boy, 81
was all mistake"
"Bah, mistake, indeed 1t wa'
all your carless-"
"Never mind" said the prim;
donna, she could not help it. I viii
sing again."
Madame, / will attend to thi
part of the company. Franz, leave
the place. Anton, you take the sec
ond violin"
The boy, for that was all he was
picked up his instrument, and looked
up over the lights. His eyes me
those of the singer. She smiled, ant
he, brushing a tear from his blu
eyes, opened the door and went dow
into the musicians room beneath th
stage.
"I will sing no more today" sal
the prima donna, and she left tn
stage.
Poor Franz! He threw himsel
down on an old property bench, and
burying his face in his hands, cried a
only a heart wounded boy can. Poo
little fellow! Fourteen years old
and his father, an old instrumer
maker, had died, leaving Franz an
a widowed mother, with but little t
support them. His little heart ha