The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-12
 DEATH COMES TO A RECLUSE A Mystery of Paris
 Solved. WOMAN SHUT IN HOUSE For Fifty Years She Lived
 Alone.
C.ruso Tells Reporters How ,Unfortu. nase it is te Have Fine voice aaa
 Make Lots of Money.
BY HENRI DUBOIS.


 Paris. July 1I.--One of the mysteries of Paris has been solved by the death of Mme de Provigny which has open ed for the first time in more than half a century the house on boulevard Pois- sommiere known as the house of mys- tery.
 For fifty years and more the shutters of that house were never opened. Ser wants entered stealthily and 1t was known to be inhabited by reciuse of great eccentricity but it's secret was well kept until a few days ago, when the place was suddenly dressed in the black and silver trappings of French mourning and it was announced that its aged and sorrowfulF inmate, Mmo oe Provigny was dead.
 She was an old lady of more than seventy and for the last half century she lived in that house the life Of an anchorfte. without a newspaper or communication Of any kind with the outside world.
 For fifty years Mime de Provigny wore white satin. She wore 1t on her wedding day and always dressed in white to the end.
 Fifty years ago M. de Provigny died. They had been married the same morn- ing and the young husband succumbed to apoplexy an hour after the cerenlo- ny.
 WnHn EGGOV6ftu --if indeed she can be said to have re- covered from it--Mmme de, Provigny had the house shut up but she retained her servants on the condition that they were never to confront her with Iiv- ing being and never to speak to her again.
 She did not know the trend of public events. Automobiles. electric cars ana even railroad strains were unknown to her She did not know that France was a republic. She had never heard of the Dreyfuss case. of the death or Quean Victoria or of any national or international event.
 In her will she left her whole fortune to men and women over sixty and of good character. She left a large house in the country as a home for them and s2.0oO.O00 for its maintenance-
 Carus0 is Unhappy.
 Unrico Caruso who Is performing at fhefOpera In his first Partisan season, has been explaining to an interviewer the penalties he pays for being the most expensive tenor on earth and how he sighs for the days when he was less famous.
 'sThe man who has paid his money te hear me, the management which pays me S2.e0O a night, he said. swould not forgive me if were not all ways in the best of form Trusted by some, Watcne0 Dy others 4 an the chine which must never De out of or- der. But per Bacco the machine is hu- man and subject to external influences, people forget that.
 .5o the thought that may not come ID to the mark haunts me continually and tortures me when I am about to walk on the stage. I tell you frankly I was happier when I was earning ten francs a night spent seven francs kept three and knew that my reputa- tion was not ruined if I happened to give a creak,
 T am always hungry. Because smoke like chimney but take noth- ing but cup of tea on account of my voice. When I am taking parts which keep me on the stage the whole time I do not think of 1t, but when have long intervals feel the terrible bangs of hunger Knawing within.
 My peculiar form of stage fright makes me the unhappiest man in the world when am about to sing. In my present position at the point tc which have arrived am forbidden to have the least weakness. I am in the case of man who must. cost what 1t may. be continually at the pitoh oi hfa reputation.