Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-02-17

Both the singing and the acting in
the death-scene were exceptionally
fine; the .nit ing of wrath and
grief, denunciation and reproachful
love, which he managed to convey in
his last words with Margherita. ap-
pealed to all. while at the end he
produced q nc 81 effect. With pant
ing breath, a..d with more Of sorrow
than Of anger, he sang "Tu moral ira
cenci vii Then, suddenly diverted
from the present, he pressed to his
lips the cross on his sword-hilt which
one of his fellow-soldiers held toward
him, and afterward turning again to-
ward Margherita with look so
beautiful that once seen it could never
be forgotten, sang with depth Of
tenderness the brief Il die for thee!"
kissed her bowed head, with a sort Of
triumphant resignation gasped the
last Like a soldier I diei" and fell
back lifeless.
Feeling much more like Valentines
ghost than like himself, he went for
ward again and again to receive the
plaudis of the people; then, warned
by Merlino that he would certainly be
called for at the close of the opera,
he flung on his own hat and cloak
over the Valentine costume, and with
an Irresistible craving for fresh air
and darkness, rushed from the the
alter. At the stage-door he encoun-
tered Piale and old Florestano.
Why. my friend" he exclaimed,
turning to the fisherman you will
miss the best part of the opera
TITS naught to me now, signor."
said the old man; st ended for me
at your death. I'll take my boat at
the Piilero and be starting home"
Il will walk part of the way with
you" said Carlo.
And with Piale on his other side.
he strobe along. drinking down deep
breaths of the cool night air. and re-
alizing with a relief indescribable
that the horrors he had been living
through were, after all, not real
Never had hope been so strong
within him as when he parted with
old F1orestano and walked back with
Piale to the Mercadante. He had
left behind him despair, and gloom,
and failure, they seemed to have died
with Valentino, while within him
there had arisen a buoyant expecta-
tion-almost an assurance-that his
work would not be vain. that Nita
would be saved Francesca's sweet
voice seemed to be saying to him
again and again, "Pazienza! Pazi-
eDzal" while the very first sound that
reached him on returning to the the
alter was the chorus of angels, with
their ringing cry of "E salva!" Then,
when the final chorus "Cristo risus-
cito" had Gied away into silence, he
heard amid The clapping loud cries
for 'Donati," and with what the Ital-
ians call una stretta al cuore." he
led Anita before the curtain, and once
more received the plaudits of his fell
low citizens. Behind the curtain, the
very scene shutters and carpenters
were eager to congratulate him;
Marioni, the conductor was ready to
swear an eternal friendship; Merlino
beamed upon him complacently; Pr
ale shed tears Of happiness; and it
became evident that Carlo, for the
time being. would prove the idol of
the Neapolitan world
Next afternoon, when by sober day
light he read the accounts of his first
appearance in Enrico's Office, his
friend with cynical smile. ex-
claimed, "Your head will be turned
with all this triumph"
And then suddenly there flashed
upon Carlo the vision of what he had
forfeited He was too supplemented,
too genuinely honest, not to enjoy to
the full his artistic success; but he
thought to himself there was not
much fear that the man who had lost
francesca Britton would be dazzled
by such delights as public approval
can bring.
To be continued