Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-05-19

cession to II, and he was able even
with overweight nerves and failing
| physical powers, to endure with com
posture the trying ordeal. It was as
Merlino had said, the audience kindly
| consented to put up with him; they al
lowed him TO appear without a single
hiss. Indeed, the chilling silence was
broken By five or six resounding claps
/ from the third row Of stalls.
THAT is Francesca's cousin" he
thought 10 himself, and he felt glad TO
have one friendly face among the
hundred Of colby critical ones. He
was glad. too. to have such friends as
| Domenica Borelli and Sardoni 10 sing
with that night. and was cheered by
Mr.. Brittons kindness. If only he
could get through his work he
thought that, spite Of TIE dark future
he should feel perfectly happy. But
that was the great question. All
thought he had attempted what was
! physically impossible, and he shrank
| in horror from making another exhi-
bition of himself on the stage. IF
do faint again, he reflected, Il hope
shall do it decentIy in my dressing
room"
BY sheer force of will he got
through the long, weary duet with
Sardoni. but it left him so worn out
with pain that he could hardly stand.
He got off the stage somehow. and the
moment they were out of sight Sar-
doni took him by the arm and half
dragged him to his room, where, with
an lrrepressible groan, he threw him
/ self on the floor beside the fire, seem
ing to find a sort of relief in thrusting
the guitar under his arm, so that he
actually lay upon It.
"Pleurisy," thought Mr.. Britton. who
had followed to see if he could be of
any use: but Carlo was evidently in
such pain that he did not like to talk
10 him, so he turned instead to Sar-
doni. to whom he had taken a great
fancy, and who, to make up for his
past selfishness, was devoting himself
70 his friend in a way that pleased the
Englishman. They discussed all posi-
BILE means Of helping him, and Sar-
doni, going out to fetch some restora-
tive. brought back word that NADIA
moiselle Borelli had been encored in
her cavatna, which would give Carlo
a little longer space to recover his
strength.
Are you sure ] am not in your way
ri don =
feel as If | could sit in the audience
not knowing how our friend is getting
on"
Sardonl who realized that the
stranger must be some relation to
/ Francesca Britton. warmly assured
him that he was the greatest possible
help; and Carlo though too much ex.
hausted to speak an unnecessary word
gave him a glance which conveyed
more than many sentences.
All too soon came the unwelcome
call-boy Again Carlo braced himself
up for the effort, and Sardoni and Mr..
Britton watched him anxiously
through his scene with Rosina
"He is on the stage great deal
after this" explained Sardon;, but the
most trying part is over for him, as
far as singing goes, when he is once
through with this scene.
"Wfl he get through. do you Think
If he does, IL win be by the skin OF
his teeth, said Sardoni But, like
the Barbiere himself, he is a Bravo
giovinotto No other man whom
know would do 1t. but he perhaps
may"
/ All. I thought So" he exclaimed
as, the duet over, the baritone beat a
hastl retreat, aud on reaching the
she ,er OF the wings would have fallen
had he not promptly caught him, 1t
Is a. | said. by the skin of his teeth,
4 They carried him back TO his room,
but had barely restored him to life
when Sardoni was obliged to go on
the stage again leaving him alone
with Nj. Britton,
1t was the strangest evening the
EngliShman had ever spent, as he sat
in the dismal little Gressing.room
with its bare floor and whitewashed
walls, its confusion of stage dresses
and the garments of prosaic life,
Some one had brought in Two or three
cushions from the green room, and as
soon as Carlo had recovered his
senses they had laid him on these
upon his LETT side. the position which
seemed 10 give him the greatest ease.
The freight played on his face, and
MIR Britton as he watched him. found
his thought wandering back TO the
time when he had first met him with
Francesca outside the English church
at Naples. lie recalled the strange.
sad smile whica had passed over the
young Italians face when he congratu-
lated him on his betrothal, and he
felt irreSisubly Sawn 10 a man who
could deliberately choose career so
self-denying, so little likely to be un,
I derstood
He was startled to find that his
thoughts OF Francesca must have al.
,eet,d his companion,
we may not be alone again. said
Carlo. turning his face toward him
III anything should happen to me, will
! Won pyOpiNp In afyp this to Fran.