The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-11-12
CHAPTER u.

There was good copy for the news
papers on both sides of the Atlantic
in the news that the famous lyric so
prano. Margarita da Cordova, whose
real name was Miss Margaret Dome
was engaged to Mons. Konstantin
Logotheti, a Greek financier of large
fortune established in Paris, and al.
most as well known to art collectors
as to needy governments. would-be
promoters. and mothers of marriage.
able daughters.
The engagement was made known
during the height of the London sea.
son, not long after they had both been
at weekend party at Craythew,
Lord Creedmore's place in Derbyshire.
where they had apparently come to a
final understanding after knowing
each other more than two years. Mar
garet was engaged to sing at Covent
Garden that summer. and the first
mention Of the match was coupled
with the information that she intended
to cancel all her engagements and
never appear In public again. The re.
suit was that the next time she came
down the stage to sing the Waltz
Song In Romeo and Juliet" she re-
ceived tremendous ovation before
she opened her handsome lips, and
another when she had finished the
air; and she spent one of the happiest
evenings she remembered.
Though she was at heart a nice
English girl, not much over "a years
of age, the orphan daughter OF an Ok
ford don who had married an Ameri.
can. she had developed. or fallen. to
the point at which very popular and
successful artists cannot live at all
without applause, and are not happy
unless they receive a certain amount
OF adulation. Even the envy they ex-
cite In their rivals is delicious, II not
almost necessary to them.
Margarets real nature had not been
changed by success that had been
altogether phenomenal and had prob.
ably not been approached by any
soprano since Nine. Bonanni: but a
second nature had grown upon It and
threatened to hide 1t from all but
those who knew her very we'll indeed.
The inward Margaret was honest and
brave. rather sensitive, and still gener-
GUS; the outward woman. the prima
donna whom most people saw, was
self-possessed to fault. imperious
when contradicted. and coolly ruthless
when her artistic fame was at stake.
The two natures did not agree well
together. and made her wretched when
they quarreled, but Logotheti, who
was going to take her for better. for
worse, professed to like them both
and was the only man she had ever
known who did. That was one reason
why she was going to marry him. aft.
er having refused him about q dozen
times.
She had loved another man as much
as she was capable of loving. and at
one time he had loved her, but a mis-
understanding and her devotion to her
art had temporarily separated them
and later. when she had almost told
him that she would have him II he
asked her. he had answered her quite
frankly that she was no longer the
girl he had cared for. and he had sud
denly disappeared from her life alto
gether. So Logotheti. brilliant, yer,
rich. gifted. gay. and rather exotic In
appearance and manner. but tenaci
GUS as a bloodhound. had won the
prize after struggle that had lasted
two years. She had accepted hin
without much enthusiasm at the last
and without any great show of feel
ing.
Let's try It," she had said, and h,
had been more than satisfied.
After a time. therefore, they told
their friends that they were going t
try it."
The only woman with whom the
great singer was at all intimate wa.
the Countess Leyen. Lord Creedmore's
daughter, generally called Lad,
Maud whose husband had been IL
the diplomacy. and. after vainly try
ing to divorce her. had been killed IL
st. Petersburg by bomb meant fol
minister. The explosion had beer
SO terrific that the dead mans identit,
had only been established by means
Of his pocket-book. which somehow es
capped destruction. So Lady Maut
was a childless widow of eight-and
twenty. Her father. when he had NJ
prospect of ever succeeding to ths
title. had been a successful barrister
and then a hard-working member Of
parliament, and he had been from boy
hood the close friend of Margaret
father. Hence the intimacy that grew
up quickly between the two womer
when they at last met. though the,
had not known each other as children
because the lawyer had lived In towl
and his friend In Oxford.
$50 you're going to try It. N,
dear." said Lady Maud. when sh.
heard the news