Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-04-24

not sing Lecocq's songs in Italian if
you did not speak and understand Il
thoroughly. Signora or signorina.
whenever 1t may be, have we no mu
1ual friends? Are you not known to
some one Who knows me? Some one
VINO VIII speak for me, my character
my habits? Modesty forbids that | my.
self should dwell upon my virtues. I
could refer you to my bankers. but
money does not recommend tho good
character of man. 1t merely recon.
mends his thrift, or more generally
that of his father.
mat Will pass as wit" said the
lady. But it is rather a dull letter
SO far. But, then, he is wandering in
the dark
fou say you sang because at that
moment you were happy This implies
| that you are not always So Surely,
with voice like yours, one can not
possibly be unhappy If only might
meet you! Will you not do me this
honor! | realize that this is all irreg-
uiar, out of fashion, obsolete. But
something tells me that neither Of us
is adjusted properly to prosaic envir-
onments. Isn't there just little pure.
healthy romance waiting to be given
life? Your voice haunts me: out of
every silence 1t comes to me-"She is
so innocent, so youthful
John Hillard.
Inc letter fluttered into her lap.
She leaned on her elbows. 1t was not
a pad letter; and she rather liked the
boylsh tone of it. Nothing vulgar
peered out from between the lines.
Did he really love music? He must,
for it was not every young man who
could pick out the melody of an old
forgotten opera. She shivered, but
the room was warm Had fate or
chance some Interior purpose behind
this episode? Rather than tempt fate
she decided not to answer this letter;
ASIDE from her passive superstition, it
would be neither wise nor useful. She
desired to meet no strangers; to be
left to herself was all she wished. Her
voice, it was all she had that afforded
her comfort and pleasure.
Romance! The word came back to
her. With an unmusical laugh she
stood up, shaking the letter TO the
floor. Romance! She was no longer
girl; she was a woman of five and
twenty; and what should woman
know OF romance? All, there had been
a time when all the world was 70.
nance, romance; when the night
breeze had whispered it under her
easement window; when the lattice
climbing roses had breathed it. when
the moon and the stars had spelled Il,
Romance! She hated the word nor less
than she hated the italian language.
the Italian people. the country itself
She spurned the letter with her foo.
and fed the newspaper to the fire
She would let Bettina answer the let
ter
She went down stairs to the piano
and played with strong feeling. Pres
emily she began to sing a haunting
melancholy song by Abt. From Abt
she turned to Flotow; from Offenbach
to Rossini; from Gounod to Verdi. The
voice was now sad or gay, now tender
or wild She was mistress Of every
tone every shade every expression.
The door opened gradually. The lit
tie maids face was moved to rapture
over these exquisite sounds.
Crash! It was over.
"Bettina? Bettina, are Won listen
ing?"
81 am always listening" Bettipa
squeezed in to the room 'I had not
the heart to interrupt 1t is beautiful.
beautiful To sing like that" Then,
with burst of confidence: There
will be kings and dukes at your teet!"
Enough"
Pardon. signora. forgot. But lis
ten; | bring a message. A boy came
to say that the rehearsal will he at
four this afternoon 1t is now after
twelve
$50 late? did not know. We must
be off to lunch"
"And, the letter upstairs on the
f1oor?'
Some day, Bettina, you will enter
the Forbidden Chamber, and | shall
have to play Bluebeard. This time
however, | do not mind Leave it
there or burn it, indfferently.
Bettina knew ner mistress. She
thought best to leave the letter where
1t Law FORGOTTEN for the time l,aine