The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1909-09-16
CHAPTER |.

THE VOICE IN THE roo.
| OUT OF the unromantic night
IL January fog, came voice
~ lifted In song, soprano,
rich. full and round. young. yet ma
tured, sweet and mysterious as a
light birds. haunting and elusive as
the murmur Of the sea in shella
lit from la File de Nine. Angot." a
light opera long since forgotten In
New York. Hilard, genuinely aston
Ished. lowered his pipe and listened
The voice rose and sank and scared
again, drawing nearer and nearer 1t
was joyous and unrestraiDed, and
there was youth In 1t, the touch OF
spring and the breath OF flowers The
music was Lecocq's-that is to say.
f'rench-but the tongue was of n coun-
try which Hiilard knew to be the gar
den Of the world Presently he OBJ
served shadow emerge from the yel-
low mist, to come within the circle Of
light, which. faint as II was, limned in
against the nothingness beyond the
form Of woman. She walked direct
ly under his window.
AS the invisible comes suddenly out
OF the future TO assume distinct pro-
portions which either make or mar us,
so did this unknown cantatrice come
out OF the fog that night and enter into
Hillard's life, to readiust Its ambi-
tions. to divert Its aimless course, to
give impetus TO 1t and directness
which hitherto II had not known.
.Ah"
He leaned over the sill at perilous
angle, the bright coal Of his pipe spill
Ing comet-wise to the areaway below.
He was only subconscious of having
spoken. but this syllable was sufficient
to spoil the enchantment. The voice
ceased abruptly. with an odd break.
The singer looked up. Possibly her
establishment surpassed even that Of
her audience. For few minutes she
had forgotten that she was In New
York; she had forgotten the pain in
her heart; there had been only an ir-
reslstible longing to sing
Though she raised her face, he could
distinguish no feature for the light
was behind However, he was man
who made up his mind quickly Brn
nette or blond. beautiful or otherwise,
Il needed but moment TO find out
Even as this decision was made he
was In the upper hall, taking the stairs
two at a bound. lie ran out into the
hight barcheaded Up the street he
faw flying shadow. Plainly she had
anticipated his impulse. She was
rome. He cupped his ear with his
hand In vain. There was nothing but
fog and silence.
"weIl. II this doesn't beat the
Dutch," he murmured.
He laughed disappointedly II did
not matter that he was three and thir-
ty He still retained youth enough to
teei chagrined at such q trivial defeat
Here had been something like gen.
nine adventure. and II had slipped like
water through his clumsy fingers.
Deuce take the fogl But for that
ia have caught her"
But reason promptly asked him /
what he should have done had be 1
,aught the singer. Yes. supposing be 4
had. what excuse would be have had /
10 offers Who could she BET What
peculiar whimsical freak had sent her
past his window a, o'clock
81 the morningl A grand opera singer
home from late support /
Blu, be dismissed this opinion even as
be advanced H. lie knew something
about grand opera singers. They at
lend late suppers. II Is true, but they
ride home in luxurious carriages and
never rlsk their golden yoices IN this
.areless n romantic fashion. As for
being comic opera star, be refused
10 sdmit the possibility. and be rele
gated this well satisfied constellation
10 the darks Of limbo. He had beard
! voice.
A policeman came numbering over 10
sdd CT subtract bis quota of interest
d the affair. Hlllard wisely stopped