Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-08-11

carr had discovered ner tenor wltnou
his l,slp. He and Balcomb were stand.
ing in the Carr library, where the last
undress rehearsal OF "Deceivers Ever
was about to begin. leighton, who
was stage manager, also sang in the
chorus, which appeared in one act as
foresters and in the other as soldiers
Mrs. Carr always had reason for ev-
erything she did Her reason for in
sisting that the Dramatic Club, OF
which she was president should give
a comic opera was thoroughly adeA
quate, for at this time she was exploit
ing young musician who had lately
appeared in Mariona, and who was not,
let it be remembered, a mere instructor
| in vocal music, but a composer as well.
| He was very agreeable young man,
who wished to build up permanent
orchestra in Mariona, and Mrs. Carr
was backing this project with her ac-
customed enthusiasm. Nothing could
help matters forward so well as a So
cial success for Max Schmidt. He had
written an opera, which many mama
gers had declined for the reason that
the music was too good and the book
too bad.
'Deceivers Ever" was the name of
the work, and Mrs. Carr was preparing
to produce an abridged version of it on
the night before Thanksgiving. The
scene was set in Germany, and there
were six men-the gay deceivers-all
of them officers in the army. The chief
girl character was the daughter of
new commandant of a post, but at
ball given in his honor she changed
places with her maid. and no end of
confusion resulted. Mrs. Carr had
urged Zelda to take the principal role,
and Zelda had consented with the un-
derstanding that Olive Merriam was to
be elected a member of the club and
given a part in the opera.
While Leighton and Balcomb stood
talking in the library, Herr Schmidt,
in the drawing room, lectured the rest
of the company in his difficult English.
He now fell upon the piano with a
crash and nodded to Zelda, who began
one of her solos. When this had been
sung to his satisfaction, the director
called for Olive and Captain Pollock.
Pollock was greatly liked by the
people he had begun to know in Mario |
ma. The men about the Tippecanoe
Club had the reputation of scrutiniz-
ing newcomers a little superciliously,
in the way of old members of small
club, who resent the appearance of
strangers at the lounging- room fire.
side. But Pollock fitted into places SIS
though he had always been used TO
them. He told a good story or he |
sang a song well, when called on to
do something at the grill-room Satur-
day nights. Mrs. Carr had given him
one of the best parts in the opera
The young officer and Olive carried |
off with great animation dialogue in
song into which Herr Schmidt had
been able to get some real humor
You haven't told me how much you
like my cousin" said Zelda to Leigh
ton, when he sat down by her in an
interval of parley between the director
and Mrs. Carr. Il expect something
nice"
Nothing could be easier. She's
great hit She's a discovery! She's
an ornament to society,""
"Humph! That sounds like sample
sentences from a copy book. A man
with a reputation as an orator to sus-
tain ought to be able to do better than
that"
Not having such reputation"
mot even thinking one has"
"Oh, I'm conceited, am II"
81 hadn't thought of it before, but
no doubt it's true" said Zelda, looking
across the room to where Jack Bal
comb was talking with his usual vi
vacity to a girl in the chorus whom
he had never met before. He was per-
fectly at ease, as though leaning
against grand pianos in handsome
rooms and talking to pretty
girls had always been his mission in
life.
Morris did not follow Zelda's eyes;
he was watching her face gravey. He
had tried in many ways to please her,
but she maintained an attitude toward
him that was annoying, to say the
least
Ito be continued.)