The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-27

Evening.
 The opening scene is 1s4s-the gold rush is at it's height. Minnie, a true type of real American girlhood, beauti- full, 1.-the and vigorous and full of high spirits, has opened in the mining camp saloon known as '-The Polka. and by the rough miners the little hostess is looked up to and worshipped as the only softening influence that reminds them of sister. wife or sweet heart far away. The exquisite harm onies of Puccini all indicate this and critics unanimously declare that the scene displays marvellous originality.
 A wandering minstrel drops into the
 AThe Polka and when he sings The Old Folks at Home' the rough min CTS involuntarfly join in the refrain and many are unable to conceal their emotion. Minnie is much touched by this incident as she regards the miners with a motherly and sisterly feeling. She has never as yet loved although Rance, a spendthrfft and gambler, is laying siege to her heart. During the Minstrels song Rance enters and ex- changes a. few words with his mates. Minnie steps forward and sings d love romance into which she throws all the passion of her nature. Rance makes violent love to the girl but she cannot overcome her aversion of him.
 Hanging around the camp is a gang of robbers led by one Ramerrez on whose head a price is set. This bandit who is known at '"The Polka under the assumed name of Johnson. meets Minnie and gives her bunch of wild flowers. She falls headlong in love with him. The bandit comes in again at night to get his band Unto rob. Minnie fascinates him and he does not give the signal. The music softens and a florid orchestration introduces a love song between Johnson and Minnie. He offers to see her home to her cabin in the mountains.
 The second act shows the interior of Minnie's home It is night and two of Minnie's servants, redskins, give a scene of their own family life. The l Indian mother rocks the baby in a basket at her back, grooming wild, melancholy ditty. Minnie and John 1 son are whispering words of love. Outside the storm rages.. The orches- l tra describes the love idyll with ca ressing phrases interspersed with con- trapuntal effects which foretell trouble | Rance,s jealousy has been awakened I and with a band of armed men he has ! crept in the wake of the lovers as they turn cold with fear. She hides Johnson and goes to the door. Rance | pours forth torrent of passion and denounces Johnson as the robber (the I notorious Ramerrez). He has learned the secret from a woman. Minnie | controls her surprise, but when Rance leaves she inveighs with bitter irony against the man to whom she haSl given her first kiss of love. Banner reg defends himself, and says he suc- ceeded his father as chief, but once having seen Minnie his only hope is | <n ic Ia hal wound is too deep. Johnson becomes | maddened and dashes out into the night. A shot is heard. Rance, keenly on the alert, has spied his rival and sent bullet into his breast. Johnson has strength to drag himself back to his sweetheart's cabin. Minnie hears him drop outside the door, drags him in and hides him in the alcove about the entrance Rance knocks, enters and demands the wounded man. Min nie denies having seen him, but some blood trickling down the doorway gives her the lie. The girl now takes refuge in heroic measures. She will play Rance game of poker, stalking Johnson's life against Rance's love. Rance accepts. The girl cheats and wins.
 Rance goes off discomforted. He quivers with rage. but holds his peace. He did not see the fraud and his hon.
  wildness and the whole scene one of Puccinrs masterpieces. Minnie breaks down at the sight of her wounded low CT and the curtain falls on act two.
 The third act opens with the watch of Rance's mates. Johnson Ramef- req, must be in the mountains. He was seen to go up; he has never come down. As it happens, he passes his term of convalescence with Minnie. A shout rings through the forest Men on horseback are bringing in the ban dit, Ramarrez, whom they have at last captured. He makes no appeal for his life. Let them kill him so long as Minnie doesn't know of his death She must think he has left to begin life anew.
 But when the crowd of furious min CTS are ready to lynch the bandit Min nie rushes forward and partly by vio- lence, partly by, prayers, drags her lover from his executioners It is a savage struggle but the wild spirits are finally conquered by Minnie's beauty and heroism.
 Minnie will go with her husband to lead a new life in Pennsylvania Her mother and her sisters join in the hymn of praise which swells with throbbing emotion and dies away in the twilight of the forest as the cur tain falls.