The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-30

ana attempted to create COR himself
a dwelling unknown TO In. rest OF
humanity a retreat where ne could be
happy without being jecrcd at and
scorned for his hideousncss, q dwell
ling place from which lac could go
forth In supernatural guiHc as the
Phantom or the Ghost of the Opera"
His Wonderful powers as a ventrilo-
ruist his employment or al. Kinds OF
secret architectural devices his fan
tastic attire and the deaths mead mask
that ne wore, enabled him for a time
to become extraordinarily successful.
He eXacted from the managers OF the
opera a large and regularly paid In
come and he forced Them - reserve
for his own use a box for each opera
performance.
After. awhile, however, he fell in
love With an opera singer, girl nam
ed Christine Daac, who was alone in
the world with the exception or an
old French woman, Madame Nalcrius.
This old woman had adopted the girl
at the death of her father by prores-
sion her father was viol!n!st and
conducted ChriStine's musical cduca- :
ton tie told her when he vas dying
that he would return an IAN angel
from heaven" and teach her how to
sing her roles. The girl was hyper
sensitive and passiorately devoted TO
uSiC, so Snc OellcNeG nlTn.
Erik. observing her from his box,
was quick TO note all the pcculiaritics
of her nature. He used his splendid
voice and his vertriloquism to make
her believe that he was the angel
from heaven" Of whom her father had
spoken. Little by little nc increa scd
his hypnotic control over the girl un-
til he very nearly got her entirely in
his power.
b.. -, ~, ,,rS.,. ,
devoted and brave, the Nicomte dc
Chagny- He and Persian, wso WAS
the darcga OF Mazenderan, and knew
Erik's nature and his powers. fol-
lowed the ghost to an underground
retreat whore lie had Christine as a
prisoner. and entered it. The two men
would have persisted for their rash
ness but for the power which Chris
tine possessed over the Opera Ghost"
She declared that She was ready TO
sacrifice herself TO save their lives;
she showed sympathy. with tho unfor-
tunate ghost instead of adherence,
which the rest Of the world displayed.
And the ghost relen,ed. lie gave her
back TO freedom and to her lover, and
paid his debt of gratitude to the
Persian
Afterwards he died and was buried
secretly underground as he wished 10
be. And the avenues leading 10 his
dwelling, which also became his tomb,
were sealed up forever The Phantom
of the Opera" the tragedies connect
ed with his comings and soings, be-
long now to the shadowy and legend
airy past
But CASTOR Leroux has gathered In
to one of the stories Of the days when
the opera ghost used to sit in box No.
D. dark elusive shadow, and was
seen here and there In tho corridors
BY trembling ballet girls, who ran
shrieking from his presence, and tie
ghost kes an allurng, mysterious
hero for novel that is in every way
quite worthy of the author OF The
Yellow Room
The scenes in the career Of the
ghost are described With effectiveness
and the interest of the reader is
strongly aroused by the psychological
element introduced. The tragedy Of
Carlotta's broken and croakinS voice
in the midst of her stage triumph
and OF the fall OF the grea. chandelier
is, next to the scene when tho Persian
and the vcomte find Themselves in the
torture chamber Of I3rik's dwelling,
the strongest in the book.
CASTOR Lerouxs conception in writ
ing possesses originality of conception
that is eQualed by the able manner in
which his conception is developed.