Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-02-20
CHAPTER ".
Box Five.

we may well ask If he ever found time
to attend to the affairs of the opera
otherwise than by telling what went
on there. NJ. Moncharmin did not
know a note of music, but he called
the minister of education and fine
arts by his Christian name, had dab
bled a little in society journalism and
enjoyed considerable private In.
come. Lastly, he was charming fel.
low and showed that he was not lack.
ing in intelligence, for. as soon as he
made up his mind to be sleeping
partner In tho opera, he selected the
best possible active manager and
went straight to F1rmin Richard.
F1rmin Richard was very distin
guished composer, who had published
a number of successful pieces Of all
kinds and who liked nearly every form
of music and every sort OF musician.
Clearly, therefore, 1t was the duty OF
every sort of musician to like NJ. Fir.
min Richard. The only things to be
said against him were that he was
rather masterful in his ways and en-.
dowed with very hasty temper.
The first few days which the part.
ners spent at the opera were given
over to the delight of finding them
selves the head of so magnificent an
enterprise; and they had forgotten all
about that furious. fantastic story OF
the ghost, when an incident occurred
that proved to them that the joke
If Joke 1t were-was not over NJ.
Firmin Richard reached his office that
morning at eleven o'clock. His secre-
tary, NJ. Remy,. showed him half a
dozen letters which he had not opened
because they were marked private"
One OF the letters had at once at
tracted Richards attention not only
because the envelope was addressed
in red ink, but because he seemed to
have seen the writing before. He soon
remembered that 1t was the red hand
writing in which the memorandum
book had been so curiously completed.
He recognized the clumsy childish
hand. He opened the letter and read:
Dear Mr.. Manager:
Il am sorry to have to trouble you
at time when you must be so very
busy, renewing important engage.
ments, signing fresh ones and gen.
orally displaying your excellent taste.
l know what you have done for Car.
lotta, SoreIli and little Jammes and
for few others whose admirable
qualities of talent or genius you have
suspected.
"Of course, when use these words.
l do not mean to apply them to La
who ought never to have been al.
lowed to leave the Ambassadors and
the Cafe Joaquin; nor to La Sorelli,
who owes her success mainly to the
coach-builders; nor to little Jammes.
who dances like calf in field. And
am not speaking of Christine Daae
either, though her genius is certain.
whereas your jealousy prevents her
from creating any important part.
When all is said, you are free to con.
duct your little business as you think
best. are you not?
j
advantage Of the fact that you have
not yet turned Christine Daae out OF
doors by hearing her this evening In
the part of Siebel, as that OF Mar
garita has been forbidden her since
her triumph of the other evening; and
will ask you not to dispose of my
box today nor on the following days.
for I cannot end this letter without
telling you how disagreeably sur.
prised | have been once or twice. to
hear. on arriving at the opera. that
my box had been sold, at the box.
office. by your orders.
II did net protest. first. because
dislike scandal, and, second, because
l thought that your predecesso
NM. Debienne and Poligny. who were
always charming to me. had neglect
ed. before leaving. to mention my lit
tie fads to you. have now received
a reply from those gentlemen to my
letter asking for an explanation, and
this reply proves that you know all
about my memorandum-book and, con-
sequently. that you are treating me
with outrageous contempt. II you wish
to live in peace, you must not begin
by taking away my private box.
Believe me to be, dear Mr.. Man.
ager, without prejudice to these little
observations.
Your Most Humble and Obedient
Servant,
OPERA GHOST"
The letter was accompanied by a
cutting from the agony-column OF the
Revue Theatrale, which ran:
20. G.-There is no excuse for Il.
and NJ. We told item and left your
1nemorandum-book In their hands.
Kind regards"
NJ. Firmin Richard had hardly fin.
ished reading this letter when NJ. Ar
one exactly similar. They looked at
each other and burst out laughing.
They are keeping up the joke"
said NJ. Richard. but l don't call 1t
funny"
what does it all mean" asked NJ.
Moncharmin. do they imagine that.
because they have been managers OF
the opera, We are going to let them
have box for an indefinite period?"
Il am not In the mood to let myself
be laughed at long," said Ffrmin Rich.
ard.
Its harmless enough" observed