Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-20

die of the auditorium with a man in a
broadcloth frock-coat on either side
of her.
Who on earth are 'those?'" asked
Moncharmin.
Those my dear fellow, are my
concierge, her husband and her
brother"
Did you give them their tickets?"
did. My concierge had
never been to the opera-this is the
first tme-and, as she is now going
to come every night, wanted her to
have good seat, before spending her
time showing other people to theirs"
Moncharmin asked what he meant
and Richard answered that he had
persuaded his concierge, in whom he
mad the greatest confidence, to come
and take Name Giry's place. Yes, he
would like to see If, with that woman
instead of the old lunatic, Box Five
would continue to astonish the ma
tives?
by the way" said Moncharmin,
you know that Mother CRY is going
to lodge a complaint against you"
with whom? The ghost?"
The ghost! Moncharmin had al
most forgotten him. However, that
mysterious person did nothing to bring
himself to the memory of the man.
ayers; and they were just saying SO
to each other for the second time,
when the door of the box suddenly
opened to admit the startled stage
manager.
What's the natter" they both
asked, amazed at seeing him there at
such a time.
1T seems there's a plot got up by
Christine Daae's friends against Car.
| lotta. Carlotta's furious"
What on earth {. .?'' said Rich
ard, knitting his brows.
| But the curtain rose on the kermess
scene and Richard made a sign to
the stage-manager to go away. When
! the two were alone again, Monchar-
min leaned over to Richard:
Then Daae has friends?" he asked.
Eyes, she has"
''Whom?'
Richard glanced across at a box on
the grand tier containing no one but
two men.
The Comte de Chagny?"
Yes, he spoke to me in her favor
with such warmth that, If 1 had not
known him to be SoreIli's friend >
Really? Really?" said Monchar
min. And who is that pale young
man beside him.
That's his brother, the viscount"
"He ought to be in his bed. He
looks ILL.,"
The stage rang with gay song:
RED or white liquor,
Coarse or finei
What can il matter,
So we have wine?"
Students, citizens, soldiers. girl:
and matrons whirled light-heartedl!
before the inn with the figure O
Bacchus for a sign. Siebel made he
entrance. Christine Daae looked
charming in her boys clothes; ant
Carlotta's partisans expected to hea
her greeted with an ovation which
would have enlightened them as L
the intentions of her friends. Blu
nothing happened.
On the other hand, when Margarit
: crossed the stage and sang the onl
two lines allotted her in this secon
: act:
mo. my lord. not a lady am I, nor We
a beauty,
| 1,1Iv, ~
my way
Carlotta was received with enthusia!
tic applause. 1t was so unexpecte
/ and so uncalled for that those VIII
knew nothing about the rumor
y looked at one another and asked wha
s was happening. And this act also wa
finished without incident.
Then everybody said: ''Of course,
: will be during the next act"
Some, who seemed to be better II
formed than the rest, declared that tn
ROW" would begin with the ballad {
the King of Thule and rushed to tn
n subscribers entrance to warn Carlo
l. ia. The managers left the box durin
the entr'acte to find out more aboI
9 the cabal OF which the stage-manage
had spoken; but they soon returne
i to their seats, struggling their shou
s ders and treating the whole affair 6
It silly.
;, The first thing they saw, on ente
e ing the box, was a box of Englis
sweets on the little shelf of the ledg
Who had put it there? They aske
r the box-keepers, but none of the
knew. Then they went back to Il
n shelf and next to the box of sweet
re found an opera glass. They looked
each other. They had no inclinatiC
to laugh. All that Nine. CRY had to
N them returned to their memory
o. and then and then
= they seemed to feel a curious sort
= draft around them. They s
. down in silence
!. The scene represented Margarits
. garden:
= Gentle fiow'rs In the dew,
Be message from me. :"
AS she sang these first two line
with her bunch OF roses and lilacs
= her hand, Christine, raising her hes