Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-06


where, we wonder how Count Philippe
intends to prevent the viscount, his
brother, from leading the new Mar
garita to the altar. The two broth
ers are said to adore each other; but
the count is curiously mistaken if he
imagines that brotherly love will tri-
umph over love pure and simple"
You see, Raoul," said the count,
"you are making us ridiculous! That
little girl has turned your head with
her ghost-stories"
The viscount had evidently repeat
ed Christines narrative to his broth
er, during the night. All that he now
said was:
"Good-by, Philippe"
Have YOU quite made up your
mind? Are you going tonight? With
herr"
No reply.
Surely you will not do anything so
foolish? 1 shall know how to pre-
vent you!"
"Good-by, Philippe" said the Wis
count again and left the room.
This scene was described to the ex.
amining-magistrate by the count him.
self. who did not see Raoul again un.
til that evening, at the opera, a few
minutes before Christine's disappear
ance.
Raoul, in fact devoted the whole
day to his preparations for the flight
The horses, the carriage, the coach
man, the provisions, the luggage, the
money required for the journey, the
! road to be taken Che had resolved moi
to go by train. so as to throw the
ghost OF the SCENT; all this had tC
/ be settled and provided for; and il
occupied him until nine o'clock al
night.
At nine O'Clock, sort of travelling
barouche with the curtains of its win
{ dows close-down, took its place in the
rank on the Rotunda side. 1t wal
drawn by two powerful horses driver
by a coachman whose face was al
most concealed in the long folds of {
muffler. In front of this travelling
carriage were three broughams, be
longing respectively to Carlotta, VIII
had suddenly returned to Paris, t
SorelH and, at the head of the rank
to Comte Philippe de Chagny. No on
left the barouche. The coachman re
manned on his box, and the three othe
eoachmen remained on theirs.
A shadow in a long black cloak an,
a soft black felt hat passed along tn
pavement between the Rotunda an
the carriages, examined the barouch
carefully, went up to the horses an
the coachman and then moved ava
wit>out saying a word. The magi:
trate afterward believed that thi
shadow was that OF the Vicomte Raou
de Chagny; but l do not agree, SEE
ing that that evening, as every eve
ming, the Vicomte de Chagny wa
wearing a tall hat, which hat, bt
sides. was subsequently found. l al
more inclined to think that the shado'
was that of the ghost, who knew a
about the whole affair, as the reade
will soon perceive.
They were giving Faust, as it hal
, pened, before a splendid house. Tn
Faubourg was magnificently reprt
sented; and the paragraph in tha
mornings Epoque had already pr,
duced its effect, for all eyes wer
turned to the box in which Cour
? Philippe sat alone, apparently in
> very Indifferent and careless frame
mind. The feminine element in th
, brilliant audience seemed curiousl
! puzzled; and the viscount's absenC
, gave rise to any amount of whispe
ing behind the fans. Christine Daa
a met with a rather cold reception Thu
! special audience could not forgive he
\ for aiming so high.
:. The singer noticed This unfavorab
! attitude of portion of the house an
, was confused by it.
The regular frequenters of tt
; | opera, who pretended to know til
truth about the viscOunt's love-stor
r exchanged significant smiles at ce
tain passages in Margarita's part; an
q they made a show of turning and loo
q ing at Philippe de Chagny's box whe
n Christine sang:
, 1 wish I could but know who was he
That addressed me,
II he was noble, or, at least, what h
name is.
The count sat with his chin on b
hand and seemed to pay no attentic
TO these manifestations. He kept h
eyes fixed on the stage; but h
thoughts appeared to be far away.
Christine lost her self-assurant
more and more. She trembIed. 81
felt on the verge of a breakdow
Carolus Fonta wondered IL 81
was i'll, If she could keep the stage u
til the end of the Garden Act,
the front of the house, people remel
bered the catastrophe that had b
fallen Carlotta at the end of that a