The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-27

WEz HAD listened inattentively at first, n- E curious as to details yet glad that H Emma had found something to interest
 her in her what seemed to me hope ESR MW lessly drab existence-for surely even EG#4AE the Emnlas of this world must require H@ @# more than the life of boarding house. ERE&s and that attendant upon membership in N S8& a university class, to make existence
 tolerab1e But she talked began to knmRn@ realize an. effective element of meo
 ~f@a drama in her recital. And Emma
 fO knew to be the soul of accuracy.
 "She has such vivid life," Emma was-saying yet it has been full of tragedy Electra says it has always seemed to her if events simply stood waiting about her path. if she were one of those fated beings in Maeternck drama. Such strange things happen to her." lI
 "Tell me about them," urged For though re- spect Emma, do not invariably leave her presence burdened with unmade communications and upon this occasion Christopher being out of town for two days had contracted to dine with her.
 "They are largely tragedies that grow out of mems infatuation for her," Emma responded. "She never ceases to lament her fatal attraction formen It has brought her great misfortune and happiness for another curious thing about it is that she cannot seem to care herself She says that sometimes she fears she never will for any one. She is very beautiful" Emma refected-"a gorgeous tropical sort of beauty I don't wonder lose their heads over her.
 And what Is she doing here?" I inquired, sud denly realizing inability to place this unique fate enveloped figure against the background of Mrs. Williams plush and bric-a-brac.
 Well, she is temporarily in hard luck. She is, as told you, a young opera-singer fully equipped with
 repertoire but she has found it impossible to make any headway because of the jealousy of other singers and the fact that all these in power fall madly in love with her and complicate things for her by not as she de1icately expresses it, being willing meet her professional grounds One day she said to me: If you only knew how worn out am with this continual insistence upon the personal motel If they only for moment would let me forget that am womani" Y was silent for moment, oyeryhelmed by the revelation of this unique predicament. "What roles does she sng7" inquired, finally
 Carmen and Venus in Tannhauser, and, oh, twenty different parts. But those her favorites. It is her ambition to sing Kundry. Salome, and Isolde also"
 "Her taste seems to run to the impersonation of sirens,1 commented. "One would almost expect that her painful and unsolicited experiences along the line would lead her choose roles dsclaimng the softer aspect of womanhood such as Ortrud and Frcks"
 Emma's smile implied her perception of the un- derstandableness of my mistaken inference. That is just ither real choice of roles is Brunnhilde. She feels that that final apotheoss of spiritual love in Die Gotterdammerung lies closer to her real self than anything else in opera. Yet every manager who sees and hears her demands of her what they call the temperamental roles, and simply won't con- slider her in any other parts.
 ~I am curious to see her," I remarked
 ~You will tonight, at dinner But hate to have you see her first in that close glarng dning-room. It is such an inadequate setting for her."
 Already seemed to perceive the exotic influence of Electra upon Emrna's vocabulary, which had pre- vicusy been of the simple and serviceabe variety
 Fortunately was compelled to contemplate the dsconcertng incongruity of Electra in the soup haunted atmosphere of Mrs. Williams dining-room. The fate that apparently played strong part in her life had ordained otherwise For she had come in late dinner after had left the table, and had sent word by another boarder her way to the floor above to ask to come down to her for little while. And against calculated back ground of green cushions which threw into wonder fui relief her flaming and unquestonably authentic hair that first saw Electra, and in the very pose the reluctant Crce constrained to play out the role forced upon her by fate. Her large eyelids dropped over her porcelan-b1ue eyes her languid hand played with huge peacock fam Beautiful? Yes, she undenab1y irrefutably, beautiful. Where was the flaw? Her coloring, which could only be described as gorgeous, was-throughout- by art Her features were regular if not striking. Her large, complete perfection forced itself upon you, 1t dehed you to contradict it. Her hands, it is true, were large and unwedy, her wrists and ankles thick but these caressly finished extremities were matters of detail easily lost in the nagnifcence-munfcence of her general effect Her voice, if lacking in any definite impression, except for slight Southern accent, was pleasing Why it, as I sat there baskng in the radiance of her beauty, that she sug gested to me one of those richly coored, fullgrown California peaches plucked in such mmaturity that they have attained no flavor faint vapid sweet ness? Electra was not mmature-in any sense of the word. Emma had quoted her as having drunk lifes bitterness to the dregs-athough that bitter ness had fortunately left ravaging traces upon her Why was it that for feeting moment doubt insinuated itself as her irresistible destructive traction for what is known in the phraseoogy of the fortune-teller %the opposite six They say women cannot judge of such things. Perhaps not. After all what did the majority of men like but just