Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-07-11

stood waiting about her path. if she were of
those fated beings in a Maeterlnck drama Such
strange things happen to her"
Tell 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 largely tragedies that grow out Of mems
infatuaton for her" Emma responded. "She never
ceases to lament her fatal attraction for 1t has
brought her great misfortune and no happiness for
another curious thing about it is that she cannot
seem to care herself She says that nctimes she
fears she never will care for any She is very
beautiful" Emma refected"a gorgeous tropical
sort Of beauty. don't wonder lose their heads
over her"
And what is she doing here?" 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, young opera-snger fully equipped with
repertoire, but she has found it impossible to make
any Roadway because of the jealousy of other singers
and the fact that all these in power fall mady
in love with her and complicate things for her by
not, she delicatey expresses it, being willing
meet her professional grounds. One day she said
IF you only knew how worn out am with
this continual nsstence upon the personal note!
If they only for moment would let me forget
that ! am a woman"
was silent for moment, overwhelmed by The
revelation OF this unique predicament. WHAT roles
does she sing?" inquired, finally.
Carmen, and Venus in Tannhauser, and OH
twenty different parts But those are her favores
It is her ambition to sing Kundry, Salomc, and
,oldc also"
Her taste seems to run to the mpersonation O,
SIRENS" I commented Zone would almost expect
that her painful and unsolicited experiences along
the line would lead her choose roles discaimng
the softer aspect of womanhood such as Ortrud and
Fricka'
Emma's smile implied her perception OF the
observation-disclosures of my mistaken inference That
is just it-her real choice of roles is Brunnhilde.
She feels that that final apotheosis of spiritual love
in Die Gotterdammerung lies closer to her real self
than anything else in opera. Yet every manager
who and hears her demands of her what they
call the temperamcntal roles, and simply won't
slider her in any other parts"
II curious see her." remarked
you will tonight, at dinner But hate to have
you see her first in that close glazing dning-room.
1t is such an inadequate setting for her"
Already seemed to perceive the exotic influence
of Electra upon Eruna's vocabulary. which had pre-
viously been of the simple and servceable variety.
Fortunately not compelled to contemplate
the disconcerting ncongruity of Electra in the soup
haunted atmosphere of Mrs Williams dning-room.
The fate that apparently played so strong part in
her life had ordained otherwise For she had come
in late to dinner after we had left the table, and had
word by another boarder on her way to the
floor above to ask us to come down to see her for
little while. And so il against a calculated back
ground of green cushions which threw into wonder
full relief her flaming and unquestionaby authentic
hair that first Electra, and in the very pose or
the reluctant Gree constrained to play out the role
forced upon her by fate. Her large eyelids dropped
over her porcelain blue eyes her anguid hand played
with huge peacock fan, Beautiful Yes, she
undeniaby, irreiutaby, beautiful. Where the
flaw? Her coornG, which could only be described
as gorgeous, was-through out--unaded by art Her
features regular, if not striking. Her large
complete perfection forced itself upon you it deied
YOU to contradict it. Her hands, it is true, were
large and unweildy her wrists and ankles thick but
these carlessy finished extremtes matters OF
detail easily lost in the magnihcence-munihcence-
of her general effect Her voice, il lacking in any
definite impression, except for slight Southern
accent. was pleasing Why it, as | sat there
basking in the radiance OF her beauty, that she sug
gested to me one of those richly colOred full grown
California peaches plucked in such immaturity that
they have attained flavor faint vapd sweet
the word, Emma had quoted her as having drunk
lifes bitterness the dregs--athough that bitter
ness had fortunately left ravaging traces upon
her Why it that for hecting moment doubt
insinuated itself to her irresistible destructive
traction for what is known in the phraseoogy of the
fortune teller as "thc opposite six? They say
women cannot Judge Of such things. Perhaps not.
>'',~ a'I That did tie majority of men like but just