The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1913-01-31
salvos, a dazzling vision appeared upon

carriage Of a conscious queen, stood
bowling and beaming In the gloss and
glitter of fabric and of gem that were
yet less radiant than herself. Sting
aree stood inanimate between stamp
ing feet and clapping hands. No, he
would never have connected this mag
nificent woman with the simple bush
girl in the unpretentious frocks that
he recalled as clearly as her former
self. He had looked for less fnery,
less physical development, less, indeed,
Of the grand operate tout ensemble.
But acting ended with her smile, and
much Of the old innocent simplicity
came back as the lips parted in song.
And her song had not been spoiled by
riches and adulation; her sons had not
sacrificed sweetness to art1ice; there
was ever more than the old magic in
her song.
Is this a dream?
Then waking would be pain.
Oh. do not wake me!
Let me dream again.
It was nc new number even then:
even Sungaree had often heard 1t and
heard great singers 60 the least degree
fiat upon the first dream" He listen
ed critically. Hilda Bouverie was not
n of the delinquents. Her information
was as perfect as that Of the great vio-
nnists, her high notes had the rarefcd
quality Of the e string finely touched.
1t was a fawless, If a purely popu-
lar, performance. and the musical
heart OF n listener in that crowded
room was too full for mere applause.
But he waited with patient curiosity
for the encore, waited while courtesy
after courtesy was given in vain. She
had to yield: she yielded with a win
ming grace. And the first bars of the
new song set one full heart beating
SO that the earlier words were lost
upon his brain.
She ran before me in the meads,
And down this world worn track
She leads me on. but while she leads
She never gazes back.
And yet her voice Is In my dreams
To witch me more and moro.
Tha wooing voice-ah. me-. It seems
Less near me than Of yore!
Lightly I sped when hope was high
And youth beguiled the chase.
follow-follow still. but
Shall never see her face.
SO the song ended, and In the ulti-
mate quiet the need Of speech came
V e Stingaree.
1.-The Unrealized 1deal,'" he in
formed a neighbor.
Rather" rejoined the man, treating
the stale news as n mere remark.
I'VE never let her off without that"
Il suppose not" said Stingaree.
ITS the song the bushranger forced
her to sing at the back block concert,
and it made her fortune. Good old
S%t1ngaree! BY the way, I heard some
body behind me say he had escaped.
That can't be true"
The newsboys were yelling it as |
came along late"
"Well," said Stingaree's neighbor. 'if
he has escaped, and | for one don't
hope he hasn't, this is where he ought
to be. Just the sort Of thing he'd dc
too. Good old sportsman, Stingaree."
1t was an embarrassing compliment
eye to eye and foot to foot, wedged in
a crowd. The bushranrcr did not fish
for any more. Neither did he wait tc
hear Hilda Bouverie sing again, though
this cost him much. But he had ONT
more word with his n%eighbor before he
went.
"You don't happen to know where
she's staying, suppose I've met hel
once or twice. and l might call"
The other smiled as on some suicida
moth.
There's only one place good enough
for a star like her in Sydney"
And that isl"
Government House"