The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-10-04

4 rive hundred francs! To hide IN
the car? Why didn't you call the
police?
Il started to. Mademoiselle, but he
ran away"
"Oh! What was he like?" The
prima donna dropped the bunch or
roses on the seat beside her.
oh. he looked well enough. He had
the air OF gentleman. He was tall.
with light hair and mustache. But
as l had never seen him before, and
as Mademoiselle wore some fine Jew
els, l bade him be on
would you know him again."
Surely, Mademoiselle."
the next time any one bothers
you. call the police You have done
well, and l shall remember II. Home"
The man In the Bavarian hat hur-
ried back to the third car. from the
limousine, and followed at n reason
! ably safe distance.
The singer leaned back against the
cushions.
The singer leaned back against the
cushions. She was very tired. The
opera that night had taxed - her
strength. and but for her promise she
would not have sung to the ambassa-
doris guests for double the fee. There
was an electric bulb In the car. She
rarely turned It on, but she did to-
night. She gazec into the little mir
rOr: and utter WEAKNESS looked back
from out the most beautiful. blue,
Irish eyes In the world She rubbed
her fingers carefully up and down
the faint perpendicular wrinkle above
her nose. 1t was always there on
nights like this. How she longed for
the season to end! She would fly
away to the lakes. the beautiful,
heavenly-tinted lakes, the bare rest
full mountains, and the clover lawns
spreading under brave old trees; she
would walk along the vineyard paths,
and loiter under the fig-trees, far, far
away from the world, its clamor, its
flckleness, its rasping jealousies. Some
day she would have enough; and then,
good-by to all the clatter, the evil
smelling stages, the impossible people
with whom she was associated. She
would sing only to those she loved.
The glamour OF the life had long
ago passed; she sang on because she
had acquired costly habits, because
she was fond of beautiful! things, and
above all, because she loved to sing.
She had as many moods as q bird, as
many sides as nature. A fash Of sun
shine called to her voice; the beads
Of water, trembling upon the blades
OF grass after summer shower.
a God-given voice, and training had
added to it nothing but confidence.
True, she could act; she had been
told by many great impresariO that
histrionically she had no peer In grand
opera. But the knowledge gave her
no thrill of delight. To her it was
the sum Of tremendous physical
struggle.
She shut OF the light and closed her
eyes. She reclined against the cush-
lon once more, striving not to- think.
Once, her hands shut tightly. Never.
never, never! She pressed down the
burning thoughts by recalling the
bright scenes at the ambassador s,
the real generous applause that had
followed her two songs. All. how that
man Paderewski played! They two
had cost the ambassador eight thou
sand francs. Fame and fortune! For
tune she could understand: but fame!
What was It? Upon time she beltev-
ed she had known what fame was;
but that had been when she was striv-
ing for 1t. A glowing article in
newspaper, a portrait In q magazine
rows upon rows OF curious eyes and
a patter of hands upon hands; that
was all; and for this she had given
the best of her life, and she was only
twenty-five.
The limousine stopped at last. The
man In the Bavarian hat saw her
alight. His car turned and disappear
ed. 1t had taken him a week to dis
cover where she lived. His lodgings
were on the other side of the Seine.
After reaching them he gave crisp or
ders to the driver, who set his ma
chine of at top speed. The man in
the Bavarian hat entered his room and
lighted the gas. The room was bare
and cheaply furnished. He took on
his coat but retained his hat, pulling
1t down still farther over his eyes.
His face was always In shadow. A
round chin, two full red lips, scantily
covered by blond mustache we're al
that could be seen. He began to walk
the floor impatiently, stopping and lis
tening whenever he heard a sound.
He waited less than an hour for the
return Of the car. 1t brought two
men. They were well-dressed, smooth
ly-shaven, with keen eyes and intelli-
gent faces. Their host. who had new
er seen either Of his guests before,
carelessly waved his hand toward the
table where there we're two chairs.
He himself took his stand by the win
dow and looked out as he talked. In
another hour the room was dark ard
the street deserted.