Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-03-06
CHAPTER II.
The New harCarita.

The New Margarita.
On the first landing. Sorelli ran
against the Comte de Chagny. who
was coming upstairs.
Il was just going to you" he said.
taking off his hat. "Oh, Sorelu, what
an evening! And Christine Daae:
what Triumph"
IMPOSSIBLE" said Meg CRY. Six
months ago she used 10 sing like a
crock. But do let US get by, my
dear count" continues the brat, with
a curtsey. We are going 20 inquire
after poor man who was found hang
ing by the neck"
Just then the acting manager came
fussing past and stopped.
What" he exclaimed Have you
girls heard already Well, please for
get about it for tonight-and above
all don't let NJ. Debienne and NJ
Poligny hear; it would upset them
too much on their last day"
They all went on to the foyer of
the ballet, which was already full OF
people. The Comte de Chagny was
right; no gala performance ever
equaled this one. Faure and krauss
had sung; and, on that evening, Chris
tine Daae had revealed her true self,
for the first time, to the astonished
audience.
The whole house went mad. rising
to its feet, shouting, cheering, clap
ping, while Christine sobbed and
tainted in the arms OF her fellow sing
ers and had to be carried to her dress
ing-TOom. \ few subscribers, how
ever, protested. Why had SO great
treasure been kept from chem all that
time? Till then, Christine Daae had
played a good Siebei to Carlotta's
rather too splendidly material Mar
garita. And it had needed Carlotta's
incOmprehensibIe absence from this
gala night for the little Daae, at a
moments warning. to show all that
she could do in part OF the pro
Gam reserved for the Spanish diva.
The Comte de Chagny. standing up
in his box, listened to all this frenzy
and took part in it by loudly applaud
ing. Philippe Georges Marie Comte
! de Chagny was Just forty-One years of
! age. He was a great ari3tocrat and a
| gCod-looking man, above middle
height and with attractive features, in
| spite OF his hard forehead ana his
rather cold eyes. On the death OF
old Count Philibert, ne became the
head of one OF the oldest ana most
distinguished families in France,
whose arms dated back to the four
teenth century. His two sisters and
his brother, RaouI. would not hear of
a division and waived their claim to
their shares.
The Comtesse de Chagny. nee de
| AIoerogis de La Martyaiere. had died
in giving birth to Raoul, who was born
twenty years after his elder brother.
Philippe busted himself actively with
| the youngsters education The lad
entered the BOrda training-shIp, fin
! iShed his course with hOnors and
quietly made his trip round the world
Thanks to powerful influence. he had
just been appointed member OF the
official expedition on board the
Requin, which was to be sent to the
Arctic Circle in search OF the sur
vivors of the DArtoi's expedition, of
whom nothing had been heard for
three years. He was a little over
| twenty-one years Of age and looked
eighteen. He hac a small, fair mus
tache, beautiful blue eyes and a com
t plexion like a girls.
On that evening, Philippe, after ap-
plauding the Daae, turned to RaouI
and saw that he was quite pale.
Don't you see said RaOul. that
the womau's fainting?"
You look like fainting yourself, %
said the count What's the matter?'
But Raoul had recovered himself
and was standing up.
Let's go and see he said, she
never sang like that before"
They were soon at the door leading
from the house to the stage RaouI
tore his gloves without knowing what
he was doing and Philippe had much
too kind heart TO laugh at him FOR
his impatience. But he nov under
stood why RaouI was absent Minded
when spoken to and why he Nr~'ays
tried to turn every conversation TO
the subject Of the opera
They reached the stage and pushed
through the crowd of gentlemen.
scene-Shifters, supers and chorus
girls, Raoul leading the way. feeling
that his heart no longer belonged 20
him. his face set with passion. while
Count Philippe followed him witt diff
ficulty and continued to smile, The
count was surprised to find that
Raoul knew the way. He had never
taken him TO Christine's himself and