Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-01-19

! and LeccO stopped before the Stu0lO
apartments on West Fifty-seventh
street was fraught with much excite.
ment and interest for both the Greek
and the little singer from Italy.
/ John Orth, artist and philanthropist,
was giving tea in his sumptuous
studio when Marie's voice arose from
the streets and startled his guests
with It's sympathetic timbre and clar-
ity Of tone. Orth's guests, ever in
quest of new entertainment, focked
to the window and looked down on
Marie's face and tho picturesque cos.
tune of the two street musicians, was
inspired to turn quickly to his guests.
What do you say to asking them
up here for song?" he asked.
Great! Here's a chance for Ortiz
to take another protege under his
wide wing" Billy Craven made an
swer
The idea was no sooner suggested
than carried out and moment later
Marie and Lecco, together with the
old hand organ, were up in John
Orth's studio and facing a company
of Bohemians who eagerly pressed
forward and encircled them.
Lecco's heart had sunk far into his
boots. He realized that the first step
had been taken which would drag
Marie out and away from his world.
He and his old hand organ were put
aside after q song or two and Marie
was singing to the accompaniment OF
John Ortiz, who made her sing as
ILecco had never heard any one sing
before. Orth was a musician. Even
Lecco could see that. He also saw
the glances of establishment and won
der that swept around the room from
one pair Of eyes to another, and again
he realized his inferiority to Marie,
She had brought tears and smiles to
the eyes of that other world and
Lecco too smiled, though the ache in
his throat was we'll nigh unbearable.
Gradually there crept into the at
mosphere a feeling of vague unrest.
With the setting Of the sun, whose
dull red rays s1anted down through
the skylight and flung shadow over
Lecco as he stood gazing at'Marie, a
feeling of impending tragedy hurled
itself into the midst of the sensitive
art lovers. A glance at John Ortiz
told them that he, too. had entered
into another world. His eyes were
I'll NdIlc dAu lACAC was q
great flame in their depths. Marie
seemed the only one in the group
who had retained the calm tenure OF
emotion and nerves.
Perhaps she was trifle exhausted,
for she had given her energy to song,
but she was not trembling nor did
she feel the strain of the unusual
scene in her life Marie had always
fancied herself singing before crit
ical audience. It was no doubt that
long half-conscious/ training in the
world of dreams that had carried her
successfully through the ordeal.
Questions had been hurled at her
from right and left, and to all Of
them she had answered in her quaint
broken English.
Before leaving, Marie had prom
ised John Orth to return the follow
ing day to receive instructions pre-
paratory to beginning course OF
study in vocal and instrumental
music Also they had been taken
into the dining room, where Orth's
servants offered them tea and
cakes such as would make the
mouths of less hungry people water,
yet Lecco was far too sorrowful to
taste the food before him and Marie
too awed by servants She trem-
bled before the snowy damask sill
yer and unaccustomed niceties Of
life as she had not trembled before
her audience. She shook violently
as she lifted the frail china to her
lips for fear it would crumple. The
cherry tarts, too, seemed fragile, SO
unlike the great slabs of black bread
and rich oil she loved to sit and nib
BILE with Lecco after their long
tramps.
When they had finally left the studio
John Orth sat in deep study.
His guests, now that the tense mo-
ments were slipping into the past,
began to chide him.
II am hard hit he admitted slowly.
"If that girl takes advantage Of her
studies and make name for herself
l."
You'll marry the girl" laughed
T,.~x