The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1917-05-17
A SOPRANO
TENOR
Q, NORMAN THoRNDNKE

opera HOUSE In new Aorks Out WtEt
GOOD enough Zoe the audiences they
were Intended foe. when l was ex-
aminlng candidates fOr my first lady's
part q young woman came 10 me who
desired the position I tried her voice,
but could not quite place It. II was
not exactly n soprano nor was II ex-
actly an alto. being between the two.
Sometimes It sounded a little like a
mans tenor. I did not exactly fancy
Il, but no other woman presented her
self for the position except one who
wanted too large a salary, and I en-
gagged the applicant Miss Winifred
Richie she gave as her real name and
told me that I was at liberty to use 1t
on the bills.
Miss Richie was q very good looking
young woman. She was attractive Ia
all respects excepting that In ordinary
conversation her voice was pitched
rather low for a woman and seemed a
tribe harsh. But this did not prevent
her turning the heads OF several OF
tho male singers. Marioneili. my tenor.
whose real name was o'orady. became
desperately smitten with her, and his
attentions being not to her liking was
In constant dread OF losing one or
both OF them In the middle OF the sea-
son and out on the road. where i could
not repair the deficiency.
The trouble with OGrady was that
he was not a man OF any refinement,
aud no rebuff could stand him od. One
day my leading lady came 10 mo aud
said that II I did not hnd a way TO
relieve her OF hls attentions she would
take the matter into her own hands.
what course will you taker' ask
ed. "wni you stick a pin In himr
-No; I'll stick nothing into him. bot
he'll get an eye that viii keep him o1
tho boa rds for q week"
smiled at the idea OF = woman
repelling = lover In such fashion. Then
I asked her In what way o'Grady OF.
Tended her. She replied that In love
scenes on the stage which they were
compelled TO act together he was much
more demonstrative than was neces-
ssry In = stage embrace.
l had q talk with 0'Grady. In which
[ told him that hiss Richie would no
longer accept hls attentions. aud un-
iess hs would let hcr alone ! would
send him or ~ soon az could replscs
him. But ny warnIng was not ono.
tvs. In the very neEt performance
no, offended again, Nothing occurred
until the curtain was lowered at tho
end OF the act, when Miss Richie land.
ID . blow on o'Grsat's eye that turn.
ed II q sickiy green. y q 81
Iwas much put out witt Miss Richie
for incspacitstinG oay tenor and rated
her soondiy.
Miss Tuinlee. my understudy." she
said. "is quite capable or taxing my
part. aud 1 will take o'Orady's part"
"whatl''
"I1i take o'Grady's part. Gao sing
tenor"
After she had convinced me that she
was SERIOUS | tried hrr voice aud found
that Il was a Tar better tenor than 80.
prano.
"what does this meahy' asked her
1T means that ! eau slog Ia two
different voices"
The next performance WAS given N
she had suggested. Miss Richie being
dressed as a man. aud she produced a
far better impressiou than oGrady.
Indeed, as a man singer she was or
far more value 20 me than o'Grady
cr than she was In soprano's part.
His love for Miss Richie had not
been enhanced by the blow he had re.
celved from her. aud now that he had
been discharged on account OF IL he
was in a fury with her lie rushed
into the wings and began 10 abuse her.
When she had given him the black
eye she had taken him unawares Now
he confronted her as an enemy. But
she had the advantage or being untram-
meled by skirts aud stepped toward
him with clinched hsts. Naturally
averse TO such an alteration with a
woman he had so recently loved. he
retreated. But she followed him up
aud by a quick stroke landed her DIST
under his jaw. lifted him on his feet
aud sent him sprawling on the boards.
Hearing something drop. ran TO
the scene OF action and prevented any
more lighting. l put O'Grady out and
told him not 10 show himself 10 me
or any OF my company again.
The next day l made a new contract
with Miss Richie. doubling her salary.
10 sing tenor parts and put her under
study permanently in her place. Ny
tenor was soon recognized by . few
persons who had seen him In a wom-
ans part. and 1t began TO be whispered
that he was Miss Richie and not
Slgnor Marascherio, as he was adver-
tlsed- The fact that l had n woman
singing mans parts drew the curl
Gus. and my attendance increased La
time they became so large that l gave
my tenor another raise. aud 6nally he
was receiving as much in a month
as before he had received In year.
I brought my company back TO my
starting point when the warm weather
came on and disbanded IL. asked
Miss Richie If she would sign con-
tract for the next year. and she agreed
TO do SO on condition that her true sex
Shouid "a knaxVn Than a saQraf CANA