Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-07-28
MISS CHARITY
BY SYLVIA TURNER.

named her when she first went TO the
opera house as caretaker and queen OF
the scrub ladies'"
The old theater had fallen into a
forlorn state that year. @Then Colonel
Moulton came on from New York, saw
its possibilities and took the lease
over. He had the place remodeled,
sent on East for a frst-class opera
company, and sat back in an orchestra
chair at rehearsals watching the re-
suit.
1t was here that Miss Charity first
saw him, slender old gentleman, in
light gray suit, wearing pearl Fedora
with a black band. Remarkably gentle
in his way of speech, and courteous in
his manner-even to scrub ladies'
When she reached home she told Marie
Jocelyn about him, and the child
listened gravely.
"Some day, Eliza" she answered,
"yOu shall take me to see him, and if
l like him, too, / may sing in his COM
pany."
Miss Charity had laughed and petted
her. in just about the same way as she
might pet her canary or the maltese
kitten. 1t was three years since she
had received Marie Jocelyn as a spe-
clal consignment from Fate. She had
been wardrobe woman at the opera
house then, back in the good days of
the stock company, and there had been
Nine. Jocelyn-"Eloise Jocelyn" on the
program-with her twelve-year-old
child. 1t had seemed very natural that
when the call came from France of the
fortune awaiting there for ElOise that
she should leave her little girl with
Miss Charity until her return.
''For have you not been our good
angelo" Eloise said fervently. I'm one,
two, maybe three months | shall re-
turn, and then we shall all be happy
and with much money"
And Miss Charity had believed her.
Besides she was glad to have Marie
for while, even a few short months.
But the months had stretched to years,
and no word had ever come back from
france of Eloise JOcelyn. Miss Char
lty never told the child that her mother
might be dead, but simply that she was
detained and would surely return some
day. SO Marie had grown like flow
er, with her mothers great, dark eyes
and blond hair. And how she loved
the old opera house, 1t had been her
through the years.
When the rehearsals were over
Marie would steal out on the great
darkened stage and imagine herself
each Of her favorite characters, speak
Ing the lines as she had learned them
from listening to the members of the
Then came the opera company when |
Marie was fifteen, and with the added |
work she helped Miss Charity after
school hours. SO it happened that one
day when the colonel fell asleep after
4 prolonged rehearsal of Faust" he |
was wakened by voice singing Sic
bells Flower Song" 1t was a voice
so clear and fresh, so thrillingly sweet
hat it seemed as though youth and
spring had suddenly burst into song.
"God bless my heart and sOuIW
,asped the colonel. "Who is that?"
Miss Charity was listening, too,
linking herself the only audience. She
hurried down the side aisle to where
e sat, trembling and anxious, explain
ng in her little hesitating way that
Iarie JOcelyn meant no harm at all.
"Harm?" Numbered the colonel, rap
II wouldn't have missed it
or $4,000, my good woman. Tell her
D sing mOre-try the "Jewel Song"
~ dear"
Marie JOcelyn took her good fortune
cry calmly, quite as if it were only
er just due. At her name the colonel
his shoulders. Then he
DID Miss Charity that he would edu-
ate Marie for opera and sign a ten
ear contract with her.
"Oh, but Colonel Moulton," cried the
tile woman. "HOw dare l permit the
hid to sign away the best years of
er youth so, without her mothers per-
lission? l do not know whether she
; dead or alive"
and you'll waste time waiting to
nd out" answered the colonel impa-
emily. "The child has voice and a
ersonality. She belongs to opera"
SO against Miss Charity's wishes
Iarie prepared for her career. Pre-
AIRED according to the colonels ideas
nd notions a bit old-fashioned but
borough and shrewd. Her years at
lnguages and instrumental music
anne in New York, to be followed by
lree abroad.
1t was while they were still in New
ork that Nine. Alvani, Marie's teach
r. permitted her to sing once for
harity. Suddenly as she began TO
ing the "Chanson de Florian" there
anne smothered cry from the audi
nee.
Marie -
Always thereafter Miss Charity con-
ended that if Marie had not been a
'ue artist she would have stopped her
)ng, but the girl went on. even though