Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1926-02-17
Charlotte's
Voice
Ey II. IRVING KING

COMMONPLACE veU-to-dO peopfn Mr.
Hamilton had some sort of business in
the CITY to which he went every week
dqv from his suburban homeland
Charln+fp was flpir only child. The
Young ladY was quite of her parents
gD;ufm with r,a,..I to her musical
ability. flo.aI .n. did NOT believe
with fl--5 ta.t he c0uld sally forth
nst as size WAS 4al oar to greatness
an her FIR .ol. Blt. given proper
IH...ufYa. -t. .;sf' nothing between her
#Fa tha Airtrsa 81 H.
So size iouK nrl. parents in hand. as
dat. Ia. AID eHl4 daughters are ne
a-fs{omed TO do and if was arranged
though PAPA I.ariilton could not af-
f.rd il. reallv-taat she should have
yer voice cultivated under The super
iatendence OF i.ugane Stoner. who,
though still a Young man, had
achieved a vast reputation as a musi.
ca! instructor
SO Papa Hamilton took his daugh-
ter to the ''maestro"-as his friends in
New York called Mr.. Stoner-and
stated the case. Just as soon as Eu-
gene saw Charlotte he was so i'm
pressed that he realty did not
care whether she could sing or not
that was y secondary consideration.
II WAS th. lsirl herself that "knocked
him for a eoal" n, Won might say. Mr..
Hamilton left his daughter with the
~%eat instructor and went away
Qincing little at the price per les
son stated nv me "maestro" as his
customary FERNS So Eugene tried
oar CbarIotte's voice She had q very
sweet svmnathetic voice-one that
WAS pleasant to hear ON the wafer by
moonlight. Bur as for her ever be
coming 81 great prima donna Eugene
knew ~ five minutes that that could
never ne
Or,i,,arilv he vonld have said so
with tne hrui,I fr.nkness for which
he WAS noted Rut if he told Char
,otte the truth he would. in all proba-
b;litv never see her again. and the
Iaoll,sLt Of q world withS If any Char
loite in if had suddenly become q
world imnossihla for him So Eugene
stiAed mis- conscience sunpressed the
truth and agreed TO give Charlotte
lessons Moreover. when Mr.. Hamil-
ton came back for his daughter, the
maestro" asked if he might come out
TO Suunybank. Mr. Hamiltons subur-
ban town. and instruct Charlotte in
her own home evenings. He was so
very busy during the day. he said.
Also. he informed Mr.. Hamilton
that he had been enuch impressed by
Charlotte-and her voice of course
and tjiat fhe matter of remuneration
for his services was one which might
remain in allowance indefinitely. The
nrord AND haDpv father took home
the proud and happy daughter and the
airl played and sang plaintive little
love Songs until late in the evening
Just TO Try her voice. That was the
beginning; and you can readily see
how things went on, and what
scrape the great Stoner got himself
into. As the weeks grew into months
Charlotte, with her ambitions liked
upon a prima donnaship, was scarcely
conscious of how deeply in love with
her musical instructor she had be
come.
At last she began to be importu-
nate With regard to the time when
Eugene would set her free to take her
:, eat and dazzling flight into the
world of song. Now what could the
poor man DO? Things could not go on
like this forever-besides he did not
want them to go on like this forever
he wanted to marry Charlotte forth
with and live somewhere in the coun-
Try with her, and have her sing Annie
Laurie" and "Old Black joe to him
of evenings. The thought of her lift
Ing up her voice in grand opera made
him shudder. But if he told her the
truth she would never forgive him
never.
Then. one night, he took the plunge.
He nointed for her a word picture of a