The Washington times., 1932-03-26
CHAPTER 40

H- OuCle 6pn was uedu' nc
had died in his little house
UP on Lone Mountain.
May didn't say how he had
died. "He died." she wrote,
land he left will, and every
thing he had is to go to you.
I suppose it amounts to about
q thousand dollars. No doubt
you can use it, but it seems
funny, leaving it all to you.
After all, you are not the only
one in the family"
Lily Lou put down the, letter.
She thought of Uncle Eph,
brown and muscular and young,
in spite of his 66 years. She
had always admired Uncle Eph,
though the family hadn't
thought he amounted to much.
She admired his independence,
his doing as he liked, and not
caring whether people in town
thought much of him or not.
It hurt to think of him gone.
It made her feel that some
part Of her was dead, too.
The little girl who used to
gather Mariposa lilies in the
fields, her dark hair flying in
the hot wind. . who used to sit
on Uncle Eph's knee in the
cabin while Aunt Dolly sang
gay little French songs, as she
basted fried eggs with bacon
grease, and cut thick slices of
bread to brown later, in the
fat.
To Help Her
She wished that she could do
something for Uncle Eph,
wished that there were some
way to tell him how sorry she
was that he was gone. She
didn't go to see him the last
time she was in Woodlake. She
should have.
And then it came to her that
he wouldn't have cared. He
never cared whether he was re-
membered or not. He just went
his way with his dogs and his
horse, content to stop to listen
to a meadow lark's song, or
watch a sunset, leisurely rolling
cigarettes, never in a hurry,
never rushed.
And if he left her everything
1t was for one purpose, to help
her achieve her goal.
She brushed a hand across
her wet eyes. Stood up. There
would be no more idling with
the Bubchen, no more telling
herself that she wasn't strong
enough to work. Strong! She
was strong as a horse! Shed
work as she had never worked
before. She'd make it up to the
old man who was asleep under
the trees in Lone Mountain.
An Understudy
Madame Nahlman's three per-
formances of Carmen, at the
Opera Comique were to virtual
ly close the season. To Lily
Louis overwhelming delight she
was allowed to join the chorus
and understudy for Micaela. The
real Michaela was a beautiful
young French girl, protegee of
one of the conductors. Nahl-
man diSliked the girl exceeding
ly, and engaged in several wordy
battles in the effort to get. the
part for her protegee, Lily Lou.
There was no reason, as
Nashlman pointed out, why
Lily Lou couldn't sing it. She
knew it perfectly, her voice was
more than adequate. MY God,
you've got to start, sometime!
Why I myself sang the very
role of 4Michaela when I had
no real training at all. All I
had was the voice, the temper
ament. I won! I wasn't afraid
Of anything. And you-you
tremble when I put you in the
chorus!"
IT'S just the thought of it,"
"Get oyer the thought of it.
You're ready to do Gilda or
Rosina lis minute, or Mar
guerite-Why do you suppose 1
took you ur? To nurse you
along for ten years? You've got
to jump these things when they
come. This won't come, because
BlumenthaPs hussy will sing
Michaela in spite of the devil.
But don't look so scared at the
thought of it,"
Frightened
Lily Lou gulped. She was
never a match for Mailman.
She couldn't explain. Mailman
wouldn't understand. Mailman
never felt humble and fright
ened. She just felt sure of her
self, glad of the chance to show
how great she was. She didn't
feel that the music was great,
and the role great. and that