The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-05-09

Lily Lou put down the letter.
She thought of Uncle Eph, brown
and muscular and young, in spite
Of his 60 years. She had always
admired Uncle Eph, though the
family hadn't thought he amounted
to much. She admired his indie
pendence, 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. -. 80
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 remembered
or not. He just went his way with
his dogs and his horse, content to
stop to listen to meadow lark's
song, or watch a sunset, leisurely
rolling cigarettes, never in q hurry.
never rushed.
And if he left her everything It
was for one purpose, to help her
achieve her goal.
She brushed q hand across her
wet eyes. Stood up. There would
be no more idling with the bub-
chen, no moro telling herself that
she wasn't strong enough to work,
Strong! She was strong as q
horse! She'd work as she had
never worked before. Shed make
1t up to the old man, who was
asleep under the trees in Lone
Mountain.
Madame Nahlman's three per
formanees Of Carmen, at the Opera
Comique were to virtually close the
season. To Lily LOUIS overwhelm-
ing delight she was allowed to join
the chorus, and understudy for Mi
caela. The real Micaela was q beau
tlful young French girl, protegee
ef one of the conductors. Mailman
disliked the girl exceedingly, and
engaged in several wordy battles in
the effort to get the part for her
protegee, Lily Lou.
There was no reason, as Mailman
pointed out, why Lily Lou couldn't
sing it. She knew it perfectly, her
voice was moro than adequate.
You've got to start sometime!
Why, ! myself sang the very role Of
Micaela when I had no real train
ing 1T all. All had was the voice.
the temperament, won! wasn't
afraid of anything. And you-you
tremble when I put you in the
chcrus!"
ITS just the thought Of it,"
Get over the thought Of It.
You're ready to do Gilda or Rosina
this minute, or Marguerite-Why
do you suppose I took you up? To
nurse you along for ten years?
You've got to jump these things
when they come. This won't come,
because Blumenthal's hussy will
sing Micaela in spite Of the devil.
But don't look so scared At the
thought Of it,"
Lily Lou gulped. She was never
q match for Mailman. She couldn't
explain. Mailman wouldn't UNDER
stand. Mailman never felt humble
and frightened. She just felt sure
of herself, 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
she was just somebody hoping to
interpret the role.
But some artists did. Tony Schi-
arilli did. He told her so. He said
he didn't think you had to be sure
of yourself that way. They'd often
talked about it, back in New York.
But you couldn't talk that way to