Show I TAKEN I BY SIEGE Copyright by J B Llpplncott Company Philadelphia Pa and published by special arrangement through the American Press Association I This story was commenced in Tnn SUNDAY HERALD July 7t i back numbers can be ob tolned at this office Whilo they were talking thero were loud cries for Meester White tho gasman gas-man lime Lanner wanted to try some of tho colored light effects and Mr White could not be found Its very funny sLid tho back door man I saw White standing out in tho rain over an hour ago and called him in Whats more I saw him come in but I havent been him since Ho couldnt have gone out for 1 havent left tho door for a moment mo-ment Rush felt a guilty flush steal up to his checks but as it would not help matters tor him to explain that it was ne arid not the gas man who had been called to enter tho academy ho said nothing It being impossible to try the colored lights without Mr White Mme Lanner said that sho would expect to meet them all the next morning at 9 Leoni and her mother got ready for the street and Rush asked if ho might not accompany them to their door as it was lather late for unprotected women to be out I outThey smiled at the idea of tho lateness I of tho hour it was then not moro than I half past 10 and often they had gono homo alone as lato as 1 oclock but if Mr Uurlstone was going in their direction I I direc-tion they would be pleased to liavo his company They lived in East Tenth street which was quito convenient for I him The rain had ceased and the moon I was shining brightly as the three stepped out into Fourteenth street Rush thought of the one he had seen coming through that doorway tho night before as ho gave his arm to Signora Cella Tho conversation con-versation turned from the stars of heaven to the stars of tho stage as they walked down to East Tenth street and when they reached tho modest house whore the ballet dancer and her mother lived I Signora Celia insisted that he should come in We always havo a little supper aftertime after-time theatre said she and it would please us very much to have you cat u bit of bread and drink a glass of wino with us Giuseppe will be qlad to see 4 vou too ho sees very little company i poor j man Leoni added her invitation Rush looked at her handsome eyes glistening in tho moonlight and accepted Signora Sig-nora CelIa night key admitted them and they were soon in a comfortably furnished room in tho second story A ilile spread with a snowy cloth stood in f the middle of tho floor and > > by the mellow r mel-low light of an oil lamp hush saw that it was set for tho lato supper of which all people connected with the stage are so fond and which is really necessary to their health as they can eat very little before the performance After time performance per-formance is over their minds aro at rest iind they can sit down quietly and enjoy a tolerably hearty meaL A stick of French bread a cut of that delightful Italian sausage salami and a bottlo of Chianti wine stood upon the table Rush noticed this at a glance and at the same time he saw a largo man with a faco showing signs of great suffering propped up with pillows in a big chair by tho fire Lconi ran lightly across tho room kissed tho invalids hand and laid it gently upon I her brown curls as though its touch carried car-ried a blessing with it Tho man leaned over and kissed her on tho forehead saying something in Italian r4 that Rush did not hear and would not havo understood if he had Then Lconi arose and introduced Rush to her father This poor sufferer was the famous cannonball cannon-ball tosser Ho had tossed ono ball too many for the last time ho appeared in public tho biggest and heaviest ono hit him on a tender point of the spine and this had been his condition ever since Ho would never get well ho knew it and tho knowledge added to his suffering suffer-ing Hero I sit a great useless hulk dependent on my poor little Lisa for support sup-port was the burden of his thoughts If I could only work I could bear the pain but I must sit hero calmly as I may with mind and body both on tho rack Ther had been more or less of tho animal in CeIlas appearance when ho was a young man but ho was always handsome hand-some and now that suffering had refined his faco and whitened his hair he was really aristocratic looking Ho shook Hush cordially by tho hand but ho I said only a few words as his English was very imperfect Signora Celia disappeared in another room and left Leoni to entertain Rush In a few moments she returned with a bowl of smoking soup and a golden hued omelet They wheeled tho excannon I ball tosser tip to the table Ho opened I I the bottle dexterously took tho oil out I < if tho neck with a little wad of cotton i and then all drank the health of the I guest So merry a meal Rush had seldom 1 sel-dom sat down to The old man was not in as much pain as usual and he told some amusing anecdotes of his athletic days Leoni was aU excitement owing t > the new ballet and good humor reigned When the clock struck 13 Rush bado his kind entertainers good night i and thanked them for ono of tho pleas atcst evenings of his life It was all so i unconventional Leoni was so beautiful I and had so much common sense and ho was astonished at tho refinement of the family I r Ho had always imagined that ballet dancers were a rather ignorant lot and fast withal yet hero was a girl who while she appeared before tho public in skirts above her knees and earned a larger salary than her companions because be-cause sho could kick her legs higherwas yet as modest and refined by nature as most ladies though tho associations of her life made her freer in her manner with strangers than if sho had been born in more exclusive circles There was nothing coarse about either of her parents pa-rents though her father had been a professional f pro-fessional athleto and her mother a dancer and they were evidently very careful of their daughter As Rush walked across town to his lodgings ho j wondered if ho was tho same Rush Hurlstone who three days ago was an unfledged country boy Only tyo nights I naa passed ana nere no was in love witli a prima donna and supping with a ballet bal-let dancer CHAPTER m mUSH tsrwffiffi USH HURL STONE was not the only young man in New York in love with Helen Knowl ton There r was scarcely a man in tho city n who was not in e tho same condition condi-tion I cannot say that all were as hard hit as our young friend but several of them thought they were which amounted to the samo thing for the time being This is not to bo wondered at either Helen Knowlton was a woman of remarkablo II attractions Aside from her gifts as a singer and sho was now at tho zenith of her powers she was a clever woman a I student of books and of men and with sentiment enough to enable her to interpret inter-pret poetic characters most successfully While not perhaps what would be I called a beauty she was strikingly handsome hand-some According to classic ideas her features wero not perfect yet one seldom sees finer eyes or a straighter nose or a handsomer hand-somer mouth than hers when she was talking or laughing Some people thought her mouth too large but Rush never liked a small mouth in man or woman a large mouth With glistening teeth always attracted him Her eyes were brown with jet black lashes and brows the former so thick and long that when he looked into her eyes thought of fire burning its way through shrubbery I shrub-bery Her hair was brown and grew in waving lines around her brew and the i line that marked its growth at tho back of her neck was as clearly defined as though it had been drawn with a pencil I I This may seem a small matter to speak of but it is a great beauty in a woman Her figure was exceedingly well proportioned propor-tioned and she dressed with the most I exquisito taste With all these physical attractions she had an unusually bright I mind Sho was constantly adding to her store of knowledge and what she knew I she knew thoroughly If sho had not I been a prima donna sho would havo distinguished dis-tinguished herself in somo other walk in lifeAs As to her character it was peculiar Then Rush came to know her intimately intimate-ly ho told her sho was the most singular combination of baby and woman ho had I ever met and so she was Sho lived in tho world but she was not a woman of the world Sho could not say one thing and mean another and her friends used to tell her that was an accomplishment I I prima donna of all persons should possess I pos-sess Sho was credulous yet suspicious she was practical to a fault yet sentimental I I senti-mental she seemed cold in her nature yet she unconsciously hungered for love Sho made friends easily and took no pains to keep them yet somehow or other they stuck by her She was at this timo just a littlo spoiled and with reason The town was at her feet Thero wasnt I a man woman or child who would not havo been proud to do her a favor Ladies vied with ono another in entertaining I enter-taining her at their houses young men fought for an introduction and old men m toasted her at their clubs I believe that II if sho had chosen to havo Union club men pull her carriage instead of horses they would have humored her whim Everything new that came out in the I way of bricabrac jewelry books was sent to her on tho instant by some known or unknown admirer Artists painted I her in their pictures and poets lauded I her in their lyrics She had had much of this adoration that she took it almost I as a thing of course yet the was pleased I by every new attention and never tired I even of the flowers that were showered upon her Guarded like a hot houseplant I house-plant herself the breath of scandal had never blown towards her You could not look at her and believe that sho was otherwise than pure and tho veriest old roue would havo found himself awed by her innocence Yet sho was no prude Sho was fond of the society of men and enjoyed a gqod timo as much as any one but sho was possessed by a very strong idea of what woman should and should not do Her position made it necessary for her to be particularly careful and I although sho was 23 years old she had never entertained man alone in a room in her life Foreigners with their ideas of women on the stage could not understand under-stand her but none the less they joined with her countrymen in burning incense to her Helen Knowltons parents had died I when sho was a baby leaving her in J I I charge of an aunt Miss Rebecca Sand I I ford her mothers sister who was known Ito I-to half of Helens friends and the whole I i I musical profession as Aunt Rebecca This good lady was a dragon of virtue Sho looked upon her niece as a child and I treated her as such and as it was kindly kind-ly treatment it had tho effect of keeping her young so that at 23 she was as fresh j and youthful in her ideas as most girls I of 18 Aunt Rebecca never let that I I child know any of tho business details of her profession Tho good lady stood I I between her nieco and tho managers I Sho read tho contracts Helen signed I them It was a shrewd manager who could get the better of her in a bargain and the managers knew it and respected her cleverness I Thero were naturally a great many visitors to the little Gothic cottage in West Twentieth street where the prima donna made her home but they all had to pass the eyo of Aunt Rebecca before they could see her niece and even then tho matron seated herself in tho room let the visitor bo man woman or child and never left till he or sins had gone I Sho did not always tKO part in the conversation con-versation but would often busy herself with a French novel Aunt Rebecca was very partial to Georges Sand and let the young people talk of their own affairs I must b confessed that she rather overdid guardianship at times but if any very intimate friend suggested this she would say I dont want to give I wagging tongues a chance If any gossiping gos-siping creature says such and such a I thing occurred at such a time I can reply re-ply My friend you lie for I was there Aunt Rebecca used sharp language I lan-guage at times but as she said What is the uso of beating around the bush You might as well eat tho devil as drink his broth Never having known anything different differ-ent Helen was well satisfied with her aunts guardianship and never questioned ques-tioned it Sometimes sho would say to her young friends as they started out for a walk in Fifth avenue I envy you your freedom to como and go as you please but I suppose while L am a pub lio singer I must accept the situation and give up the usual amusements of young women of my age So bo would go back to her room and superintend superin-tend tho making of a costume with so I much interest that she would forget all I bout the ordinary pleasures of life and I be wholly wrapped up in the dry detail of her profession She studied hard I every day and exercised and ato as carefully as an oarsman in training for a race Properly speaking she had I never had any childhood as she had begun her studies when very young and had been singing since sho was in her j teens She liked the life of a singer and she didnt like it The act of singing I was of itself a pleasure and thero was i 1 nothing in the world so exciting to her I as a large end enthusiastic audience I an audience only knew how much better music it gets from an artist when I it gives her something in return she I 1 used to say I think it would always show a sympathetic spirit She had lit I j tie to complain of on tho score of cold I j 1 ness in her audiences In New York she I was always treated as though she wore the particular favorite of evev auditor I and the applause when she camo upon the stage only ceased that they might i i hear her sing I I is not surprising that a woman of this sort should havo had many admirers II It was said in society that she could marry any man she wanted that they all would only be too happy to bestow I their hands and fortunes upon her from Uncle Lightfoot Myers to that much courted young man Mr West Hastings Aunt Rebecca smiled at the attentions i of Uncle Lightfoot bat she was more severe upon West Hastings though the j latter was of a suitable age had an income in-come of eighty thousand dollars a year and was considered a most desirable I parti altogether He was looked upon as a confirmed bachelor until he met I Helen Knowjton to whom ho began I paying devoted attentions very early in their acquaintance Hastings was a man of the world a member of half a dozen clubs and lived more like a European than do most Americans He I had inherited his money and had never done a days work in his life which was so much the worse for him but ho was not so goodfornothing as are many of i his countrymen similarly gifted by fortune for-tune I was said that he patronized tho ballet in the persons of its premieres but however this may be you could never find a woman in society who would believe it for there was nothing in his manner to betoken that ho was I not a man of the moat exquisite refine meat I it had been Livingston Dash or Charlie Vernon or any one of half a dozen other well known club men who had been so accused the accusation might have been believed I When Archie Tiilinghast told his cousin cous-in Bessie Archer that ho had seen West 1 Hastings coupe with the blinds up driving away from tho stage door of Niblos Garden during tho run of The I Black Crook sho left tho room in indignation indig-nation and would hardly speak to him I the rest of the evening though ho was he escort to the Charity ball When it j became generally known that Hastings was paying marked attentions to Helen I Knowlton the women said that she would do well to accept him that a II marriage with him would bo a brilliant close for a brilliant career but somo of the men who knew him best shook their I heads and said that while West Hastings Hast-ings was a good fellow ho t iDg felow was hardly I calculated to make a good husband that he would get tired of tho best woman in I tho world if ho was married to her and they wanted to see Helen Knowlton married to a man who would make her I happy to tho end of her days That Hastings was interested in Miss Kcowlton is not surprising Sho was I tho most feted woman in New York and 1 she was the ono woman whoso head was I not turned by his attentions Ho had been used to a different sort of womau on the stage Here was a prima donna who was as much of a lady and as puro i a woman as his own sister Ho began I by pouring the ordinary compliments of a man of the world into her ear he had I to do it in Italian for Aunt Rebecca was always on hand but ho soon saw that I it bored her and that sho was only interested in-terested when he talked sense Ho had traveled far and wide had heard the native music of many countries and could be very interesting if ho chose clse That sho listened to him best when ho appeared to tho best advantage pleased him Indeed sho pleased him altogether alto-gether for she gao h a new sensation sensa-tion and if thero was anything in this world that Hastings honestly loved it was a new sensation I Ho was beginning to think that ho was in lovo with Helen Knowlton and so J ho was to a certain extent Ho thought her cold but ho also thought her tho most interesting person ho had ever met i and then ho liked t be considered the I favored suitor of the most popular prima donna in tho country I pleased him that tho men at the club called him a lucky dog and ho enjoyed hearing it whispered That is West Hastings with Miss Knowlton I believe Ill marry that girl he would sometimes say to himself never taking into consideration tho fact that that girl might refuse t may h Then he would thirjc of his luxurious bachelor quarters of h perfect per-fect freedom from all domestic ties and ho would conclude to wait awhile longer before makinga formal offer of marriage believing that he could occupy tho field as long as ho cared to Helen Knowlton liked West Hastings very much Ho was attentive and amusing and he didnt ask her to marry him I think that if he had put the question seriously she would have refused re-fused him She was in lovo with her art Music was he only thing that realized re-alized her ideal Sho looked upon men tho little she of them saw as pleasant companions that was all Music had satisfied her longings up to this time and Aunt Rebecca had instilled into her mind the idea that men were a delusion and a snare that her art was tho only thing upon which sho could rely The more you do for men tho more you may do said that wise woman but the more you do for art tho more art will do for you Dont tell mel I havent lived all these years among men for nothing They cant take mo in and tbey never could I dont think the man ever lived who could have been induced I in-duced to take Miss Rebecca Sanford in for ho would havo known that if he did so he would have to give tho reins into gvo her hands and resign tho drivers b forever Aunt RebiTtca didnt intend that her I niece should many at least for many along a-long day and hEr influence was very strong She wouldnt say You musnt I know So and So or try any of the usual means of keeping a girl from falling in love but she would with her witty I tongue put a man in so ridiculous a light that Helen could never think of him I again without laughing l Aunt Rebecca was very clever in her way and she was more than a match for her niece I she se had once given Helen a chance to fall I seriously in love the girls attachment would lao been too strong to be shaken by her shafts of ridicule But sho did not When she thought West Hastings was becoming a little too attentive she asked Helen if she had noticed how he picked all the truffles out of tho pate and put them on his own plate and selected tho delicate bits of the celery for him self Helen had not noticed this but she supposed that if her aunt said so it must be true Aunt Rebecca was always ready with nn anecdote against Hastings which she told with a good natured laugh that entirely en-tirely diverted suspicion No one knew why she was so opposed to Helens marrying except that she wanted her to make even ruore of a career and add still more to her bank account And she I really did not bejieve that a woman was i any happier for being married Marriage I Mar-riage is a lottery where all time tickets aro blanks she would say and she got her niece to be very much of her opinion In the case of West Hastings Aunt R beccas plan was to impress Helen with the idea that he was a selfish old bachelor he was only 80 and every little thing lie did that might be regarded as selfish sho magnified He was a selfish man thero is no doubt about that Most wealthy bachelors arc They have had few or none of the experiences that are supposed to sweeten a mans disposition Hastings had everything in tho world that he wanted and he was never crossed in any of his pleasures It piqued him a little that Helen Knowlton did not seem to bo moro impressed by his attentions but he never for a moment dreamed that ho would be unsuccessful in a serious suit of that young woman At tho timo Rush Hurlstoae saw liirn escorting Miss Knowlton to her car I riago at the stage door of the I Academy of Music moro than one half of society that ho societ thought was engaged to bo married to her though neither of the persons most interested had herd the rumor Aunt Rebecca took a wise courso in tho Hastings affair From the day Helen first met him at Bessie Archers coming out comg I ball shin showed a greater liking for him than for any man sho had met before and tho astute Miss Sandf ord said to herself I her-self To break this off I must bo diplomatic diplo-matic I never does to opposo young I i people openly in matters of this sort i Let him come to see her I will stop him from going too far if I can and i I I cant I shall accept tho situation gracefully grace-fully ho has eighty thousand dollars i fuly eghty dol n I I year and consider myself shelved for the rest of my days But I dont propose pro-pose to let him go too far I dont see myself shelved at my time of life Aunt Rebecca enjoyed the business details de-tails of tho operatic profession as much as her niece did the artistic part To outwit tho managers was as exciting to her as a game of chess is to somo people and sho loved to plan a winters campaign cam-paign No traveling was too hard for her not even a jump from Boston to Chicago Sho could make herself as happy in a car as in a drawing roomIer room-Ier mind was on the gallop all tho time I and it could work as well in ono place as in another indeed sho contended that the motion of a train only stimulated her I thoughts Helen was naturally of an active disposition but she had grown passive under her aunts domnatg infl n once and did not assert herself as much r sho should have done Once in a great while sho would rebel but it was a mere flash in the pan Few people who did not know Helen Knowlton can imagine such a person and there is no doubt that sho was an exception to the rulo of womanhood womanoo Just at tho time of which I write sho was absorbed in tho study of her new part and tho thousand and one things that had to be attended to before the I eventful night on which the new opera was to bo produced Every one in New York who had a picture or a book relating I relat-ing in any way to Helen of Troy sent it to her and all took a personal interest I in the presentation of the opera The night was drawing near The Saturday I matinee was postponed that sho might I get more rest and study and there was t be a fu dress rehearsal on Sunday j t which the critics of tho press and a favored few were to be invited Monday night was tho great night and you may image that she was more or less nerv ous in anticipation Undo Lightfoot Myers sent her a set of gold bands for her hair with his best wishes for her success and West Hastings sent her a beautifully wrought golden girdle with the inscription And like another Helen fired another Troy engraved on the inside It seed as though every one in New York wanted to have some part in the production of the opera beyond the mere buying of seats In that they were generous gen-erous enough for everything in tho house was bought up the day tho box office opened Monday came There was a flurry of spring snow in tho morning morn-ing but by afternoon it was bright and clear Helen did not get up until 12 oclock Sho ate the lightest sort of breakfast and at 4 had a heartier meal All day long she was net allowed to speak which was no deprivation as sho did not feel like it being too much excited cited for words At 7 oclock tho carriage car-riage was at tho door and sho was driven to the Academy with Aunt Rebecca Re-becca and her maid For tho next hour everything was confusion in tho dressing dress-ing room at the foot of tho little stairway Stitches that had sd way Stiches bd dropd had to be caught up a tight sleeve had to be let out and a tho thousand and one details that crowd into the last moments mo-ments of a great occasion had to be attended at-tended to As tho prima donna stood in front of the long mirror maid and costumer busily bus-ily at work upon her skirts she would open her mouth and run a scale to seo if her voice was in condition while tho narrow wall trembled with her song When the finishing touches had been put to her toilet the manager came in to see how she looked Beautiful my child Mon Dieu how exquisite Superb And he kissed both of her hands enthusiastically enthusias-tically and retired Then came the leader lead-er of tho orchestra with a similar ecstasy ec-stasy of admiration and tho announcement I announce-ment that it was timo for him to begin that the ballet had been danced and the I I men were tuning up for the opera Was sho ready Yes begin at once I am I nervous as a witch but nothing is gained by d lay I Tho house was packed thero was not a square inch of standing room in the place by half past 8 Even the boxes I were filed the usually tardy occupants being as anxious as the family circle to I welcome the prima donna when she I came upon the stage in her new role I And they did welcome her They gave I her three cheers and would havo added I a tiger if any one had suggested it But where was Rush Huiibtoncall this time Ho was not far away Being I unable to buy beat they had been sold before he came to New York and the speculators prices were beyond his I meanfa lie acted upon tho suggestion of his friend of the ballet and accepted the I stage managers offer to don a Grecian dress and go on tho stage as a Trojan I warrior You would have supposed that ho was going to sing tho leading tenor role ho was so exceedingly nervous on this occasion But it was not the thought of facing an audience that unstrung liis nerves ho knew well enough that he would not be seen or if seen recognized it was tho fact that ho would be apart a-part no matter how small in the same performance with Helen Knowlton and that ho would be within touching d tance of her garments perhaps a dozen times in tho evening It was a great occasion and the new opera was a complete success Helen never sang more beautifully I the great aria just before her flight with Paris she brought tho house t its feet by her dramatic singing and acting Undo Lightfoot Myers leaned out of his box at an angle that imperiled h life and waved his opera hat shoutmtr Braval until he was hoarse West Hastings who occupied a proscenium box with his sister Mrs Dick Griswold stood up and applauded with an elegance that was remarked by every ono in the house and Mrs Dick not only threw tho bouquet that lay on tho railing of her box but unpinned tho bunch of roses at her corsage and threw them at the prima donnas feet M Vande water Tod who occupied the next box not to be outdone in enthusiasm took a I largo diamond star from her hah and I pinning it to a bouquet threw it with I excited fingers at tho singer but it fell short of its mark and striking the I venerable bass viol player on his baldhead I bald-head bounced into tho orchestra The house roared with good natured laughter as tho old man after feeling his head to sea that the skull was not cracked picked up tho bouquet with its precious addition and handed it to the smiling prima donna while tho family circle shouted and tho boxes waved their handkerchiefs The ushers were worn out carrying floral tributes down the aisle and altogether such a night had never been known I The most excited person in tho house was Rush Hurlstone By a lucky chance he was standing in tho wings in all tho dignity of his Trojan armor when Helen made a sudden exit Coming from tho brilliantly lighted stage into the dark behind tho scenes sho struck her foot against a carelessly laid gas pipe and almost pitched into his arms He put out his hand and she caught hold of I it quickly Tho thing did not take half a minute Grazie said she lightly I I thinking course that he was one of the regular Italian chorus Then she passed on to her dressing room followed by her maid bearing her train and her aunt who had just throw na wrap across her I i shoulders Rush blushed scarlet under 1 I h warriors beard Ho was afraid the men standing around would hear the thumping his heart against h tin I armor When no ono was looking he I i raised the back of tho hand she had I se touched to his lips and kissed it and then ho wondered how ho could have been such a fool When theoperawasover Rush thought it no moro than polite for him to accompany accom-pany mo Cclla and her daughter homo but when ho went to look for them he found that they had gonoas soon as the dancing was finished He was not sorry for now he could linger around the place and perhaps see Helen again A he stood by tho door leading into the auditorium audi-torium ho saw half the wealth and fash ion of the city pass through on its way to tho prima donnas dressing room t congratulate her upon her great success Ho could catch a occasional glimpse of her standimr there in lies classic robes J a veritable Helen giving her beautiful gvn hand to this ono and a gracious word to I the other Rush felt like throwing himself i him-self at her feet or like another Paris I bearing her off in his arms He watched tho men as they talked and laughed with her until he was beside himself with jealousy Herecognized West Hastings at once having seen him at tho stage door tho week before and felt certain ceran that tho confidence of his manner in addressing ad-dressing the prima donna was the assurance as-surance of proprietorship Uncle Light foot Myers camo rushing in his gray hair matted on his brow and tho perspiration per-spiration running down his florid cheeks I deserve a kiss my dear for what rye dono for you tonight he exclaimed exclaim-ed Two pairs of gloves split into shreds my collar wilted and my voice all gono shouting Brava Come noW where my reward Your reward is in tho consciousness of having done a good deed answered the singer gayly giving him her hand which ho ked with old fashioned gallantry gal-lantry Ah Uncle Lightfoot said Mw Dick Griswold you are to young a man to bo claiming an old mans privileges Nonsense nonsense said Uncle Lightfoot straightening h necktie and Puncli Im old Jpokuig as pleased as Pnch Im enough to bo Helens father Ho was really old enough to bo her grandfather but it would havo been a cruel person who could tell him so Men and women camo crowding in and out of the prima donnas room but Rush noticed that West Hastings stood his ground and showed no signs of going go-ing and ho also noticed that he stooped down now and then and whispered some words in tho singers ear which seemed to give her a good deal of pleasure for she would raise her eyes to his with a look that Rush would have died for Ho didnt know then that a woman particularly a prima donna may look everything and mean nothing Finally there was a lull in the gay chatter and the manager entered tho room followed by a somewhat seedy looking young man with keen bright eyes and a well shaped head He whispered something in Italian to Miss Knowlton An expression ex-pression of annoyance passed over her face but she was exceedingly polite when tho manager introduced Mr Grady dy of The Dawn who begged that he might ask her a few questions The young man was evidently embarrassed embar-rassed at meeting so many outsiders in tho room and tho prima donna though she was annoyed at the interview was most gracious in her manner particularly particu-larly as sho detected the ends of West Hastings mustache turning scornfully upward and feared that the reporter also might notice his sneer Aunt Rebecca would have taken tho interviewer under her protection at once but she was striking strik-ing for bigger game Sho had tho musical mu-sical critic of The Daily Trumpet by the ear and was calling his critical attention to the remarkable fiorituro added by her niece to the grand ara Rush recognized in the reporter ono of tho men ho had seen at the office of Tho Dawn and he listened attentively to learn how the process of interviewing was carried on How were you pleased with your reception re-ception inquired Miss Knowlton tho reporter I was delighted nothing could have been sho answered moro cordial or more gratifying Is tho music of the opera pleasing to sing Thoroughly so I does not strain + 1 n n H ln n n u t time it tlO voice yet 1 displays its best qualities tiesWhat What impressed you most in tho performance per-formance I can tell you what impressed me the most Helen exclaimed M Dick Gris wold bursting in upon the interview upn I was in tho scene with Tartalli when you took the poor old things hand and made her como down to the footlights Sho hadnt dono anything to bo sure but your manner in insisting rinn her sharing the applause with you vS beau I tifuL I almost made me cry for although al-though I never heard Tartalli in her prune I know sho used to bo a favorite I singer and I always feel tho liveliest I for favorites who have outlived pity outved their populat but who still havo to keep before I be-fore the public to earn their bread and butter Put that in your paper my dear sir and you will have a charming incident inci-dent rattled on the vivacious Mrs Dick I Tho reporter thanked her and the prima donna also and bowed himself out of the room the manager following at his elbow Tho poor fellow didnt get much material for an interview there thought Rush Hell have to I make his excuses to tho city editor tonight to-night The talking was resumed in the dressing room but only in the shape of good nights West Hastings said some tiling to Uncle Lightfoot in an undertone under-tone and the old beau put Mrs Gris wolds arm through his Ill take you home Mrs Dick and if it isnt too late Ill stop and have a rubber with that lazy Dick of yours who Ill wager is toasting ing his toes and reading the stock market mar-ket reports before the fire Ill gladly accept your invitation Undo Lightfoot and well leave West to Helens tender mercies Will you take good care of him Helen and keep him out of mischief said Mrs Dick I that be possible replied the prima donna But in the dona smiling mean time I shall have to ask him t take a seat in the green ream who I get ready for tho street NAt N-At this a the visitors retire and Rush hurried off to a room somewhere up among the flies where ho transformed formed himself from a warrior of Troy into a peaceful citizen of New York TO BE rnyTiNUED NEXT SUNDAY |