Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 169, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1912 — Page 2

The PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

by Gaston Leroux

liut/iar* o/° TrtE • MYSTERY •OT • T/iE • YELLOW ROOManar TttE -PERfUME Of -THE LADY- IN-SLACK--111ustration- £>y Af-G/iot.tnol- - /g// jby £ o£As -Mem// Company

* SYNOPSIS. Consternation Is caused on the last night-that the Opera Is managed by Debienne and Poligny because of the appearand of a ghost, said to have been In evidence on several previous occasions. Christine Daae, a member of the opera company, is called upon to fill a very —important part and scores a great euccess. Count de Chagny and his brother Raoul are among those who applaud the singer. Raoul tries to see Christine In the dressing room, but is unable to do so and later discovers that some one Is making love to her. She emerges alone, and upon entering the room he finds it empty. CHAPTER 111. (Continued). He did not speak a word and bis neighbors could not have stated at what moment be had sat down between them. The friends of Richard and Moncharmln thought that this skinny guest was an acquaintance of Dehlenne’s or Pollgny’s, while Debienne’s and Pollgny’s friends believed that the cadaverous individual belonged to Richard and Moncbar|mln’s party. The result was that no request was made for an explanation. MM. Debienne and Poligny, sitting at the center of the table, had not seen the man with the death’s head. Suddenly he began to speak. “The ballet-girls are right,” he said. “The death of that poor Buquet Is perhaps not so natural as people think.” Debienne and Poligny gave a start. ‘ls Buquet dead?” they cried. ~ “Tes,” ' replied the man, or the shadow of a man, quietly. "He was found, this evening, hanging In the third cellar, between a farm-house and a scene from the Roi de Lahore.” The two managers, or rattier exmanagers, at once rose and stared strangely at the. speaker. At last Debienne made a sign to MM. Richard and Moncharmln; Poligny muttered a few words of excuse to the guests; and all four went into the managers’ office. I leave M. Moncharmin to complete the story. In

his Memoirs, he says: —“MMrDebietme”and Poligny" seemed to grow more and more excited. First, they asked us 'lf we knew the man, sitting at the end of the table, who had told them of the death of Joseph Buquet; and, when we answered in the negative, they looked still more concerned. They took the masterkeys from our hands, stared at them for a moment and advised us to have new locks made, with the greatest secrecy,. for the rooms, closets and - presses that we might wish to have hermetically closed. They said this so funnily that we began to laugh and to ask if there were thieves at the opera. They replied that there was something worse, which was the ghost. They told us that they never would have spoken to us of the ghost if they had not received formal orders from the ghost himself to ask us to be pleasant to him. They had hesitated to tell us this curious story, which our skeptical minds were certainly not prepared to entertain. But the announcement of the death of Joseph Buquet had served them as a brutal reminder that, whenever they had disregarded the ghost’s wishes, some disastrous event had brought -them to a sense of their dependence. “The Joke became a little tedious; and Richard asked half-seriously and kffiOf In Jest: " ‘But, after ail, what does this gboßt of yours want?* “M. Poligny went to his desk and returned with a copy of the mem-orandum-book. The memorandumbook ends with Clause 98, which says that the privilege can be withdrawn if the manager infringes the conditions stipulated. This is followed by the conditions, which are four in number. “The copy produced by M. Poligny was written in black ink and exactly similar to that in our possession, except that, at the end, it contained a paragraph in red Ink and in a queer handwriting. This paragraph ran as follows: ' “‘6. Or if the manager, in any month, delay for more than a fortnight the payment of the allowance which he shall make to. the opera ghost of twenty thousand francs a month• “ ‘ls this all? Does he not want anything else?* - asked Richard, with the greatest coolness. “ ‘Yes. he does,’ replied Poligny. ‘Box Five on the grand tier shall be placed at the disposal of the opera ghost for every performance.’ “When we saw this, there was nothing else for us to do but to rise from dor chairs, shake our two predeces- . sots warmly by the hand and congratulate them on thinking of this charming little Joke, which proved that the old French sense of humor toe oflives.’

CHAPTER IV. Box Five. Arm and Moncharmin wrote such voluminous Memoirs during the fairly long period of his co-management that we may well ask If he ever found time to attend to the affaire of the opera otherwise than by telling what went on there. M. Moncharmin did not know a note of mußic, but he called the minister of education and flne arts by his Christian name, had dabbled a little in society Journalism and enjoyed a considerable private Income. Lastly, he was a charming fellow and showed that he waß not lacking in intelligence, for, as soon as he made up his mind to be a sleeping partner in the opera, he selected the best possible active manager and went straight to Firmin Richard. Firmtn Richard was a very distinguished composer, who had published a number of successful pieces of all kinds and who liked nearly every form of music and every sort of musician. Clearly, therefore, 1t was the duty of every sortof muslclanto like M. Flrmin Richard. The only things to be said again#) him were that he was rather masterful In his ways and endowed with a very hasty temper. The first few days which the partners spent at the opera were given over to the delight of finding themselves the head of so magnificent an enterprise; and they had forgotten all about that furious, fantastic story of the ghost, when an incident occurred that proved to them that the joke—if joke it were —was not over,, M. Firmin Richard reached his office that morning at eleven o’clock. His secretary, M. Remy, showed him half a dozen letters which be had not opened because they were marked “private." One of the letters had'' at once attracted Richard’s attention not only because the envelope was addressed in red Ink, but because he seemed to have seen the writing before. He soon remembered that it was the red handwriting in which the memorandumbook had been so curiously completed. He recognized the clumsy childish hand. He opened the letter and read: “Dear Mr. Manager: “I am sorry to have to trouble you at a time when you must be so very busy, renewing important engagements, signing fresh ones and generally displaying your excellent taste. I know what you have done for Carlotta, Sorelli and little Jammes and for a few others whose admirable qualities of talent or genius you have suspected.

l “Of course, when I use these words, i! do not mean to apply them to La Carlotta, who sings like a squirt and who ought' never to have been allowed to leave the Ambassadeurs and the Case Jacquin; nor to La Sorelli, who owes her success mainly to the coach-builders; nor to little Jammes, who dances like a calf in a field.. And I am not speaking of Christine Dane either, though her genius is certain, whereas your Jealousy prevents her from creating any important part When all is said, you are free to conduct your little business as you think' best, are you not? “All the sabre, I should like to take advantage of the fact that you have not yet turned Christine Daae out of doors by hearing her this evening in the part of Slebel, as that of Margarita has been forbidden her' since her triumph of the other evening; and I will ask you not to dispose of my box today nor on the following days, for I cannot end this letter without telling you how disagreeably surprised I have been once or twice, to hear, wi arriving at the opera, that my box had been sold, at the boxoffice, by your orders.

*l did not protest, first, because 1 dislike scandal, and, second, because 1 „ thought that your predecessors, MM. Debienne and Pollgny, who were always channlftg to me, had neglected, before leaving, to mention my little fads to you. 1 have now received a reply from those gentlefnen to my letter asking for an explanation, and this reply proves that you know all about my memorandum-book and, consequently, that you are treating me with outrageous contempt It you wish to live In peace, you must not begin by taking away my private box. "Believe me to be, dear Mr. Manager, without prejudice to these little observations, “Your Most Humble and Obedient Servant, “OPERA GHOST." The letter was accompanied by a cutting from the agony-column of the Revue Theatraie, which ran: “O. G. —There is no excuse K. and M. We told them and left your memorandum-book In their bands. Kind regards.” M. Strain Richard bad hardly finished reading this letter when M. Arman d Moncharaln entered, carrying

one exactly similar. They looked fit each other and burst oat laughing. “They are keeping up the Joke," said M. Richard, “but I don’t call it funny” "What does it all mean?” asked M. Moncharmin. “Do they imagine that, because they have been managers of the opera, we are going to let them have a box for an indefinite period?" “I am not in the mood to let myself be laughed at long,” said Firmin Richard. 1 “It’s harmless enough,” observed Armand Moncharmin. “What U it they really want? A box for tonight?” M. Firmin Richard told his secretary to send Fox Five on the grand tier to MM. Debienne and Poligny, if it was not sold. It was not. It was sent off to them. Debienne lived at the comer of the Rue Scribe and the Boulevard des Capucines; Poligny, in the .Rue Auber.' O. Ghost's two letters had been posted at the Boulevard des Capucines postoffice, as Moncharmin remarked after examining the en; velopes. “You see!” said Richard. “They might have been civil, for ail that!” said Moncharmin. “Did you notice bow they treat us with regard has the reputation of being quite good," said Richard. “Why, my dear fellow, these two are mad with jealousy! To think that they went to the expense of an advertisement In the Revue Theatraie! Have they nothing better to do 7” “By the way," said Moncharmin, “they seem to be greatly interested in that little Christine Daae!” “You know as well as I do that she to Carlotta, Sorelli and Little Jammes?” "Reputations are easily obtained,” replied Moncharmin. “Haven’t I a reputation for knowing all about music? And I don’t know one key from -another,” “Don’t be afraid; you never had that reputation,” Richard declared. Thereupon he ordered the artists to be shown In, who, for the last two -hours, had been walking up and downoutside tbA door behind which fame and fortune —or dismissal—awaited them. The whole day was spent in dis-

The Envelope Was Addressed in Red Ink.

cussinig, negotiating, signing or cancelling contracts; and the two overworked managers went to bed early, without so much as casting a glance at Box Five to see whether M. Deblenne and M. Poligny were enjoying the performance. , Next morning, the managers received a card of thanks from the ghost: “Dear Mr. Manager: “Thanks. Charming evening. Daae exquisite. Choruses want waking up. Carlotta a splendid commonplace instrument. Will write you soon tor the 240,000 francs, or 233,424 fr. 70 c., to be correct. MM. Debisnne and Poligny have sent me the 6,575 fr. 30 c. representing the first ten days of nay allowance for the current year; tnelr prmiogss nmcneq on uw ning of the tenth Inst. “Kind regards, “O. G.” On the other hand, there was a letter from MM. Deblenne and Poligny: “Gentlemen: t “We are much obliged for your kind thought of us, but you will easily understand that the prospect or again hearing Faust, pleasant though it Is to ex-managers of the opera, cannot make us forget that we have no right to occupy Box Five on the grand tier, which Is. the exclusive property of him of whom we spoke to you when we went through the memorandumbook 'with you for the last time. See Clause 98. final paragraph. "Accept, gentlemen, etc." “Oh, those fellows are beginning to

annoy me!" shouted Firmin Richard, snatching up the letter. And that evening Box Fve was sold. The’next morning, MM. Richard and Moncharmin, on reaching their office, found an inspector’s report relating to. an incident that had happened, the night before, in Box Five. I give the esientl&l part of the report: “I was obliged to call in a municipal guard twice, this evening, to clear BoxFlve on the grand, tter. once at the beginning and once in the middle of the second act The occupants, who arrived as the curtain rose on the second aot, created a regular scandal by their laughter and their ridiculous observations. There were - cries of ‘Hush!* all around them and the'whole house was beginning to protest, when the box-keeper came to fetch me. 1 entered the box and said what I thought necessary. The people did not seem to me to be In their right mlntf; and they made stupid remarks. I said that, if the noise was repeated, I should be compelled to clear the box. The moment I left I heard the laughing agalp, with fresh protests from the house. I returned with a municipal guard, who. tamed them" out They protested, still laughing,, saying they would not go unless they had their money back. At last, they became quiet and 1 allowed them to enter the box again. The laughter at once recommenced; and, this time, l had them turned out definitely.” “Send for the inspector,” said Rich ard to his secretary, who had already read the report and marked It with blue pencil. M. Remy, the secretary, had foreseen the order and called tfie Inspector at once. “Tell us what happened,” said Richard bluntly. The Inspector began to splutter and referred to the report. “Weil, but what were those people laughing at?” asked Moncharmin. “They must have been dining, sir, and seemed more inclined to lark about than to listen to good music. they came out agaln.and called the box-keeper, who asked them what they wanted. They said, ‘Look in the box: there’s no one there, Is there?’

•No,’ said the woman. ’Weil,’ said they, ‘when we went in, we heard a voice saying that the box was taken!’" M. Moncharmln could not help smiling as he looked at M. Richard; but M. Richard did not smile. He him-, self had done too much in that way in his time not to recognize, in the

CLIMAY OF RED TAPE

This Is a tale of a self-confessed murderer who wished to be attested, as related by a writer in Le Matin. Paris. Some time ago a man named Berge was stabbed to death at Algiers. Three men were arrested on suspicion, but, as they proved their innocence, they were released and the matter was shelved. A tew days ago a man called at the office of the local police commissary and said to that official: “My name is Marins Yvorra. I killed Berges, and this hi how I did it." The commissary listened to the man’s confession and said: “You had better see my secretary." The secretary also listened to the mania confession, and. after a little reflection said: “Now, look hare, my good man, this is not the way to get arrested. Yon most write ns a letter -confirming the oral statement made to ns. Then wa

inspector’s story, all the marks oT one of thofie practical jokes which begin by amusing and end by enraging the Victims. The inspector, to curry favor with M. Moncharmin, who was smiling, thought ft best to give a smile, too. A most unfortunate smile! .. mid' Richard glared at his subordinate, who thenceforth made It his business to display a face of utter consteraar tiom.. - ;■ .V “However, when the people arrived,” roared Richard, “there was no one In the box, was there T’ | j “Not a soul, sir, not a soul! Nor in the box on the right, in the box on the left; not a soul, sir, 1 swear! The box-keeper fold it to me often enough, which proves that ft was all a Joke.” “Oh, you agree, do you?” said Richard. “You agree! It’s a Joke! And you think it funny, no doubt?” “I think it is very bad taste, sir.” “And what did the box-keeper say?” “Oh, she just said that it was the opera ghost. That’s all she said!” And the inspector grinned. But he sobn found that he had made a mistake in grinning, for the words had no sooner left his mouth than M. Richard, from gloomy, became furious. “Send for the box-keeper!” he shouted. “Send for her! This minute! This minute! And bring her in to ms here! And rarn all those people out!” The inspector tried to protest, hut Richard closed his mouth with an an-, gry order to hold his tongue. Then, when the wretched man’s Ups seemed shut for ever, the manager commanded him to open them once'more. “Who Is this ’opera ghost?’” hs snarled. But the inspector was by this time incapable of speaking a word. He managed to convey, by a despairing gesture, that he knew nothing about it, or rather that he did not wish to know—. “Hare you ever seen him; have you seen the opera ghost?” The inspector, by means of _a vigorous shake of the head, denied ever having seen the ghost in question.,v Very Well!” said Mr. Richard coldly.'

The inspector’s eyes started out of his head, as though to ask why the manager had uttered that ominous “Very well!” “Because I’m going to settle the account of any one who has not sees him!” explained the manager. “A« he seems to be everywhere, I can’l have people telling me that they see him nowhere. I like people to worl for me when I employ them!” . Having said this; M. Richard paid no attention to the inspector and die cussed various matters of business with his acting-manager, who had entered the room meanwhile. The inspector thought he could go and was gently—oh, so gently!—sidling to ward the door, when M. Richard nailed the man to the floor with a thundering: “Stay where you are!” M. Remy had sent for the box-keep er to the Rue de Provence, dose to the opera, where she was engaged as a porteress. She soon made her ap pearance. “What’s your name?” “Mame Giry. You know me web enough, sir; I’m the mother of iittis Giry, little Meg, what!’’ This was said In so rough and sol emu a tone that, for a moment, M Richard was impressed. He looked at Mame Giry, In her faded shawl, hei worn shoes, her old taffeta dress and dingy bonnet. It was quite evidenl from the manager’s attitude, that b< either did not know or could not re member having met-Mame Giry, noi even little Giry, nor even “little Meg!” But Mame Giry’s pride was so greal that the celebrated box-keeper lm aglned that everybody knew her.

(TO BE CONTINUED.)

Rising to the Occasion,

Charles Gerhart, brother of th< Free Bridge man, for some years hai been a dally patron of "Bob," as Eighth street bootblack who pride* himself on his conversational versa tflity. A few days agf while "Bob" wai busily ohinlng Gerhart’s No. 9s some body started a' discussion as to tin relative merits of the various make* of motor cars. "Is you ail thinkln’ ob buyin’ et ottermobile, Mlstah Gerhart?" asked Bob, seeking an opportunity to butt Into the conversation. “No/' replied Gejhart, “I don’t thlnl IH a. car until I can get a first class mechanician." “Yassuh, yassuh,” chirped Bob, rl* Ing to the occasion. ‘Ts alius heal tell them was the best kind.” — St Louis Post-Dispatch.

■hsH be able to attend to yon. Now, get along.” The man loft the office, and, per haps because he was not a good writer, he has not been seen since in Algiers. -

Not a Bad Precedent.

Some of the beauties of ancient Rome had marble busts sculptured oi themselves, on which were placed dlfforint win corresDondinK to the changes of style and coloring. If msdm .hu. "Vi,,, 1 —

MONKS DINED WITH HERETIC

. 11 , Members of Catholic Brotherhood Aft Unwittingly Entertained the Fe- f J . moue Pere Hyacinthe. j Monsieur Nathan, foe Jewish mayor! of Rome,-has Just placed in foe capitoli foe bronze mask of Pere Hyacinthe] Loyson, offered to foe Eternal Cityi by foe son of the great preacher. Sev-f eral times following his rupture witht the church Pere Hyacinthe returned! to spend foe winter at Rome in cpm-j pany with his American wife. ,Y)trr-' ing one of his latest sojourns there] he yielded to a sweet mystification] which made some stir in foe Catholic { It was in a warm autumn mom-' ing and the former friar, who was a great walker, with others took as foe end of his excursion foe little hut of the ‘Three Fountains,” hidden in foe eucalyptus of which the monk* make an elixir as delightful as chart-; reuse. The visit endedand the tour* . lets departed Rome. Our pilgrim noticed that the hour- was late. Pressed by hunger he. asked to dine ; at the convent. His smooth face, his Roman facial expression, his ecclesiastical dress, his bishoplike air, provoked the brothers to 9. respectful at* fentlon. For this mysterious unknown, whose incognito doubtless hid some high dignitary of the church, they selected a private dining room and “put the little dishes in the Mg ones.” Several Trapplsts, dedicated to their vows to seclusion, begged foe honor of serving him at table, 'and after the priest had pronounced the blessing the father of the convent himself wished to share the love feast. While knife and fork were at wovk, there was some' conversation: “Of what diocese are .you, nay father?” “Of the diooese of foe Galilean church.”^

“But of what city?” "In partibus infldelium” (In heathen parts), says Pere Hyaeinthe. - The hosts then allowed themselves to let slip some confidences. They even criticised the state of the holy mother church and spoke of "Pere Hyaeinthe" not without blame, but with some sympathy. After a little glass of eucalyptine the guest made a sign to the father of the convent that he desired to speak to him alone. After the brothers had withdrawn . from the room, he, said: “I am indebted to you for an excellent collation and an hour of reminiscence. Aocept this for your charity box. I am Pere, Hyaeinthe.” The good father jumped back, hiding his face in his hands. Then, spontaneously, he pressed the hands of the heretic. And now Pere Hyaeinthe has returned to Rome. Only according to his former co-rellgionlsts he has mistaken the route. In place of taking the road to the Vatican he has taken that to the capitol.—Le Cri de Paris.

Royalty on the Maps.

Now that the Princess Patricia has given her name to thq new district of Ontario, it may be said that the members of the sovereign families of Britain during the last three centuries figure handsomely in the gazetteers of the world. Maryland was named in honor of Henrietta Maria, whose husband granted it to George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore, and his heirs forever. The Carolinas are named after Charles 11., While Georgia was named in honor of George 11., in whose reign it was colonized. An island was named after Princess Patricia’s great-great-grand-mother, the good Queen Charlotte, while even the memory of that rather colorless lady, the wife of William IV., is immortalized In the capital of South Australia. To come down to our own day and generation, It is hardly necessary to recall that the . grandparents of Princess Patricia, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, are lavishly commemorated on the maps, or that her unde, the late King Edward, is commemorated, among other parts of the world. In Antarctic lands. Probably no sonroyal personage recently living Is so well assured of this form of immortality as the late Cecil Rhodes. . ... - 7

How It Felt .

Dr. Joseph Eisenstaedt told the following story nt a banquet given to Chicago physicians: Since the dentists love to have their fun at the expense of the physicians I take pleasure la returning the compliment with this story. An Irish maid who was in the service of a well to do Chicago home asked for an extra afternoon off. When her mistress asked why, she explained that she had to go to tha den- fj list. “When she came home her mistress asked: Well, Bridget, how did you have your tooth filled?’ “ 1 don’t know,* was the maid’s reply. “Her mistress continued: Well, did he fill it with silver or amalgam?* “*1 don’t know how it was mum,* wag Bridget's bland reply, *bnt from the way It telt I should think it was thunder and lightning, mum.’"

Savings Deposits in Street Boxes.

The Hermes Exchange Savings bank of Budapest has placed automatic collecting devices in the Btnets. The idea of these boxes is that people can - drop money in at any time and receive In exchange a receipt for the amount deposited- Upon presenting the alipe which the Machine hands out to the officials of the bank in question the bank book of the person is credited with the-deposit The purpose o£ the device to to encourage the possessor of spare' change to deposit it In the bank while he is in a thrifty, frame of mind, V',