322 



THE IRRIGA TION A GM. 



is a privilege she enjoys at home, 

 entirely undisturbed. 



Mr. Mays will be delighted to 

 hear her sing to the accompani- 

 ment of her own piano and by her 

 own deft hands, but discovers upon 

 their arrival that her singing im- 

 pulse has subsided for the time, 

 and though the hour is yet early 

 there is a more or less strained at- 

 mosphere in their immediate en- 

 vironment, and his visit for the 

 evening closes with unusual pre- 

 maturity. 



This morning Miss Tinsley has 

 a call from a very dear friend of 

 her childhood and young maiden- 

 hood. The caller's name was, in 

 in their school days, plain Sarah 

 Duncan. Now, however, she is 

 "La Belle Sarene," the bright par- 

 ticular star of "The Imperial Grand 

 Opera Company," which is just 

 closing a week in the city of Kate 

 Tinsley's home, and excepting the 

 one evening of the plaza visit, Kate 

 has been closely attendant upon 

 the performances of that illustrious 

 corps. The Sarene, two or three 

 years the senior of Kate, was the 

 prodigy, in a vocal way, of this 

 small city, and by the patronage of 

 a wealthy woman, and from the 

 proceeds of a swell testimonial 

 benefit, little Sarah Duncan had 

 gone the gamut, on the ascending 

 scale, of a musical education, at 

 the proper places in Europe and 

 had thus attained exalted position 

 in "the profession,'' and with it all 

 the new name, this latter, of course, 

 with a view to more picturesque- 

 ness on the bills. 



The Sarene had ever been a 

 worshipper of Kate's voice, that 

 was exceedingly sweet and well- 



trained, and now she is saying, for 

 the many hundredth time, what a 

 pity it is that such a voice should 

 lose its sweetness on the common, 

 every day air. 



The sequel, which may as well 

 be arrived at without circumlocu- 

 tion or unnecessary verbiage, is 

 that Miss Tinsley is to accompany 

 the divine Sarene upon one of her 

 all-conquering tours, and herself 

 become a famous canatrice, with 

 probably a high-sounding nom de 

 stage, or in the language of the mod- 

 ern manager, "A high priced at- 

 traction." 



Besides, Miss Kate Tinsley has 

 Mr. Henry Hamilton Mays largely 

 in her thoughts, and she will prove 

 to him, some more, that she will 

 sing where and whensoever it suits 

 the fancy of her own self. 



Miss Tinsley is "not at home,'' 

 when Mr. Mays calls this evening, 

 and somewhat discomfited, but not 

 at all discouraged, and not even 

 greatly disappointed, for Mr. Mays 

 is familiarly acquainted with the 

 sometimes whimsically petulant 

 caprices of his sweetheart, he goes 

 back to the solitude of his apart- 

 ments, and then to the more breezy 

 atmosphere of his club. Meantime 

 Miss Tinsley packs a huge trunk, 

 scorning assistance, and decidedly 

 informs her devoted but long-suf- 

 fering maiden aunt that she intends 

 making some distant and indefinite 

 visits. 



Further to avoid prolixity and 

 expatiation, it may be briefly stated 

 that in Kate Tinsley's familiarity 

 with the music and librettos of 

 grand opera, comparatively short 

 study and rehearsal have prepared 

 her, now, for the occasional and 



