Anna Alice Chapin

“ Carla was wiping her eyes shamelessly.
“Third rate!” repeated Fancini softly. “Grimm to give third-rate opera!”
“It is disgusting!” boomed Dufresne, in a tone of indignant pain. “And there is nothing one can do!”
Carla suddenly crumpled up her handkerchief and fired it across the room. It hit a dozing cat, which was the only remaining occupant of the back yard, for it was late, and the patrons had departed, and the signora was taking a nap. But Carla for once did not notice the pussy's comical expression of outraged dignity. She was illumined by one of her swift, unreasoning inspirations. ”

“ Fancini looked helplessly at Carla. She came blithely to his rescue.
“The truth is, Mr. Quankey,” she explained, irresistibly confidential, “we know that beggars can't be choosers. And the proposition is—an off season, and a scratch company, as you say. Now, what were you planning to pay your tenor and soprano?”
“Forty a week each,” growled Quankey.
Carla and Fancini exchanged swift, mirthful glances, then instantly became grave again. ”

“ He got five hundred dollars a night himself, and did not consider it a cent too much.
“This is a scratch company, you understand,” said the agent indifferently. “They can't pay you anything to speak of.”
“Money? What do I—I—care for money?” began Fancini, with unthinking haste. But Carla caught his eye, and he added, in a little, grandiloquent burst: “All the same, Benedetto della Lucca must consider his r-r-reputation! Gold is nothing to me, but it shall not be said that I, Della Lucca, sang for a—what do you say?—a pittance!” ”

“ Do you suppose Grimm has engaged all his singers yet?”
For a moment they stared at her, then her thought swept to them dynamically, and they gave a sort of shout of excitement. The signora heard them, and, smiling, shook her head over “the madness of those great artists that were so many babies!”
They all began to talk at once.
“I'll cable that I can't take that position!” exclaimed Emile Dufresne.
“Don't be foolish, Emile! They'll hold it open for you for an extra month. Berta, it's hardest on you. You won't see your kiddies till late in the summer.” ”

“ They had agreed that they must bicker a little as to terms, though what did they, with their priceless voices, care for a few dollars more or less? They would have preferred to sing for nothing, only that would have been to give themselves away. ”