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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1898)
-;-;: , .. . ,, . ., v; r-- r-7-; "; ' " '"' - j-- -' V" - - - ir '"51,- 4 ' i ' -" " ; ' - '' -- V V . - - ' - . - v Mi 12 THE COURIER. WAGNER AND A VICTORY. K If I. m wv fe The Festspielhnus of Beyruth was Crowded. Eighteen hundred persons leaned forward and listened, for it was the opening note of the overture to 'Tannhauser." A woman falnled and was taken out. As they listened, side by side, lie held her hand in lvis. For a. moment she gazed at him witli a wistful, silent, passionate reproach. Then she let him hold it, weakly, recklesly, though she was afraid of him and hated him. "Tonight! You must tel. me, ang-el tonight or never." lie always called her angel now. At first hhe had struggled against it, lint lie had persevered ami won ms point, as he always did. And she likedit, al though she saw the incongruity of the word on his lips. Still she was not mad. lie used to say to lrer she was too beautiful ever to be bad. She really did not know what she was. She scarcely cared so long as his touch thrilled her hand. "Tonight, Angel, tonight, you must tell me, or never!" Often she wondered afterward ihow she could listen to him. She always felt small and passive standing or sit ting beside him. He always forced his -dominating masculinity on her puz zled consciousness. Wi- him she al ways remembered she was only a wo man. Holding strongly her little hand.he asked her again for the seventh time: "Angel, tonight or never." "A woman cannot hold out forever," was the thought that ran, through his mind. The woman who could not -hold out forever sook her head of sunny hair half wistfully, half sorrowtfully half dreadfully and looked up in his face. The devil sent a sudden, terrible woman's loneliress sweeping through her soul. Her great, appealing gray eyes fought mutely and pitifully against his steady gaze. "A woman cantnot hold out forever," said the man to himself. All her Wood, with its piteous, impotent, four gener ations of New England Puritanism, seemed "to sweep back to her thump ing heart and leave her light-headed, bewildered and lost. ""o woman," said the man to him self 'Van hold out forever" Sudden ly, -startling'y the music struck up. The crash of sound filled the listen ing Festspielhaus. "Hush." she whispered, "it's Tann h a user. " The man flushed, frowned and lis tened. He did not understand Wag ner nor women. To her it was plain plain as the print in a -book. The man watched her eyes change as the motif of, the music crept over her. It was the awful strife in th. soul of Tannhauser between earth and heav en, lietween the passion of the Venus berg and the adoration or the pure Elizabeth. -It was the solemn tread of the monastic pilgrims, breaking through the soft, voluptuous, alluring whisperings of the sirens of the Ye nusberg. It was the struggle of spirit against flesh. Chord by chord it wafted him away from her. By the light in her eyes he knew it. When she drew away her hand he knew better than to hold it. "Beautifully done. mV dear, beauti fully done, eh?" She knew that shrill, thin voice and was grateful for it. It swas her husband. "Too late for seats, you know, my dear, hut I couldn't miss it, not for words. Finished up the chapter and came to join the young folks: Xow that's wh. I call music, Harrington, eh? But you dip lomatists never think of such things, eh? Too sentimental for your profes on. But there is really something Wagner, you know. Good moral. Ul JSulllTaO-Saliri.e All Kinds of Baths Shaving- Hairdressinp;. you see Tannhauser breaking the de grading spell of Venus, you know, and going off with the pilgrim monks to ltome. and all that sort of thing. But what's this, my dear? Ill, eh? Well, well, well, of course we'll go home, my dear, if Harrington will excuse us. Dear me, why didn't you say sb before, eh? Quite true, my love not looking well." Outside was silence. The sleepy lit the town of Beyreuth lav below them. "Whs it noise, my love. Same with me at first. That's the trouble with Wagner eh?" said her husband, look ing at her over his glasses. "Yes, it was the music, thank God oh er I mean yes, the music, and I was too tired, Beginald." Then, after a pau.se. "Reginald, dear, hold my hand." "Your hand, my dear how extraor dinary! I 1 never did not such a. thing in my life. But of course, my dear, of course!" She drew him closer to her. She was taller than her husband by half a head. The woman sighed. "Oh, Reginald, I I am so tired of it all! Wouldn't it be nice to go home I mean back to America?" "What I wanted to do all along, my love told j'ou so a week ago.' "Then, dear, let's go home," said the girl with the sunny hair. "But, lis ten!" They paused for a moment. It was the great resonant voice of Tann hauser singing to lus eighteen hun dred spell-bound listeners: Zu Kairtpf und Streite wil ich stefaen, Sei's auch auf Tod und Untergehen Drum muss a us deinem Reich t ich fliehu, O, Kanigin, Gottin, lass mich ziehn! "Great man, Wagner, eh?" said her husband. The woman did not answer. NEBRASKA AND WYOMING HOME SEEKERS' EXCURSIONS. August 2nd and 16, September 6th and 20th, October 4th and 18th, the Elkhorn line (Northwestern) will sell tickets at one fire plus $2 for the round trip to point? on its linns in Nebraska west and north and in Wyoming west of and including Orin Junction, the mini imum round trip rate to be 89. Stop overs granted on going trip beyond Stan ton and Creston, Neb. For farther in formation call on A. S. Fieldi.ng, C. T. A. 117 So. 10th St. HOT SPRINGS AND RETURN FOR ONE FARE. Aug. 9th and 36th and Sept. 10th and 20th the Elkhorn will sell tickets to Hot Springs, S. D., and return as above. Limit 30 days. A. S. FnxDiHO.C.T. A. 117 So. 10th St Sanitarivim, Cor. I-S-trti. and Ad Scientific Masseurs. A Deep Sea Pool, 50x142 feet. Drs. Everett, Managing- Physicians. We are now ready with our and Novelties. Also a Whips and Robes in best line of Bicycles. Billmeyer SPEND AUGUST IN THE BLACK HILLS. Go first to Hot Springs. There you can bathe, ride, bicycle, climb moun tains, dance and play tennis to your heart's content. If jour limbs are stiff, your kidneys out of order or if you are troubled with ezzema 6r any other form of skin disease, a month at Hot Springs will make a new man of you. Sylvan Lake and Speartish are within a comparatively ehort distance of Ho Springs and every one who visits the Black Hill should see them. Sylvan Lake ia the prettieets and coo!eest sum mer resort in the 'west. Spearfish is reached after a railroad ride that ranks among the experiences of a lifetime There is nothing like it anywhere else on the globe. During August, the Burlington route will run two low-rate excursions to Hot Springe: one on the 9th, the other on the 26th of that month. Tickets Will be sold at one fare half rates and will be good to return any time within 30 days. in, in, am pin, b for the summer season, new line of y y y y y y y w 9 fine line of Harness, the city. Largest and & Sadler. Organize a party. Arrange about your hotel accommodations at Hot Springe; arrange for ticket at B. 4. M . depot or city ticket office, corner 10th and O streets. G. W. Bo.vxell,C. P. & T. A. Aug. 26. 9 9 9 H. W. BROWN Druggist and Bookseller. WhIHng'i Fine Stationery and Pallinv Parrla 127 S. Eleventh "Street. J PHONE 68 a 99r'j& Mr. Gableigh If ererybody knows what everybody is say.ng about Gay body's wife, how is it a secret? Mrs. Gableigh Gaybody doesn't know it. - ihr-:----- .i j- .