“Are we going inside the hall now?” asked Andy, who had grown tired of walking around the town seeing the “sights”; for while these may have amounted to something in Ralph’s estimation, they were very common in the eyes of fellows who had done so much traveling, and had even seen considerable of the war in Europe, as well as the wonders of New York City.
“We might as well, because it’s getting close to the time for the performance to begin,” the guide replied.
There seemed to be a good many people all moving in the same general direction as themselves. These were, doubtless, the holders of tickets to the entertainment that had been the magnet drawing them to town on this particular night fated to be set down with a red mark in the history of Wyoming.
Presently they joined the line before the door of the hall in which the concert was to be held. Apparently it was bound to be a popular affair. Ralph privately informed his mates that most of the people were coming just to hear the little girl with the Patti-like voice. In this way he aroused their curiosity to a high pitch; though none of them claimed to be fine judges of operatic music, or able to decide the exact quality of a wonderful voice, still they knew good singing, and were considerably interested in what Ralph had told them of the girl who was leading the printed programme as Anna Burgoyne.
“Her father was connected with the opera over across the water years ago,” explained Ralph. “Her mother, too, used to sing in public, so you see Anna comes by her wonderful voice honestly. But just you wait and see, that’s all.”
They found the hall already well filled with an audience that counted as most of the people worth while in and around Wyoming; though the circus doubtless served to attract quite a crowd, as it always does.
Chapter XV
The Clang of the Fire Bell
The hall continued to fill up, until there was standing room only by the time the performance began. The boys were interested in the people around them, for Ralph was able to relate certain things of interest connected with some of those he pointed out.
All at once Tubby exclaimed:
“Well, we made a big mistake, after all, about him!”