The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1879-04-10
ANNA CAR0lLLA. 9 !, l !.

A group of girls stood at the stage
door of the Grand Opera House IN
Vienna, talking or exchanging words
with the other employees who passed
in, keeping the while sharp lookout
/ for the manager. One of these chorus
singers, a beautiful Italian girl, stand
ing Just within the extreme entrance,
with her mantle wrapped close about
her throat, suddenly remarked:
"We mGst do cir best tonight for
the Emperor is coming"
rs heg How do you know Who
told you, Anna CarOlla?'
"0ne of the band" ans,. Jred Anna
Carolla, quietly. Carl Rosenfeldt.
There he comes with his violin"
With sgIfe Others of the opera band,
there approached a tall, handsome
young Hungarian, who paused to an-
swer the girls eager inqGiry: @Had
You said the EmDefoF was c0ming?
"YeS; the imperial guards have Just
passed by to take up their place at the
grand entrance. The house will be
crowded"
Then passing inside, he stopped to
whisper to Anna CarOlla, with smile
in his deep blue eyes:
"Aqna, l lead the viOlins tonight.
Stendgal is ILL.,
She put her hand in his, with the
sweet perfect trust Of one who knows
she is loved.
81 am sorry for him; but for you,
| Carl, my heart must be glad"
"Here they come tOgetherT cried a
girl outside. "The manager and chief
d. orchestra. Awayp
The new leader Of the band hurried
away as the chorus trooped in, and
Anna Car0lla followed them into their
dressing roam, There she sO9n don
ned her stage dress, and Slipped away
to watch the house filling. aud above
all, to hear every EOte of the exquisite
overture to @OberOn." How fast every
place was filling from floor to gallery
! The auditorium was one blaze of
SplendOr, and as she gaZed, the poor
| friendleSs chorus singer, whose dra-
matte talent and splendid voice ought,
| if she had only the fortune to get the
/ first lift, to place her high on the lyric
stage, wondered sadly if such chance
would ever come to her; il not, Carfs
/ father would never consent to their
marriage. And now the whole house
rose as the Emperor entered his box,
splendidly dressed, glittering with
| Jewels of rareSt value, which flashed a
/ thousand rays as he bowed right and
/ left with his usual courteous grace.
Then the band struck up the overture,
and with the last bar the curtain drew
up.
Fitting here and there during the
performance, with eyes and ears for
everything, the manager noticed the
/ imperial visitor indicating to gentle
man beside him some one in the Choir
us. 1t was Anna CarOlla, whose beau
/ ty had attracted his eye, whose rich
voice his ear had caught above and
| through all the others. The first act
went splendidly, and the second act
soon commenced; but fate had decreed
| that it should never be played out that
night. Half way through, as the man
ager, pleased and cOmplacent, was
| quietly standing back in one of the
wings, he suddenly felt his arm gras-
ed, and turned sharply TO see Anna
CarOlla's lovely face, so full OF deter
mination and character, at his side.
! "HuSh," she said, very low and
quietly, make no exclamation, but go
! and see to it before it gains or IS dis
covered. The theater is on fire some
where back of the green room. The
company can leave by the stage door.
Co"
"But, child. if there is the least hint
of alarm, look at that house. They
will be crushed to death in their terror
and cFOwding TO go out"
Listen" said the Italian girl In the
same calm, Self-cOntained manner.
~Send the call-boy to tell the door
keeper to order each one as they pass
out to depart quickly. will clear the
house quietly"
You do that"
"YeS; here is the boy; send him, and
clear out the company; l will do my
part"
The manager blindly Obeyed the
strong will and steady purpose of the
master mind; as people in emergency
generally do, whatever their relative
positions IN the world. Anna CarrOlla
passed OH the stage and advancing al
once to the fOOt-lights, stood for one
moment, her tall commanding form
and beautiful head drawn erect, un-
flinchingly facing that crowd, meeting
full even the astOnished gaze of the
emperor himself, and the wondering
look of her lover in the orchestra be
low her. Then she said. in voice not
loud, but clear as a bell, with cool
steady authority in every measured ae-
cent:
Il am here by the managers orders
. His imperial majesty has been robbed
tonight of q rare diamond and the
) thief is in the house. Every one" and
the speakers dark eyes swept the au-
dience from gallery to pit, 'is at once
to withdraw quietly and in order; any