The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-12-24
AFTER THE OPERA.

AFTER THE OPERA.
Frau Buchcr climbed the last step of
the atIic-stairs, and found ner young
lohmer still sewing by the light OF u
feeble lamp.
''lhekia child" she cried, ''ain' t
YOU ready vet a while?" Come in
and sit down" the girl answered in
pure Swcetiy-spoken German. 'pm
almost through" But you amt had
Your supper yet," said Frau Bucher.
I'm only going to have i bit of
toast and some tea. You'll have
cup with me, won't you? Oh yes, but
YOU must! Think how many cups OF
coffee I've been taking with you! Be-
sides, it's so much more cosy and So
cl;.ble than being alOue."
'.Ah, well, said Frau Bucher, laugh
ing softly, "we don't go TO the opera
every night! This is what you call
Spree-eh, Thekia?"
The girl smiled back at her, but her
lips dropped slightly. She was think
ing, poor clfild, of the time. when the
opera was part of her daily life. All,
how they used to applaud. those Ger
mans, when her father led the orcnes-
Ira.
He had been dead three years, and
that WAS eight years ago. But she
could see it all now-the lights, the
perfume, and the flowers, the ladies in
costly attire nodding gaily to her, the
maestrO's daughter, and Felix.
''And what are these things for, any
how?" asked Frau Bucher, picking up
Il little plush bag from bright-colored
pile that lay on the table.
For opera-glasses, Thekla said,
rising suddenly and beginning to hustle
over her little supper. Il MAKE them
for n store down town. You've no
idea how well they sell"
SOP said Frau Bucher pleasantly.
That is good. But why do you sit
here sewing vet a while, when there
are lots oi good mon, Thekla?"
II hate men!' the girl answered
liercc!y. Il snail never marry any
one, Mrs. Bucitrr."
That's a.liooiisaness, child You're
Young yet Il while; but every girl has
Il lover some time"
- vG had miue--with other evils
long aoo.'
Ant ne didn't turn out rightq"
cree Ir..u iiuchrr.
h"i,.:. shuo& her head.
"Nu.t. WI
''i MAS Gag ago-in Berlin" she
al t; ".oNg before my father fell i'll,
.tui H. man 10 whom he trusted the
i.un:cIii..n ri his operas robbed him
oi lne copyright. 1t was long before
we thought OF euligrating to America.
, Ny father was famous then, and max
IN money fast"
And this young fellow" Frau
Bgchar pursued, HE didn't steal.
did hep"
oh, no." the girl answered bitterly.
''iie did nothing worse than play me
false. lie deserted me. without a
word. ia the hour Of my greatest need;
! left my father. whom he called his best
! friend, to die in want IN foreign
country; and ne WAS rich, too. l did
| not want his charity. but
She burst into tears, aud Frau
Bucher leaned over TO pat her on the
shoulder.
There, there" she said soothingly,
| ''don't cry, child! Don't think about
those things. What's the use? Think
about the opera. Won't we two be
grand sitting there like fine ladies to-
night-eh, Thekla?"
''lt is my fathers OPERA" the girl
said. drying her tears, and lifting her
head proudly. He wrote it. Mrs.
Bucher--every note; and oh, there are
such lovely choruses! First. there's a
lot of soldiers, you know"
In few moments she was deep in
the plot of the opera. giving the airs
rs she went along, till Frau Bucher
cried:
'Why, you know ii already"
Il know every note OF it, Thekla
said, pushing her toast aside barely
tasted, land / love it all Tonight
shall hear it again for the first time in
six years"
But aren't you going to eat any
thing?"
mo; l am not hungry. Come, We
must be going. The people are crowd
ing in, and there are no reserved seats
in the gallery" she said with faint
smile.
She was wondering what that gay
audience would do if they were sud.
denly informed that the daughter Of
the man who wrote their favorite opera
was sitting in the gallery.
The house was crowded, and n:
Thekia took her seat her heart bound
ed, for she saw that a score of the
opera, rs it stood on the LEADERS, stanC
in the orchestra, was resting on a pill
low OF iloNers, that bore the wofds:
''In Memoriam, Berlin, May D. lS--''
Someone else remembered, then
Someone remembered that happy nigh
OF her fathers triumph! There wa'
someone here who had been there!
. "Oh-h-hr' exclaimed Frau Bucher
in indescribabe tones, as the curtain
rose TO the notes of stirring military
chorus.
Thekla leaned over eagerly. For ;
brief spell she was happy.
Entranced by the sound of her faith
er's music, she sat through the first ac
4 like one in dream. When the cur
tain fell, she turned with Il sympatheti
smile to a seedy-looking musician, wh'
had been duvouring the score through
a loronetIe.
"Wil YOU lend me your glass for
moment, sip" she said politely.
And when the request was granted
she looked for the first time at tn
house.
The orchestra occupied her SOM
time, and then there was fair girl sit
TIM i'll the loWer-boN, richly attired
. aud NJ the back oG her chair stood
gentleman in a fau lless iull-dress co:
{ tune. 1t was Count Edeistadt.
A low snothered cry escaped The
kla's lips, and she grew deadly white
She knew him instantly-handsom
and courtly as ever. And that gil
over wnom he was bending so devoted