Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-02-11

that ron can not put your foot upon the
nrst one without ut once finding yourself
q, the bottom, with yonr elbows on the
table, a pipe In your mouth, between .
pot Of beer and a measure os new wine.
Through the thick cloud Of smoke, that
almost chokcd and blinded you af first, all
sorts OF strange figures appeared after
few minutes. There were Wallachisns
with their cafetan and Astrakhsn cap.
Servians. Hungarians with their black
mustaches, caparisoned with dOlmans and
embroidery: Bohemians with coppery com
plexions, narrow foreheads and arched
noses; honest Germaiis with Laced coats;
Tnrtars with eyes turned up like those OF
Chinese; all imayinnbls populations. The
east WAS represented by y fst Turk oOiled
up in a corner and peacefully smoking a
pipe OF Moldavian cherry wood, with u
bowl Of red clay and mouth piece Of yell
low amber.
Everybody was eating and drinking; the
drink consisted OF strong beer and mix
ture OF new rel wine with old white wine;
the food Of slices Of cold veal, ham or
pastry.
Round sae tables turned unceasingly
one OF those long German waitxes which
produce upon northern imag!natiOns the
same effect rs hashcesh and opium on the
Oricn,a!s; the couples passed and repnssssd
rapidly; the women. almost faintin9 with
pleasure on the arms OF their cavaliers, TO
the sounds of waltz, swept away with
their skirts tho clouds OF smoke and re-
freshed the faces of the drinkers. At the
counter some Morlaccan improvisators.
accompanied 10y player nlon the S,izla.
were reei;ing a sort Of dramatic complaint
which seemed greatly to divert . dozen
strange figures. clothed in sheepskin and
coifed with tartoukhs.
Heinrich weat TO the end OF the cellar
and sat n. table where were already
seated three or four Iersonsges Of Joyous
mien and merry hnmor.
"Ah. Heiurirhr' cried the eldest Of the
band; mind yourself, my friends; fRnuna
babe: in cornu. You know you had q
truly diahoIcai look the other night; you
almost frightened me- Who would think
that Heinrich. who drinks beer rs We do.
and who DOES no, draw back before a
slire Of cold ham. could put on such
venomous, wicket and sarionic airs. and
that with 4 single gesture he can make a
whole theatre shu'der.'
Luz WI tuaN II kbV AVuyoH Ahcshb III
is a grea, artist, q snb!ime comedian
There is no glory in playing role that is
In your character; the triumph, for . CO
Quet'e, is to excel in playing ingenues."
Heinrich sat down modestiy. called 10.
large glass OF mixed wine, and the con
versation continued on the same subject.
On all sides it wus admiration and com.
p!inents.
"Ah. II the great wolfIans Goethe had
seen you" said one.
..Show us your feet" sA.d another; Il
am sure you have cioven hoof."
The other drinkers. attracted BY these
EXPLANATIONS. looked at Heinrich seri-
ously, all happy to have the opportunity
Of examining closely so remarkable a
man The young men who had formerly
known Heinrich n, the university, and
whose names he hardly knew, came up Ia
him and shook him cordially by the hand.
as II they had been his intimate friends.
The prettest valseuses rs they passed
shot at him the tendercst Slances Of the
blue and ve!vety eyes.
One man only, seated ut neighbOring
table, seemed to take no part In the gen
eral enthusiasm; his head thrown back
ward, he was drumming Gistractedly
with his fingers on the crown Of his hat q
military march. and from time 20 time he
uttered sort OF humph. singularly dubi.
ouS.
The aspect Of this man was Of the
strangest although he WAS dressed like
An honest burgher Of Vienna, enjoying a
modest fortune; his gray eyes were shaded
with green tii,ts, and shot out phosphoric
lights like the eyes OF q cat. When his
pale, fiat lips parted, they showed two
rows Of teeth very white. very sharp. and
very wide apart, of the most csunibalistic
and seroci0Cs aspect; his 1hx nails,
shining and curved. took n vague appear.
ance OF claws: but that physioSnomy ap-
peared only by rapid flashes; to the eye
that watched him nxedly, his face rapidly
resumed the bourgeois and debonair ap.
pearance Of retired vieinese merchant.
and you felt astonished that you could
have suspected Of villainy and deviltry q
face 50 vnlgns and trivial
Internally Heinrich was shocked at the
indifference Of the man. That disdainful
silence took away their value from the
panegyrics which his noisy companions
lavished upon him. 1t was the silence Of
an old and experienced connoisseur. who
does not allow himself to he deceived by
appearances.
A,mayer. ths youngest Of the company
the warn,cst admirer Of Heinrich, could
not endure this coldness. and addressing
the strange man, "a If taking him to bea,
witness to An assertion shat he advanced
he said:
..ls 1t no, so. sir, no actor has ever
played the role Of Meph!stopheies bettel
than my comrade here''
"Humphr' said the stranger. flashing
his green eyes and cracking his SHARP
teeth Mr.. Heinrich is . young man o,
talent. whom esteem very highly; bui
he is wanting in many things necessar,
10 play the role Of the devil"
And suddenly drawing himself mp
Have you ever seen the devil, NJ. Helm
r'cht''
lie put this question in snch q strange
and mociing tone that all the, compan,
felt shudder run down their hacks.
THAT. however, would be necessar,
Tor the ,ru,hfulness Of your play. Tit
other cvenin; WAS n: the theatre OF the
Corinthiau Gate, and was not satisfied
| Sith your laugh; il was, at the utmost, {
sly laugh. Ny dear Mr. Heinrich. this i:
the way You ought TO laugh"
And tnereupoE, rs IL to give him th'
example, he burst into laugh so sharp
SO s:ri,icnt. 50 sarionic, ;ha: the nrchestrr
end the dancers stopped At THAI very in
slant. ana the glass IN the Window
trembled. The siranSer continued thi.
pitiiess aud convulsive laugh for severa
minutes. and Heinrich and his com
| panions. in spite Of their terror. could no
| help initiating il.
When Heinrich had recovered himself
the vaults Of the tavern were repeating
like a feeble echo. the Last notes Of thai
broken and terrible laugh, and tn,
stranger was no longer there.
Some days after this strange incident
| which he had almost forgotten. or which
he remembered only as n joke Of an iron
ical burgher, Heinrich was playing hi.
par: Of the demon in new piece. In thu