Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-02-15
MEPHIsTO PLAYED BY HIMSELF.


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1T was toward the end of Novem.
Der; Fhe Imperial Garden Of Vienna
was deserted; sharp breeze was
whirlsDg the saifron-c0lored leaves
shrunk up by the early cold; the
rcsS-bu>hts, tJrmented and broker
by the wild. Lei their branches drag
Ill the mud. Still. tine grand alley,
thanks 10 its covering CT sand. was
dry AND FasSaDle. Although devas-
tatti ny the approach of winter, the
Imperial Garden was not without Il
certain melancholy charm. Inc long
a!!ey Prolonged far away its redden-
ing drc..,.S; beyond. the view
s'trt.che1 ever the Prater and Dan
Cte; - WIS snch Il promenade as o
l-et would have desired.
y young man WAS s;riding up and
doNn th.s ;..!ry with Visible sssns o.
luFatICac;; his costume. somewhat
theatrical ia it, clegJ zee. consisted
cf fr@ck-c5r; of bIa,k veiyoi, with
%1!I fax @.s ..HI bor,.-rtI with fur
gray Ncp.EI p3Gtdi3Ua<. top-DOots
".tL ;a.ssi>, coming ha!f way up his
h-S. He mieE5 have ;Ien twenty
seven -r tWc" = gin y...is q age:
rs Is,i- ... | seerIar fc:-aares were
fnil f;:'-=-e. "..u irony iurked in tht
cre.. 6 ar,t nd MS ty,> al1 the cor
iFrs IT his mcU.h. ~ The university
Nhi,I h appeared TO alyc Guircd re
ceI iN-far IA sti!l wore. Ire Students
cap ~. ! oak iciN, sic mast have
paTrid The i',t.!.si,nrs. and shone il
the front ranks OF the hursclIcn and
the foxes.
/ he narrow limits wj;hin which he
circums cribcd his walk showed that
he WAS Waiting for some one-proba-
by lady; for he imperial Garden
81 iE.;.J in the mouth Of November
Il hardly Er1p.iioEs TO business rem
devious. Soon a Young girl appeared
al the cal Of HE avenue. \ furban
OF black silk covered her rich blonde
hair. whose ringlets had been slightly
unCurifd by the damEness of the
evening; her complexion. ordinarily
OF WaNun WhitenCss, had taken a rosy
iiNt from the bhte of the cold.
Grouped ard wrapped she WAS in a
mantle trimmed Milh marten skin: a
little terrier accompanied her--a con-
venI@ul chaperOn, ON whose induI-
Ssnce and discretion you could count.
"ln.Igire. Heinrich" said the pref
~ NicHneSe, taking the young mans
arm, i have been dressed and ready
10 go out Tor more than an hour. and
my aunt kept on with her sermons
on the dangers Of WALKING, on re-
clpes FOR Christmas cakes and earn
NFth Diue sauce. | went out on the
preteNt OF buying some gray boots, of
which j have no need whatcve It'll
Is Tor you, Heinrich, that | tell all
these lattle lies which | am constantly
regrettlWg and constantly beginning
over again. What an idea it. was of
yours to rake to the stage! What
was the good of studying theology
SO long at Heidelberg? My parents
liked you, and we might have been
married to-day but for that. Instead
OF meeting on the sly under the bare
trees of the Imperial Garden, we
should be seated side by side before
fine porcelain stove in nice, warm
room. Walking of the future of our
children. Would not that be a happy
lot, Heinrich?"
Yes, Katy, very happy" replied
fhe Young man, as he pressed, under
the satin and fur, the dimpled arm
OF the pretty NienneSe; but / can
not help 1T. The theater attracts me
1nWncibIy; | dream of 1T by day, L
think of ii by night; / feel the desire
TO live in the creation of the poets;
i seem To have twenty existcnces.
Every role that | play makes me a
new life; all those passions that | eX.
press l feel. | am Hamlet, Othello,
Charles Moor. When one is all that,
he can with difficulty resign himself
TO the humble condition of a village
pastor.
That is very noble. But you know
that my parents never will have AN
actor for a sou-in-law"
No, certainly, mot an obscure ac.
tor; a poor, ambuIaut artist, the pup
pet OF managers and the public. But
Il great actor, covered with glory and
applause, who earns more money
than minister. they will not refuse.
however scrurulous they NAV be
When | shall come to ask YOUR hand
in handsome yellow coach, the var.
nish of which will be able to serve
as looking glass for the astonisbed
neighbors, and tall lackey covered
with gold lace will let down the stems
for me, do you think they will refuse
me?"
Il do not think they Will. But who
says, Heinrich, that you will ever
come to that? You have talent: but-
talent is not sufficient; you must have
much good luck besides. By the time
that you shall have become the grand
actor of whom you speak, the best
time of your youth will have passed
and then will you be ready to marry
Naty, grown old, when YOU have at
your disposal the loves of all those
princesses of the theater. who are so
joyous and so gayly decked?"
That future" replied Heinrich. sis
nearer than You think. ] have an ad.
Vantageous engagement at the thea.
ter of the Corinthian Gate, and the
manager is so satisfied with the man.
ner IN which / played my last role
that he has made me a present of two
Thousand thalers."
YES" replied the young girl, with
serious air, ''that role of demon
i'm the new piece. / confess to Won,
Heinrich, that | do not like TO see
Christian assume ME mask of the enc.
my OF the human race, and pro-
nounce words of blasphemy The
other day ] WENT to see YOU at the
Corinthian theater. and at every mo-
ment | was afraid that a veritable
hell-fre would issue from one of the
traps where you were swallowed up
in flames of spirits of wine. return.
ed home all confused, and / dreamed
horrible dreams"
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