The times., 1901-04-07


at the Nolks Theatre, under the special
patronage of his eNcellenCy, the Herr
Baron Won Rottweiler and the members
of the State Council. Punctually at the
appointed time ! was at the theatre. and
purchased seat in the parquet or stalls,
from which | could see almost every cor
ner of the house with ease. The place
filled quickly. for Kitty astute adver-
tisements had aroused curiosity-and the
Marbachers have always been a theatre
going folk. To the right of the stage was
the royal box. surmounted by the
crowned and rampant catamount which
is the historic cOgnizance OF the Princes
of Lutzlngen. But the heavy purple eur
tains were close drawn. In gloomy re-
minder of the fact that Johann XXIII
dwelt no longer among his people. Oppo-
site was the ministerial box. blazing with
lights in honor of Won Rottweiler's COM
ing.
The curtain raiser" concluded with u
touch of that homey Wertherish pathos
so popular in German middle class tnea-
tres, and the manager came forward to
announce Miss Kitty Gosser. The band
played a lively measure. Then Kitty
amusement, that the little mink had
dressed herself in catskins. real or else
ingenious limitations. For headgear she
wore a gigantic eats mask. with bristling
whiskers and great. leeriug eyes. From
beneath this strange covering her pretty,
tricksome face smiled out upon the audi
ence. which hailed her with mild en-
thusiasm. In his box l could see kott-
weller laughing and cIapping his white
gloved hands Clearly he had no notion
of what was coming.
The song began-it's title. when the
Cats Away" being first announced in
loud tones by the leader of the orchestra,
in accordance with Marbach custom.
Kitty was a little nervous. l fancy, but
she managed to disguise her emotion fair
ly well. Hardly had she sung the nrst
words:
princely pussycat. sleek and fnc.
The twenty-third OF an ancient line,
than 1 heard whispering all around me.
and saw my neighbors looking at one
another in a haIf-startled manner. But
when she described the contents of the
larder over which the cat was set to
watch
Marbach cheeses. and Lutzngeu hams,
And katzenberg carp, and Neissberg jams
and detailed his scandalous neglect Of
duty, and his leaving of all these good
things to the yermin, there was a sort
of general chuCkle followed by cries Of
approval and intelligence. In the minis
terial box, however. Won Rottweiler and
his friends had ceased to applaud, and
We're glaring savagely at the singer.
Kitty saw the Prime Minister tugging at
his whiskers. and cOOlly initiated the ges-
ture, thus giving additional point TO the
chorus about "Old Father Rat" The Mar
bachers understood the full giSt OF the
satire now. RoarS of laughter came from
the pit; in the parquet seats fat burgh-
ers were holding their sides and rolling
about with merriment; and when Kitty
had duly chanted the refrain, it was taken
up by tremendous volume of voice. All
eyes were turned upon the ministerial
box, while parquet, pit, and gallery thuu-
dered in unison:
Old Father Rat, with his whiskers gray.
said Let rs be gay, there is nought 70 pay;
When the cats away the mice will play,
So nibble, and come again, or
And not satisfied with singing it once.
they repeated the words again and Vet
again, each time louder than before. ! he
band stopped, in response to some unseen
signal. The conductor, pale and trem-
bling, shrank behind his desk, but the
chorus swung on unaccOmpanied. Won
Rottweiler had risen from his chair, and
was beckoning somebody at the back of
the box. This somebody was his princi-
pal tool and tOady. the director OF police:
and no sooner did the audience catch right
of the latters hangdOg face and see Won
RottWeiler whispering order in his ear,
than they whooped out the refrain with
greater vigor than ever.
SILENCE, friends cried q Shril, bOyish
voice from the pit; Father Rat is going
to stop the song. He must not stop it.
Let us have another verse;
Another verse; Another verse;" echoed
the audience. young fellow, none Cther
than CLAIM, the composer, leaped over
the orchestra barrier, and, 5eizing the
frightened conductors baton, commenced
to beat time. A single vioinist only had
the courage to respond, but this suificed
for Kitty GOsser. and she struck up the
second verse, just as the police director
le1t the DOX TO execute Won fSOtlWellSI
commands. Kitty sang rapidly, out
stripping the accompaniment altogether
She told how the rats and mice had pill
iaged and plundered until nothing was
left in the larder but cheese rinds, sau-
sage skins. and empty meal sacks From
laughter the audience passed to rage. Fu-
riOus howls arose from the pit, and /
clinched lists seemed to leap out above
the heads of the crowd. Hardly waiting
for the verse TO end, they broke into the
chorus again.
The Prime Minister'S face was as grey
as his whiskers. Two OF three of the
officers around him drew their swords.
while a band of active youths, swinging
themselves over the gallery rail. began |
terial box. a great stamping behind the
scenes was succeeded by the downfall of /
two of the wings and the entry OF !
squad of police with sidearms drawn.
Kitty GosSer found herself a prioner-
Two trapping gendarmeS seized her by !
the shoulders, tearing away the grtnniug
cats mask from her head, and dragging
her with no gentle hands from the stage
Just at this critical moment something
occurred which stopped the uproar as if
by magic. There was the boom of big
gun from the artillery barracks across /
the Katzenberg Platz. Once-twice-
thrice the cannon roared. The figures I
scrambling down from the gallery stopped |
in midcourse the public ceased to wrestle |
with Kitty Gosser; Won Rottweller and |
his adherents stared at one another in |
surprise: women clung to their escorts, |
trembling with fear. What had happen
ed? Had the long threatened revolt broke /
out in MarbaCh? Were the enemies of the /
Prime Minister attacking the garrison
Steadily the barrack guns doomed their
message; but it was not until the twenty
first fire that the truth daWned on the
people at the Nolks Theatre. This was a
royal salute. Some great sovereign had
visited Marbach.
Somewhere in the now silent house a
bugle sounded: the curtains before the
gloomy box set apart for LutZingen were
swept back; the great chandeliers in the
box flashed forth their score of lights. and
a tall figure, dressed in uniform blazing
with orders, strode forward TO the mar
BILE baluStr3de.
WHO is he? Who can he be?'' ran the
eager whispers; and then, as the person
age in the box slightly turned his profile
to see what was happening on the stage,
that same shrill voice from the pit
which had called for the second verse OF
our song cried. in tones of recognition:
gray but it is surely Johann XXIII."
But | had already recognized the new
conner. THAT is not the prince" l ex-
claimed to my next neighbor; 1T is NJ
de L.amothe, an Alsatian painter. 1 know
him we'll" For the man in uniform was
indeed my acquaintance of WeiSsberS-
the Cats Away" But if he was La
mothe. the artist he was also Johann
XXIII-oId Rottweiler's horrited face
Release that LADY," he cried. pointing
to where Kitty CLOSER. ragged and dis
heyeled, stood staring. like the rest of US /
at the sudden apparition. is this the
way we treat foreign artists in Lutzin- |
gen? Release her instantly
The command was Obeyed. The rude /
hands of the police fell away from !
impudence returned. She courtesied /
gracefully TO the royal box; and L |
thought that | saw the shadow of a |
smile upon the princes face.
inn.