Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-20


had temporarily taken leave of my senses on
that last day of our sojourn in her house.
When = Joke Came True
THE imp of mischief that has his habitat
within the soul of most every man often
makes you do things against your will, and
especially is this the case with practical jokes.
You know that you should not do it, and you
feel that you do not want to do 1T. and yet the
imp impels you to the act. had some reputa-
ton for playing tricks on my friends, and one
evening, sitting in a Vienna Wefnsinbe with a
party of my colleagues one fussy old fellow
named Seger declared that the man did not
exist who could fool him with any practical
jokes. We were all appearing at the Royal
Theater, and when Seger gave utterance to his
def made up my mind to take him up.
Accordingly. bribing office attendant at
the Royal Theater. l secured some official
stationery and wrote letter to Seger, in the
name of the Royal Theater directors, which
believed would most please my joke proof
friend. He was always in need of money: SO
penned my letter to say that. in consequence of
his great ability and his superior knowledge Of
acting the management of the Royal Theater
requested him to accept bonus of five thou
sand marks as a token of its appreciation of
Seger's efforts. Present this letter to the
treasurer. the letter read, and you will re-
ceive the money.
Seger received the letter and, unable to con-
tain himself from pride and satisfaction. in
treasurer's office for. said he. he wanted them
to see what would happen. No one, of course,
knew except myself what was to happen. and
you can imagine Seger's anger and modification
when the treasurer smiled and suggested that
he had been made the victim of a practical joke,
and when all the company. by special invitation
of the victim laughed at him also over having
fallen such easy prey to prank. Seger did not
know who played the trick on him: but he had
an idea that | was the culprit, so he quite
ri fn af not
me for his own troubles.
For sometime l had hoped for royal COM
mand to sing before the Emperor. This hope of
mine was generally known, and of course Seger
knew it also. When | received despatch on
December 3. 1905. at Gratz. where we were
singing, stating that his Majesty the Emperor
desired my immediate presence at the capital
to sing at court. | became Immediately sus-
picious and decided that Seger was executing
his revenge IN hurry. My wife. however, in
sisted that should make sure that it was in
deed joke.
l accordingly went to the telephone operator
at Crate. and. through liberal tip. secured his
word that it would never be known that had
called up the Vienna Opera from Gratz. Upon
getting the connection with Vienna talked to
the chief director of the Royal Opera and con-
versed with him on general topics. Before |
could make my first reply to something he said,
the director exclaimed:
my congratulations. Herr Slezaki should
say Herr Won SleZak royal singer!" Then
came his explanation that he had only just re-
ceived word that the Emperor had appointed
me royal kdmmerSdnger. No written word, by
mail or telegraph, he said, had yet been sent me.
/ knew then that the despatch had been hoax
on the part of my friend Seger; but that at the
moment of my calling up the opera director on
the telephone to discover the truth or falsity of
the despatch the real message had been re-
ceived from the palace by him but had not vet
been transmitted to me. So the old adage of
he who digs a grave" etc. was once more
aOf1v illustrated