Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1911-04-13

A confidential valet helps him into
tor whose door initiates a bookcase he
descends to the ground floor. Between
the emperor's study and the waiting
limousine is a trip Of a short minute
saving a detour of half a mile by
suites of rooms, stairways and corri.
doris. He walks 20 steps across the
little courtyard to the door, where a
limousine awaits him. There is no
special secrecy; it is to avoid cere-
mony merely He gives no directions;
the chauffeur knows where to go.
Quitting the frigid, solemn Hofburg.
out into the bright lit, bustling early
evening of Vienna, past crowds has
tening to theater and music hall, into
fair streets of residence, the auto
stops at a comfortable villa. The old
sovereign enters the gate alone, The
front door opens as he mounts the
three marble steps. When the door
shuts he Is no longer the dread, lone
ly emperor and apostolic king, but
Herr Schratt. regularly called "the
Colonel" careless, easy, phlegmatic
and slouchy, bright, warm, cozy, snug
among good old friends.
Since the tragic death of the EN-
press Elizabeth, Francis Joseph is a
widower, 81 years old, and If all
Vienna smiles at Monsieur Schratt" it
is with respectful sympathy and under
standing. Years ago when the Burg
theater was a wing Of the Hofburg, the.
great actress Katharine Schratt-the
Sarah Bernhard and Rejane of Vienna
was presented to Francis Joseph by
Empires Elizabeth herself. For long
she, too, has lived retired, and the
mourning emperor found her 80 intelli-
gent, so fine and also good, that, great
love and sorrow having burnt out, an
affectionate friendship grew up to
give him kind of peaceful solace.
The court calls her 'the Bour-
geoise." With Katharine Schratt, for
the first time in 60 years, he learned
what blessed relief from frigid eti-
quette and numbing ceremony might
be. The woman of heart, the artistic
genius, who played the roles of great
queens on the boards Of the Court the
ater, before archduchesses and prin-
cesses, slowly and tactfully broke
through the crust Of the divinity that
hedged and hampered the poor man
throughout his life
Leaving crown and scepter on the
hat-rack, he enters the bright little
card room that adjoins two bijou par
lors, and takes the best easy chair,
while Nine Katharine hastens with
the foot warmer. He lights a cigar.
The bell rings and the partners of
interminable games oftTarok-a sort
of Austrian bridge-arrive; two an
Client friends of the great actress be-
come friends Of Herr Schratt al
ways the same; Herr Palmer director
of the Bank des Pays Austrichiens and
an international private banker so ex-
tremely illustrious that his name is as
well known as Francis Joseph's,
The banker and Mons. Schratt are
fast old cronies, to the sorrow
and scandal of the Countess Cho-
LEh. llOl cAAArtAl Bul VII GILlHk WIe Oh
Francis-Ferdinand, heir to the dual
crown. Often the emperor loses all
the money in his purse-a dozen for
ins-at the nightly game of Tarok.
He plays badly. None wants him for
partner; so they cut to see who takes
him. He laughs boisterously
At ten o'clock the limousine is an |
nounced and Nine. Katharine helps |
the Colonel" into hat and over
coat.
The auto rolls through the streets of
Vienna, still bright and boisterous.
to the cold, solemn Hofburg. It stops
at the little door of the small court
yard. The old man enters. and q ST.
lent valet meets him.