The Red Cloud chief., 1912-05-02


boat steamed slowly out The Hungarian or.
chestra struck up lively csardas.
Elizabeth tainted. The Countess Sztaray
cut her corset strings and found tiny tri-
angular wound below the left breast.
"Quick, a doctor. The empress Is wounded!
There was no doctor. and the boat put back
to Geneva. Opening her eyes Elizabeth asked:
"What Is the matter?"
DO you suffer?" faltered the countess
Elizabeth smiled mo" and feebly waved her
hand in time to the jaunty music OF the csar
das. There was a melancholy smile on her
face as she slowly shut her eyes.
Elizabeth had died in beauty.
An aged emperor dimes alone on gold plate
from the famous service whose central decora
tive piece is worth $4,000. There is but one
guest-a general aidede-camp or high official
Of the court. The proudest monarch OF Europe
is alone with one guest. Etiquette demands IT.
Five gorgeous funkeys in pale blue. bun
pink and gold serve the two men. There have
been no flowers on the table since the tragic
death of the Empress Elizabeth; but the lights
of wax candles CLINT tho golden service and the
rare wines in cut glass. They fit from his
toric tapestries to carved wood furniture ana
panels such as no museum possesses ana
make dancing shadows In the distant corner.
Silence.
The aged emperor IL dreaming Of the gor-
geous gala dinners Of the past. He sees the
ideal throngs of other days. Again he hears
the three taps Of the grand chamberlain's
cane to announce the entrance Of their i'm.
perial and royal matesties. How lonely 10 tho
immense palace. full Of hiding courtiers. func-
tionaries, servants. It 10 still early. not yet
seven.
Francis.Joseph rises. His guest takes cere-
monious leave and the sovereign goes to his
study.
His real life begins.
A confidential valet helps him into hat and
overcoat. BY bijou elevator. whose door im.
tates a bookcase, he descends to the ground
floor.
He walks twenty steps across the little court.
yard to the door, where On auto.limousine
awaits him. There is no special secrecy-it Is
to avoid ceremony merely. He gives no direc-
tions the chauffeur knows where to CO.
Quitting the frigid, solemn Hofburg, out into
the brightlit busting early evening Of Vienna.
past crowds Fastening to theater and music
hail. into fair streets Of residence. tho auto
stops at 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
and easy. negligent and slouchy. bright, warm,
cozy. snug among old friends.
wing Of the Hofburg. the great actress Katha.
rina Schratt-the Sarah Bernhard and Rejane
of Vienna-was presented to Francls-Joseph by
Empress Elizabeth herself. For long. she too
has lived retired: and the mourning emperor
found her 30 intelligent. 80 fine and also good.
that old loves and sorrows having burnt out.
an affectionate friendship grew up to give him
a kind Of peaceful solace.
Leaving crown and scepter on the hat rack.
he enters the bright little cardroom that sd.
joins two bijou little parlors and takes the
best easy chair. while Madame Katharine has.
tens with the footwarmer.
Herr Schratt sprawls In unspeakable content.
The bell rings and the partners Of intermin.
able games of tarok-a sort OF Austrian bridge
arrive. They are two ancient friends Of the
great actress. become friends Of Herr Schratt.
always the same; Herr Palmer. director Of the
Bank des Pays Autrichiens. and an interna.
tional private banker SO extremely illustrious
that his name is as we'll known as Franz.Jo-
SETS, and--a thing that never ceases to upset
the cOurt-an Israelite by race, birth and reli.
gion In the strict sense!
The Jewish banker and Monsieur Schratt-
not the head Of the Holy Roman empre-are
fast old cronies to the sorrow and scandal OF
the Countess Chotek. morganatic but directing
wife Of Archduke ancis-Ferdnand. heir to
the dual crown.
Often the emperor loses all the money in his
purse-a dozen horins-at the nightly game OF
tarok. He plays badly. None wants him for
partner; 90 they cut to see who takes him. He
laughs boisterously. Meanwhile tea 10 prepared
in the adjoining dining room.
At ten o'clock the autolimousine 10 an
nounced, and Madame Kathrina helps the "col
onel" into hat and overcoat.
The auto rolls through the streets Of
Vienna, still bright and boisterous. to tho
cold, solemn Hofburg. II stops at the little
door of the small courtyard. The old man en-
ters, and q silent valet meets him. Up the
bijou elevator they ride. to the study he had
left three hours ago. The confidential valet
takes his hat and coat.
The emperor has returned.