Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-05-02

boat steamed slowly out. The Hungarian or
chestra struck up a lively csardas.
Elizabeth tainted. The Countess Sztaray
cut her corset strings and found a tiny ui'
angular wound below the left breast.
Quick, a doctor. The empress Is Wounoeo!
There was no doctor, and the boat put oacA
to Geneva. Opening her eyes Elizabeth asked
what is the matter?"
"Do you suffer" faltered the countess.
Elizabeth smiled mo" and feebly waved mex
hand in time to the jaunty music OF the csar-
das. There was a melancholy smile Oh n@i
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-
five piece is worth SIS, 900. There is but one
guest-a general aide-de-camp or high Official
of the court. The p~roudest monarch OF Europe
Ia alone with one guest. Etiquette demands II.
Five gorgeous funkeys in pale blue, pun'
pink and gold, serve the twom men. There nave
been no flowers on the table since the tragic
death of the Empress Elizabeth; but the nghts
of wax candles CLINT the golden service and the
rare wines in cut glass. They fit from MS
toric tapestries to carved wood furniture ana
panels such as no museum possesses and
make dancing shadows in the distant corner.
Silence.
The aged emperor is 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 chamDerlalns
cane to announce the entrance Oh their lm-
perial and royal majesties. How lonely Is the
Immense palace, full of hiding courtiers' rune
tionaries, servants. 1t is still early, not yet
seven.
Francis-Joseph rises. His guest takes cere-
.uo.Ia-o 1oouo apd tho c0VArpiQO goes to his
study.
His real life begins.
A confidential valet helps him into hat and
oyercoat. BY a biiou elevator, whose door imi-
tates a bookcase, he descends to the ground
floor.
He walks twenty steps across the little court
yard to the door, where an auto-limouslne
awaits him. There is no special secrecy-it is
to avoid m merely. He gives no direc'
tons; the chauffeur knows where to go.
Quitting the frigid, solemn Hofburg, out into
the brightlit bustling early evening of Vienna,
past crowds fastening 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
OCuIh L AC6o1oAAJ SAAfSA IaS SSSNAASN ~SN~o
and easy, negligent and slouchy, bright, warm
cozy, snug among old friends.
Years ago, when the Burg theater was 9
wing of the Hofburg, the great actress Katha
rina Schratt-the Sarah Bernhard and Rejant
Of Vienna-was presented to Francis-Joseph BY
Empress Elizabeth herself. For long, she toe
has lived retired; and the mourning emperor
found her so intelligent, so fine and also good
that old loves and sorrows having burnt out
an affectionate friendship grew up to give hin
a kind of peaceful solace.
Leaving crown and scepter on the hat rack
he enters the bright little cardroom that ad
joins two bijou little parlors and takes thu
best easy chair, while Madame Katharine has
tens with the foot-warmer.
Herr Schratt sprawls in unspeakable content
The bell rings, and the partners of intermin
able games of tarok-a sort Of Austrian bridg'
arrive. They are two ancient friends of tn
great actress, become friends of Herr Schratt
always the same; Herr Palmer, director of tn
Bank DIES Pays Autrichiens, and an interna
tional private banker so extremely illustriou
that his name Is as we'll known as Franz-Jo
SETS, and-a thing that never ceases to upse
the court-an Israelite by race, birth and rel
gion in the strict sense!
The Jewish banker and Monsieur Schratt-
not the head of the Holy Roman empire-ar
fast old cronies to the sorrow and scandal O
the Countess Chotek, morganatic but directln
wife of Archduke Francis-Ferdinand, heir t
the dual crown.
Often the emperor loses all the money in hi
purse-a dozen 1orins-at the nightly game @
tarok. He plays badly. None wants him 70
partner; so they cut to see who takes him.
laughs boisterously. Meanwhile tea is prepare
in the adjoining dining room.
Al ten o'clock the autolimousine is al
nounced, and Madame Kathrina helps the eco
onel" into hat and %overcoat.
The auto rolls through the streets c
Vienna, still bright and boisterous, to tn
cold, solemn Hofburg. 1t stops at the littl
door of the small courtyard. The old man ell
tiers, and a silent valet meets him. Up tn
bijou elevator they ride, to the study he ha
left three hours ago. The confidential vale
takes his hat and coat.
The emperor has returned.