The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-08-11
A PICTURE
PLAYWRIGHT
BY r. A. Mitchell

90 through into Belgium. lie wa'
taken before Colonel Dietirich. wht
was charged with the examination OF
those desiring 10 pass out Of Germany
10 discover If they bore any informa
ton that the government would mol
care TO have carried out Of the country
The traveler-van Gassboch was the
name entered on his passport-was led
10 the quarters of the colonel, carrying
a suit case. his only baggage.
"open A." said the officer. pointing 20
the suit case
Van Gassboch laid open the case,
and the colonel directed soldier TO
dump the contents on a table. This
done. the colonel drew a chair near the
pile and. taking up each article II con-
tanned. scrutlnized II infinitely. There
were some linen, brushes and combs
aud other toilet articles. These he laid
aside and, coming 10 roll OF manu-
script. pounced upon 1t susplciously.
What is thisT he asked, removing
1t from the envelope containing H.
"A scenario for picture play"
The colonel turned over one page
after another. not reading them, but
looking for what might indicate mat
ter covering Information OF the Ger
man situation.
What are these drawings?" he
asked.
Suggestions for scenery to be pro
duced in the play" was the reply.
I what is this-a ZeppelinT
mo. colonel; that is intended to
represent a cloud"
HIN; you Dutchmen know nothing
about art"
II don't pretend to be an artist. AS
have told you. colonel. these are
merely suggestions. They are intend
ed TO indicate TO the artist what is re
quired"
Il should think so. Well, must
read this manuscript. and cannot do
so at once. so you must wait"
That is to be expected. only trust
that you win not keep me waiting any
longer than absolutely necessary"
With this Van Gassboch was taken
to a place where he was kept under
guard till the next day, when he was
again led to Colonel Diedrich's quar-
tiers. The colonel seemed during the
interval to have thawed somewhat
His manner was more friendly.
Il did not understand yesterday" ne
said, why you came to Germany to
write your picture play. The theme
explains it. Where could you get the
material TO present a play based on
the Faust OF the immortal Goethe ex-
cept In the fatherland? Your play
will be wonder. | have read IL all
That scene where Faust goes down to
hell will be very impressive when pho
tographed"
at is intended TO be vivid"
But why do you make the principal |
scenes among mountains?'
Because mountains are so much |
more impressive than plains
Il see. Nothing better represents the
superworld than the Jungfrau."
Or Mont Blanc"
"Ach, Mont Blanc IS killed bv its
French name. The Jungfrau has the
proper sound But here'-referring
to one Of the pictures-"is some
thing | don't understand. 1t looks
more like a diagram than anything
else"
at is a diagram--a diagram Of the
famous garden scene between Faust
md Marguerite"
"Marguerite Nein. Gretchen"
you are right. colonel. l was think :
ng of Gounod's opera" !
"Ach, Gounod was not the man to I
write an opera on this theme" /
ut should have been Wagner" II
yah. Wagner; the immortal Wag- d
ler.' And the colonels eye lighted f
With enthusiasm. 5
THE picture play will have the Ger g
nan coloring throughout"
That is goodr, =
"And the heroine will be named .
THAT is good tool" =
And Mephistopheles will be called 4
Ter teufel'" .,
That is very goodr' h
W ell, COiuHel, IHy 20 through II
AT this the practical side OF the colo a.
el reasserted itself. His enthusiastic o.
mile subsidized into a severer look, and II
c hesitated. Then he took the manu- W
,ript TO n fireplace, separated the =
leets and held them near the fame. !"
lie was testing for something written -
acid that would come out when ex- g.
osed to warmth Nothing appeared, ar
nd, stepping to case representing a it
liniature drug store. he applied the Va
,ntents Of several different bottles to m
lie paper Finally. being satisfied. he OF
armitted Van Gassboch to pass s.
trough the lines with. his scenario, be
Is linen and his brushes. ma
No sooner had the playwright passed ~
lie lines than he began to talk Ital- u
n. eschewing the Dutch language en- "
rely, After being closeted for some -
me with a French officer high in W
,mmand he hurried to the south of ~
rance and thence into Italy. handing so
$ picture play TO the commander of
e italian armies. Every tenth word w
IL made up a message giving mill
~ information. The pictures. when
.plained by a key. gave numbers of IN
en- AT different points and munitions
war. The garden scene" was YC
of Zeppelins. and Faust col
s.,es- F...Ff II