The Washington times., 1920-07-11

the only things could originate was urged to
take part and especial chum the daughter Of very
rich Chicago family, also asked, decided that
whatever did would be together. We watched the
other girls prepare their parts in the programme
making up shepherdess scene, others milkmad pic
ture, others little fairy spectacle, and so
A prankish thought to The others all were
doing such sedate thng-I had been to the theatre
often knew instinctivey that while these tabeax would
be very pretty they would hardly be entertaining any
one except mothers and fathers who of course would be
proud of anything their young daughters did. Won
dered what of those sd mothers and fathers of the
German students would American girls who
without the SOLDERING influence of nearby parents
should really do something "devilish So in the <se-
crecy of our my chum and planned to go our on
that stage dressed in tights.
We had a great time making these tights. We got
silk stockings and carefully knitted the upper part Of
stocking the upper part of another then cutting off
the foot and ankle Of of them until, out of eight
stockings we had made two pairs of shimmerng silk
tights We made trunks out of two red silk pettlcoats
which bought in Dresden shop. For bodlces we
bought white shirt waists Then we practiced'a little
dance.
We would not tell the other girls anything about
costumes, but rehearsed dance in usual school
dresses When the night of the tableaux arrived the
school assembly hall with its improved stage at end
was filled by fashionable Dresden audience, with brill
liant sprinkng of officers of the guard regiment stationed
the Dresden barracks These school thearcas always
great fun for the young officers
My chum and I appeared with our long rain coats
wrapped around u.s. and held them tight, too. when
other girls up and begged for peek at costumes
When the time for to out of the wings onto
the stage suddenly flung rain coats aside and
trpped out into the glare of the fooghs and in full
view of the audience in our tights
In later years played many parts which called for
scant costumes, but in all my professional life | could
have been persuaded appear such costume as
that one. / realize why, when from
behind the there quick gasp from the audi
and then minute of Dense pregnant silence. Then
there shout from the German officers The shout
grew into hilarious gufaw and great din Of pounding
looked down into the audience and the faces
Of dgn6ed adpose mothers and fathers banched white
But didn't care The appreciation of the officers and
the young students from the nearby university
elixir to me. My chum and whrled into dance,
kicking ana jumping merriy, although not without ter
rble fear my part that the improvsed tights would
give way where had them onto the trunks,
perhaps the knitted juncture above knees unrave
To say that dance success is putting it mildly
it sensation. The other girls hugged and kissed
rapturously when danced off the stage. But there
no such greeting from teachers and the school
authorities We almost expelled. Still had meant
harm. I didn't understand the Nervousness OF my
ofense-I just wanted to be different.
To D., ro,t,vu.d Ne,t Su,do,l