ron, with a heap and as a per¬
With a few Christmas numbers hanging
.
about and a white shades lamp on her
table. You can see the sunset from the
window over the roofs and through the
chimneys. And in the spring you can al
most smell the flowers in a garden across
the way
Gabrielle I must be a sign of great
happliess, looking forward to the spring.
Anatoles, even I feel happy now and
then, sitting with her at that window.
Gabrielle gives a little shiver. It's the
cold, no doubt. Then¬
Gabrielle It is getting late. Shall we
walk on? You must buy her something
—
Something to hang on the nasty wallpaper

—
and hide it a little
Anatole thinks it so pretty.
Gabrielle Why don't you refurnish the
Max Was she so very impudent?
room to your taste
Anatol-When I found her out. Throw
Anatoly should
her away.
Gabrielle With a Persian carpet, and
Maximpudent little liar
Anatol-No, no, no. She knows what
Anatol-No, you mustat insult her.
she likes
have held her in my arms. She is sacred
There falls a little silence. But no cab
Max How stupid of me! Who’s next.
passes
(A third packet.
Gabrielles she waiting for you now
When sad, my child, and sick of earth,
Anatol-Sure to be.
My thought to your Young Man fly far,
Gabrielle What will she say when you and then laugh for all I'm worth;
trom who had the courage
come:
Oh, dear, how funny some things are
select Anatol
Anatol-Oh, the right thing
Anatole they were
Gabrielle She knows your step on the
Max What's inside?
stairs, doesn't she?
Anatola photograph. She and the
Anatol-I expect so.
Young Man.
Gabrielle And goes to the door?
Max Why not?
Anatol Cycle" in Germany and Austria
Max Did you know him too?
Anatoles.
has made the young hero so well know¬
Anatol-I can't put it that way.
Gabrielle And puts her arme round your
that to say Anatol is to bring to mind a
Max It's a simple question
neck, and says what does he say:
distinct type of youthful philanderer
Anatol-Not at all. Are you true to me
Anatol-The right thing.
who takes his pleasures where he finds It may mean anything
Gabrielle. What's that:
ten in the garden of beauty. Schnitzler
Max How much?
Anatol-It's just the right thing to say.
Gabrielle What was it yesterday
rote these seven sketches in 1893 short
Anatol-She might look back over her
Anatol-It sounds nothing repeated.
after he had permanently abandoned the whole life. You don't suppose she never
suppose it's the way she says it.
profession of medicine for which he was fell in love till she met me, do you
Gabrielle I'll imagine that. Tell me the
educated. He was only 31 when the
Max Well, I should like to hear about it
words.
Anatol Cycle" which Mr. Ames is to call
Anatol-Would you indeed! Prying into
Anatol-It is good to have you back again
school girl secrets! How was the poor gir
merely Anatol, first blinked at the foot
Gabriellot is good, what
to know that one day shed meet me?
lights in Vienna.
Anatole-To have you back again.
What about this, since you've
Arthur Schnitzler was born in Vienna
Gabrielle That's very beautiful.
known me have you been true to me?
Anatolyou see, she means it.
on May 15, 1862. He studied medicine at
Anatol-Ah, that's different (He faces
Gabrielle And she lives there alone? You
the University of Vienna and was a the sleeper again). Hilda (but again he can always be with her,
practising physician in Vienna for five frows and stops). And is rather worse.
Anatoles quite alone. She has no
years after he was graduated. He held
Max Worse
father or mother.
positions of importance in various ho¬
Anatol-Think how all love affairs begin
Gabrielle And you are all the world to
We met quite casually. How could we tel¬
pitals and might have been a distin¬
guished in his original career had he we should one day be all in all to each other
Anatol (the cynie in him shuge his shoul¬
Max Of course you couldn't.
not abandoned this profession for litera¬
ders, I hope so. For the moment.
Anatolery well, then. Suppose when
There is another silence.
ture. He now ranks with Carl Schoener
she first knew me she had some idle fancy
Gabrielle I'm afraid I'm getting cold
at the head of the Austrian school of to shake free of, am I to blame her for standing still, and all the cabs seem to be
playwrights. Recently his plays have that?
all been stamped with a more or less
Max-You make better excuses than ever
Anatolm so sorry. I shouldn't have
pessimistio note and reveal a philosophy she could
kept you. Let me see you home.
Anatol-Is it fair to take such an advan¬
altogether different from that displayed
Gabrielle-Yes, they'll all be fidgeting
in the life of the irresponsible and hedone of the gi¬
But what about your present?
Max (what you're a good
istic Anatol. This element of a melan
Anatol-Never mind, I shall find some¬
choly tinged with pessimism was noticed fellow, Anatol. Try this. Hilda, sine
you've loved me, have you been true to me thing.
Gabrielle Will you? But I wanted to help
first in Liebelei," which might be trans¬
Anatoles, that's better.
you by it.
lated Flirtation." This is the story of
Max Right.
Anatol-No, no, you mustn't trouble.
an unlucky love affair between a young
Once more Anatol fires his love with a
Gabrielle I wish I could be there when
Lieutenant and the daughter of a poor gesture. But he suddenly dropsit.
you give it to her. I wish I could see that
Anatol-No, it won't do; it won't do¬
old musician. There is little cynism in
little room and that lucky little girl. There
Max Well, really
Anatole that is not of a really amusin,
Anatol-Think a minute. She's sitting ab empty. Call it, please.
Anatol waves to the cab.
character and not in the least likely to an opposite good looking
Anatol-Taxi
inspire serious views toward the problems fellow, slides his foot against hers. She
Gabrielle Thank you (As the cab turns
of life. Perhaps in "A Christmas Present
looks up
and she moves toward it). May I send
there is a deeper note than any of the
Max Well?
Anatolink of the extraordier something
other scenes contains when the difference
Anato-You
between two kinds of women in this world lety of mind that has been engendered
Gabrielle Take her these flowers.
is suggested by Anatole observation to in her by this hypnotic trance. In her
And she adds that Anatol is to tell the
present unconscious state the remembrance
the woman who in another state of life
of looking up not displeased might well dear little girl that the flowers are from
might have been different.
on who might have been just as happy
be recalled as an act of infidelity
The seven scenes that reveal this
Max, come
as she is had she possessed the courage.
amiable young lover in his relations with
Anatol-That's perfectly sound. And the
An Episode passes in the more com¬
the various women who have fascinated more so because she already knows my monplace but comfortable apartment of
him are called in the translation by Gran- views on such a point, which are a little Max, Thither Analot has brought all
ville Barker which Mitchell Kennerley exaggerated, I've often warned her no
the souvenirs of his past love affairs.
to go looking at men
has published under the title "Anatol,
They are all carefully ticketed and so
Max What has she said to that?
A No Questions and You Will hear No
Anatol-Oh, asked me to imagine her arranged that every one may be easily
Stories," A Christmas Present," "An doing such a thing
identified. Anatol wants to start a new
Episode," Keepsakes," "A Farewel
Max Which you were imagining quite life, but he does not feel it possible until
John Barry more to be
Supper," "Dying Pangs" and "The Wed well ten minutes ago
he has got rid of all this sentimental
i American
ding Morning." As may be surmised,
Anatol-Suppose she was kissed under rubbish which ha accumulated during
these seven short scenes in which more the mistete last Christmas
his amorous career, It is when Max
Max No, really
than three persons appear only once on
has opened the box and begins to take out
Anatol-She may have been.
the stage take the volatile Anatol upte
Anatol-That's what was so funny, He
the souvenirs that the following conver¬
Max All this means is that you won
the morning of his wedding day
really was quite an exceptional fool.
sation occurs between them:
ask her the question
Ask No Questions and You Will Hear
Max Hush! She has held him in her
Anstol-Not at all. I will ask her the
Mar¬
No Stories," passes in the charming question. But
I loved her. When she left me I though arms, he is sacred
apartment of Anatol. It is the home of
Anatolyou shut up.
Max Anatol, it won't do. As a woman
I should have killed her
a rich young bachelor. The taste and if she’s true to you and she doesn't think My kisses on your neck remain, and nothing
Max Stand down, my child, with your
beauty of the furnishing and decorations of men treading on her foot or kissing
exceptionally foolish and mirth provoking
else, Matilda.
her under the mistete. Besides, if the But that's aname; what a name! Matilda
young man. (With a fourth package.)
reveal that he is not without an artistic notre camara
What's this
Anatol-It wasn't her real name, but le
sense of beauty. He has entered his into details.
Anatol-What?
written killed her, and there many
rooms with his faithful friend Max. He
Max A box on the ears.
Anatol-I see. You've made up your rhymes to that. I always did kiss her
te the constant associate of Anatol and mind I shall ask her, have your
Anatol-Oh, oh yes, yes, yes
on the neck, though.