ad
arranged a debut, leading to a first engagement, and she ordered her
wardrobe from Muelle. She failed to be engaged after her debut, however,
and one disappointment after another came to her, so that it seemed
impossible for her to make a start at all. But Muelle had faith in her,
and kept the beautiful clothes, unpaid for, hanging in her presses for
several years. At last the girl made a great hit in Russia, and is now a
well-known singer, and, needless to say, a faithful adherent of the
Maison Muelle. This is only one instance of the kind, and, of course,
there are many, many more in which Mademoiselle's kindness does not find
a monetary reward.

Often have I heard her suggesting economy to those whose salaries are
not in the "fabulous" class. She will show a girl how to costume two
roles, with the same dresses, by combinations and changes so cleverly
thought out that the keenest public won't detect them. _Elizabeth_ and
_Elsa_ may wear the same mantle, right side out in one role and wrong
side out in the other. An extra tabard of brocade or embroidery will
allow an _Ophelia_ to wear the gowns of _Marguerite_--all tricks of the
trade, and well understood in the Maison Muelle.

Brilliantly clever, immensely capable, good-natured, and big-hearted, a
splendid organizer and the faithfulest of friends, Marie Muelle has
earned by the hardest of hard work, and now justly enjoys her title of
"First Theatrical Costumer," not only of Paris, but of the world.

CHAPTER XVII

THE NON-MILITARY SIDE OF A GERMAN OFFICER'S LIFE

One of the first things you do on arriving at a new residence in Germany
is to acquaint the police of your presence. This is called _Anmeldung_.
It is a fearsome experience and admits of no trifling. You go to the
appointed stuffy office, and tell your nationality, birthplace with date
of birth, your parents' names, their profession if any, and your own,
their birthplaces and ages, if they are dead and what they died of,
whether you are married or single, number, names and ages of your
children, and any little extra detail that may occur to the official in
Prussian blue who holds the inquisition. If you have an unusual name, he
won't believe you when you claim it. A girl I knew was christened Jean,
but she is down in the police records of Berlin as Johanna, because her
policeman said that Jean was a man's name, and French at that!

Every servant maid has a book, which must be signed by the pol