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

her hand she called her old nurse, brought
from Possenhofen.
Pack my v~alises," said Elizabeth, I'VE
leave tonight.
"For long?"
For always"
The two women slipped from the Hofburg
and took the first train at the southern station.
Only the next morning did her mother-in-law
learn of Elizabeth's flight. An hour later the
chief of police had discovered that the empress
was en- route for Trieste and the imperial
yacht. A telegram was sent to retard it's de-
parture on some pretext. while high function
aries followed on a special train.
What they were empowered to promise Is
not known, but Elizabeth returned.
The scene was terrible, between husband,
wife, and motherin-iaw. Francis Joseph, fear
ing scandal, dragged himself on his knees be-
fore Elizabeth and even reproached his mother
for her cruelty.
But nothing could change Elizabeth's deter
mination. She would only consent to avoid
scandal. That night Professor Skoda Of the
Vienna faculty, after much repugnance and
long discussion, signed a bulletin declaring
that the health of the empress demanded a
milder climate than Vienna. The next day, &C
companied by high dignitaries, she left for
Antwerp, where a magnificent yacht was hired
to take her to Madeira.
She tired of Madeira. The imperial yacht
was put at her disposition. She visited Nor
way, the Mediterranean, the Adriatic. Francis
Joseph came on her Unexpectedly at Venice
and persuaded her to return temporarily to
Vienna, for the sake Of appearances.
To distract her mind she spent millions
on a chateau at Linz, where her great pleasure
became to break in young horses. This was
the period Of her friendship with the famous
circus woman, Eliza REM, whom Elizabeth de-
clared to be a better lady than any of the VI
emma court. Finding Linz too near Vienna, she
spent other great sums on the chateau Of Goe-
doelloe, in Hungary, where her tanning Of the
man-killing stations of Count Festitics became
almost a historical event.
1t was whispered that Elizabeth was try
ing to get killed without the sin Of suicide.
There were reconciliations To return to
her husband was represented to her a religious
duty. Each time, however, the interest Of
Francis Joseph in the theater seemed so para
mount that she started off again.
She returned for Rudolph's marriage, where
she wept bitterly. She rejoiced a while in
Rudolph's baby child. On the morning after
the tragedy Of Meyerling it was to her that
Count Bombelles brought the awful tidings-
Rudolph had committed suicide with Marie
vetschera, and 1t was Elizabeth who broke the
news to the emperor.
Her hobby now became her palace at Corfu,
the Villa Achilleion, which will remain famous
in history as the greatest folly of luxury and
art Of a prodigal sovereign. 1t cost above
SIG, 100000.
William II. of Germany now has 1t.
Only a terrible craving for sleep caused
Elizabeth to leave Corfu. Now commenced a
round Of climates and specialists. At Baths
Nauheim the population so followed her about
that she decided for Switzerland. Francis 10
seph, who had Joined her for a week, objected.
Il have bad reports on Switzerland" he
said. Full Of anarchists"
II an only a poor woman, Francis" she
replied. They will not hurt me-"
Yet Lucchini stabbed her as she boarded
the lake steamer at Geneva-like a simple
tourist, with a single companion. None sus
pected that she was more than jostled. The