The Washington herald., 1914-11-29

Belgrade, on the lookout for some
useful introduction to Prince Peter,
the world was startled by the pub
lie announcement of the forthcom-
ing marriage of the King and the
countess.
| went at once to wait on the
prospective Queen of Servia to ten
der my formal congratulations. l
found her already surrounded by
a throHg of courtiers, among whom
l discerned the lean military figure
and vulture nose of the man whom
Draga herself had denounced to
me a few days before-Col. Mas
lief.
l left Belgrade the same night,
and two days later found myself in
the presence of a quiet, elderly
man in a modest apartment near
the famous Lake Leman.
l had sent in my card with the
penciled addition: Confidential
agent of the Car, the German En-
peror, and Monsieur Chamber
lain"
l felt sure that the names of the
powerful triunvirate who, between
them, controlled the destinies of the
Old World, would secure me the
attention of Prince Peter Kara
georgevitch; and was not mis-
taken.
The prince received me with a
real or assumed nervousness, and
expressed himself anxious to re-
ceiVe any message I might have
for him.
81 have come here to beg for
the life of a woman" l said.
Karaeeorgevitch started slight
ly, and began for the first time to
look uneasy.
'The woman I speak of is total.
ly ignorant of the step 1 take in
coming here" I continued.
"Then your interest. in the mat
ter is"
''Is personal merely. 1 make it
my private prayer to your highness
that, in a certain event which no
longer seems improbable, the life
of this woman shall be spared"
Prince Peter gave an impercept-
ible shrug, a shrug which said very
plainly nevertheless, 81 have no
motive for obliging you"
Aloud his highness remarked:
81 am strongly opposed to all
bloodshed, Monsieur v. 1
feel sure there is no reality in the
danger you forsee, or l should be
as earnest as yourself in wishing
to prevent it"
81 can say no more, sir. I am
here merely in my private capacity.
Still, l happen to have rendered
important service to some very
powerful personages" (the prince
glanced at the names l had in
scribed on my card), land, without
being a blackmailer, 1 feel conf
dent that if l appealed to those
personages for their influence on
behalf of a righteous and honor
able cause, l should not be re-
fused"
Prince Peter rose to his feet, and
walked twice up and down the
room before replying.
''It is evident to me-" he said
at length, "that you have a strong
personal interest in the new Queen
of Servia, and that you are man
who is to be trusted. That being
so, 1 will explain to you frankly
my position. T have friends in
Servia who desire to see the res
toration of my dynasty, and derive
much confidence from the miscon-
duct of this youth in whom the
Obrenovitch line terminates.
"Their reports reach me regu-
larlv, and l am therefore able to
anticipate their plans to some ex-
tent. But l have resolved that, if
l am ever to seat myself on the
Servian throne, l must keep my
hands clean. For that reason !
have never committed myself by
approving any of the measures con-
templated on my behalf. I have
never yet returned any answer to
anv of the communications I re-
ceive almost weekly from Belgrade.
To that rule l must adhere. All
1 can promise you is this, that if
hereafter l receive any informa-
ton which convinces me that the
life of the Countess Draga is in
danger, will at once break silence,
and send a perenptory order to my
friends that she is to be allowed
to leave the country in safety"
/ returned to Paris, and sought
to distract myself in my work
from brooding over the tragedv
which seemed to be shaping itself
IN the Seryian capital.
As we had both fo-eseen, Queen
Drapa incurred the obloquy of the