The Washington herald., 1914-11-01

Kao@0AA1
gave strict instructions that no person
but myself should be admitted to the
inclosure where they were kept, tin fur
ther orders.
/ packed three dozen in crate, adj
dressed it to the German Empress, and
dispatched it to Friedricnshof By the
next train.
The hours that followed were hours
of anxiety and suspense
On the second night / refused to 60
to bed.
The darkness was just changing into
the faint gray dawn when saw a little
shadow overhead, and the next minute
a tired pigeon Huttered down almost
between my knees. / snatched Il up,
felt for the quill beneath It's wing, and
drew out q tiny roll of paper, seis-
sored all round, containing a dozen
words in the German character.
Before / could attempt to exact a
definite meaning from the fragment,
saw second pigeon circling overhead,
and presently another and then another
came dropping down, each with its min
ute burden intact.
In the course of two hours thirty-five
of the little messengers had returned
safely, and thirty-hye scraps of paper
were safely bestowed in my pocket
book.
But waited in vain for the thirty
sixth. would not abandon it as long
as there seemed any chance of its turn
ing up, but when more than four hours
had passed since the arrival of the last
conner, reluctantly came to the con-
ciusion that its fellow had suffered
scme mishap on the way.
l gave strict injunctions that if the
missing bird should arrive later a wire
should be sent Immediately to my Office
in Paris. Then l hastened around to
the room l had engaged in the Hotel
Stanislas, and set to work to recon
struct the document.
1t was the sentence passed by a Sec
-et court, held under the Hohenzollern
family statue on the Crown Prince
Wilhelm for the crime of high treason
-lese majestic. But when l looked for
the signature of the Emperor Fred
erick, confirming the sentence, was
confronted with fatal gap
Exactly at the spot where the En-
perors name should have appeared
came the square hole in the paper due
to my failure to receive the thirty-sixth
fragment
l carried the mutilated document to
Windsor Castle, and deposited it in the
private archives of the Guelphs, where
/ have reason to believe that It still
rests.
On my way back to Paris / learned
from the newspapers that Frederick
III had been released from his suffer
ings and Wilhelm II reigned IN his
stead.
As l entered my Office IN the Rue
Scribe my secretary handed me a tele-
gram which had been waiting me for
several hours.
Return Friedrichshof instantly. Safe
conduct.-Wilhelm."
The new Emperor received me with
courtesy, almost with cordiality. He
chartered amicably for a few minutes
about nothing in particular, and then
suddenly thrust under my eyes a small
square of paper, showing scissor marks
around its edge.
Il think you have seen this before,
Monsieur v"
l read the signature of Frederick III.
you are in error. sire; have never
seen this piece of paper"
AT least you can tell me something
about it. 1t was taken from a carrier
pigeon shot by one of my soldiers as
it was flying away from the castle He
saw a whole flock passing over his head,
and discharged his rife into the midst
of them"
81 regret that l am unable to answer
your questions, sire" l said quietly.
Wilhelm II looked at me steadily.
There are a hundred million marks
in gold lying in the fortress of Span
dau. Would you like me to lend you
the keys?"
Il should have no use for them, sire"
The Kaiser sprang to his feet
my mother was right. You are a
man in a thousand Let US go to her"
l followed the ,impulsive monarch to
the boudoir where the widowed En-
press was prepared for our coming.
1t was at once evident that a change
had taken place in the relations be-
tween mother and son. The manner Of
each showed an anxiety to conciliate
the other. The Emperor was deferen-
tial, the Empress was gracious.
l told myself that treaty had been
concluded.
forgot to mention that a broad line
was struck through the signature on
the scrap of paper.
Title of neEt Sundays Revelation:
~Wko Really Killed KiNg HHrxbeyfSs