Tombstone epitaph., 1917-08-19

Il am ready 70 do anything-any
thing for my dear husbands sake" the
handsome young woman assured me
tears yelling in her fine dark eyes.
In that case, then. please leave
the matter entirely In my hands,"
| said
That same night. about ten o'clock
the emperor entered the room to which
! had Just returned to work.
Send Frau Kleist to me-" h<
snapped. And I will summon yor
later when I want you. Heltzendorfr.'
Frau Kieist! had no idea the WON
an had arrived at the castle. But I dis
patched one OF the servants TO search
for her. and afterwards heard her high
| pitched voice as she assembled thu
stairs TO hold secret counsel with hi:
majesty.
Below found the fat. falr-hairet
little doctor from Augsburg. who va.
still an enigma, but eager TO see his
imperial patient.
Suddenly one OF the imperial fun
keys bowed at the door. commanding
the doctor 10 the royal presence, ant
he left me. hot and flurried.
Had the emperor called the unknown
doctor Into consultation with Frat
Kleist?
Inquiries I had made concerning ths
! doctor from Augsburg showed that HI
was quite weil-known specialist or
mental diseases, and he had also writ
| ten a textbook upon bacteriology anG
the brain. Why had the kaiser sum
moned him? He required no brazil
specialist.
| I'VE leave tomorrow at noon" III
emperor exclaimed brusquely when. al
hour later. was summoned 10 hi
room. This amazed me. for our ar
ransemcnts were 10 remain three dayi
longer. recollected Madam Rel,
schel's words
81 do not feel at all we'll" his males
~ added. land this Doctor VollerthuI
| orders me rest at Potsdam."
In silence 1 bowed, and then ven
| turei 10 refer to what was uppermos
IN my mind.
May be permitted to speak 20 you
majesty upon a certain confidential
subject:" | begged.
what subjectw snapped the EN-
peror.
your majesty's negotiations with
the sultan Of Turkey. Frau Reit
schel has learned Of them. but she 4:
eager TO come before you and take
an oath OF entire secrecy"
The kalser's eyes narrowed and
glowed In sudden anger.
A Woman's Oath.
a woman's oath - he cried. Bah
Never have ! believed in silence i'm.
posed upon any woman's tongue
more especially that of born enemy
/ appreciate your loyalty and acumen
Won Heltzendorf. but l have. fortu.
nately, known this for some little time
and in strictest secrecy have taken Ger.
tain measures to combat II. Remem.
Der that these words have never been
uttered to you. Remember that! You
are adjutant. and | am emperor. In
de-stand. l fully appreciate and note
your royal report, but il is not woInan's
sphere 10 enter our diplomacy, except
as secret agent Of our fatherland.
Let US say no more"
Ten minutes later. being dismissed.
I wandered back through the great e.
lent, echOing corridors of the ancient
castle 10 my own room. A great human
drama. greater than any ever placed
upon the stage, was now being en-
acted.
The emperor was plotting the down
fall of the Turkish empire and the
overthrow Of Islam in Europe. Be
tween the all-hlghest one and the real
ization of those plans for world power
stood one frail little Parisienne, the
yivacious, well-meaning Madam Reit-
schel.
Next day we left the Schloss Langen-
berg. but before doing so We heard
with regret that our charming little
hostess had been suddenly taken i'll
during the night. and the kaiser, as a
mark of favor. had ordered his doctor.
Vollerthun. 10 remain behind to attend
UeT- nat IierE IteltsCiei WIS III great
distress l saw from his face as he
stood on the little platform at Ilnenau.
Eack in Berlin. / wondered what was
In progress in that far-ofr schlOss In
Thuringia, but q week later the truth
became wildly apparent when / read
In the Staats-Anzeiger an announce
ment that Frau Reitschel. the young
wife Of the famous Anton Reitschel Of
Constantinople. had been seized BY q
sudden and mysterious Illness and had
developed insanity to such a hopeless
degree that II had been necessary to
confine her in the Rosenau private asy-
lum at Coburg.
In a second thought of the dancing
mistress and the mental specialist
from Augsburg.
Poor Madam Reitschel! She died
early in 1913. a raving lunatic. Her
devoted husband. having served the
emperor's purpose, had been recalled
to Berlin. where, bereft of the kaisers
favor, he predeceased her by about six
months. broken-hearted.
Copyright. 1917. william LeQueux)