Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-08-18


ings. That spy was Frau Kleists son.
The kaiser trusts nobody. Even his
favOrites and most intimate cronieS are
spied upon, and reports upon those IA
miliar blue papers are furnished regu-
larly. In view of what l had read in
that report from Karl Kleist, l stood
amazed when, at the grand court q
week later, l had witnessed Herr Reit-
schers French wife bow before the
emperor and empress and noticed how
graciously the kaiser had smiled upon
her.
Nearly three months passed.
The Trip to IImenau.
Herr Reitschel often came from Con-
stantinOple, and frequently brought his
handsome young wife with him, for he
was persona grata at court. To me
this was indeed strange in view of the
reports of the ex-opera dancers son
who, by the way, lived in CONSTANT
nOple in the unSuspiciOus guiSe Of a
carpet dealer, and unknown to the
bank director.
The latter had assisted by his wife's
fortune, inherited from her grand
mother, purchased the SchlosS Langen-
berg. the splendid ancestral castle and
estates of the princes of Langenberg,
situated in the beautiful Thuringian
forest, and acknowledged to be one of
the most famous shooting estates in
the empire 1t was not, therefore, sur
prising that the emperor, to mark his
favor, should express desire to shoot
capercailZie there-a desire which, of
course, delighted Herr Reitschel, who
had only few days before been dec
grated with the Order of the Black
Eagle.
One afternoon in midautumn the en-
peror, accompanied by the crown
prince and myself, together with the
suite, arrived by the imperial train at
the little station of Ilmenau, where, of
course, Reitschel and his pretty wife,
with the head and underforesters, and
all sorts of civil officials in black coats
and white ties bowed low as the all
highest stepped from his salon. The
kaiser was most gracious to his host
and hostess.
The emperor had complained of a
slight cold and in consequence, just
before we left Berlin, 1 had been in
structed to summon by telegraph GER
tain Doctor VOllerthun from Augsburg,
who was perfect stranger to us all,
but who had, l supposed, been recon-
mended to the emperor.
While the emperor and his host were
out shooting l remained alone in a
big, circular, old-world room in one
of the towers Of the castle, dealing
with a flood of important state pa
pers which a courier had brought
from Berlin two hours before. Papers
followed us daily wherever we might
be.
About midday Doctor Vollerthun was
ushered in to me-a short, stout, gut
tural-Speaking man of about sixty,
rather bald, and wearing big, round,
gold-rimmed spectacles. 1 quickly
handed him over to the major-domo.
About three o'clock that same after
noon a light tap came at the door, and
saw my hostess standing upon the
threshold.
She was quietly but elegantly
dressed, presenting the true type of the
smart Parisienne, but in an instant l
realized that she was very pale and
agitated. Indeed, her voice trembled
when she asked permission to enter.
Since her marriage 1 had many times
chatted with her, for she often came
to the palace when her husband visited
Berlin. l had danced with her: 1 had
taken her into dinner at various houses
where we met, always finding her a
bright and very intellectual compan-
ion.
She quietly closed the door and ad-
vanced to the table from which I had
risen.
"Count Won Heltzendorff she ex-
claimed in low, strained voice. IL
have come to seek your aid because
well, because I'm distracted, and /
know that you are my husbands
friend" she exclaimed in French.
"And yours also, madam" said ear
nestly.
"My husband is out with the emper-
or! ' she gasped in a curious, unnerved
tone. "And fear; oh, fear that we
are in great periodically peril, every
hour-every moment"
Really, madame, 1 hardly follow
YOU" l said.
"My husband, whom 1 love devoted
ly, has done his best in the interests
of his emperor. You, count, know the
real aims of the kaiser in Turkey.
These last six months l have watched.
and have learned the truth l know
how, when the emperor went to Con-
stantinOple five months ago in pre-
tence of friendship toward the sultan.
with Professor Vambery as interpre-
ter, he practically compelled Abdul
Hamid to give him, In return for GER
tain financial advances, those wonder
full Jewels which the Empress Cath