The Ordway new era., 1917-08-17

personal valet. Schuler, the militar.
secretary, Major Lentze, and Eckarut
the commissioner of secret police fol
| his highness' personal protection.
After restless night-for there
were many stoppages-l spent mex
| day with the crown prince in long and
| firing discussions on military affairs
| l endeayored to obtain from him some
reason why we We're proceeding To
Nice. but to all my inquiries he was
smllingly dumb.
Only fortnight before he had had
a quarrel with his wife.
"Cilli is fool" he had declared
openly to me, after she had left the
room in anger.
We had been busy arranging pro-
gram of official visits in eastern Ger
many. when suddenly the crown prin-
cess entered, pale with anger and de-
manded fiercely an explanation OF n
certain anonymous letter which she
held in her hand.
kindly read thnt!" she said haugh-
tily. "and explain what it means"
The crown prince grinned, that cold
sinister expression overspreading his
countenance. a look which is such a
marked Characteristic of his.
Then, almost snatching the letter
from his young wife's fingers, he read
it through, and with sudden move
ment tore 1t up and flung it upon the
carpet, saying:
II refuse to discuss any unsigned
letter. Really. if we We're to notice
every letter written by the common
scum we should. indeed. have sufficient
to do"
His wife's arched brows narrowed.
Her face betrayed fiercest anger.
Il happen to have inquired. and l
now know that those allegations are
correct =" she cried. This dark-haired
singer-woman. Irene Speroni, has OBJ
tanned great success on the variety
stage in Italy. She is the star of the
Sala Margherita in Rome"
"Well:" he asked in defiance. And
what of it. pray?"
That letter you have destroyed tells
me the truth. l received II few
in order to learn the truth. He has
returned tonight. See And sud
denly she produced crumpled snap
shot photograph of the crown prince
in his polo-playing garb. and with him
smartly-dressed young woman,
whose features were in the shadow.
Yes" she cried bitterly. You re-
fuse. of course, to look upon this piece
of evidence, l now know why you
went to Wlesbaden. The woman was
singing there. and you gave her pair
of emerald and diamond earrings
which you purchased from Follgold
IN Inter den Linden. See! Here is
the bill for them ~
And again she produced a slip OF
paper.
The scene ended in the poor woman,
in frantic paroXysm of despair, tear
ing off the splendid necklet of dia'
monds at her throat-his present to
her on their marriage-and casting ii
full into his face.
Then, realizing that the scene had
become too tragic, l took her small
hand. and, with a word of sympathy
led her out OF the room and along the
corridor.
As left her she burst into a sudden
torrent of tears; yet when l returned
again to the crown prince | found his
manner had entirely changed. Ht
treated his wife's natural resentment
and Indignation as huge joke, and il
h, = irnrNariol liUhnpSs
declared to me:
"Cilli is u fool ~
Listen, Heltzendorff," his highnes'
exclaimed suddenly. In Nice ma!
disappear for day or two. l may b'
missing. But if 1 am, please don
raise fuss about it. I'm incognito
and nobody will know. may be alb
sent for seven days. If l am not bacl
by that time then you may make in
quiry."
But the Commissary of Police Eek
ardt. He will surely knowT l re
marked in surprise.
"No. He won't know. 1 shall evad
him as I've often done before" re
piled his imperial highness. Il tel
YOU of my Intentions so that you ma,
curb the activities of our most estima
BILE friend. Tell him not to worry, an
he will be paid thousand marks ol
the day Count Won Grunau reappears.
1 smiled, for saw the Influence
| the eternal feminine.
mo, Heltzendorff. You are quit
mistaken" he said, reading IN
I thoughts. There Is no lady In thi
case. 1 am out here for secret pui
poses of my own. For that reason
take you into my confidence rathe
than that unnecessary inquiry shoul
be made and some of those inferno
| journalists get hold of the fact tina
the Count Won Grunau and the crow
prince are one and the same person.
| was a fool to take this salon. I Ough