Williams news., 1917-08-16

 main a few days in Ostend, before we return to Potsdam."
 Next afternoon we had taken up our quarters at a small but very select ho- tel on the Digue at Ostend, a place called the "Beau Sejour." It was patronized by old-fashioned folk, and "Herr Richter" was we'll known there There may have been some who sus- pected that Richter was not the visit OTIS real name, but they were few, and 1t always surprised me how well the crown prince succeeded in preserving his ncognito-though, of course, the authorities knew of the imperial visit.
 The English Girl Again.
 The following day, about three o'clock, while the crown prince was carelessly going through some letters brought by couriers from Potsdam. a waiter came to me with a message that a Miss King desired to see MT. Richter.
 In surprise I received her, welcom- ing her to Ostend. From the neat dress of the pretty English girl concluded that she had just crossed from Dover, and she seemed most anxious to see his highness. I noted that she still wore the beautiful golden butterfly.
 When I entered his room to an- nounce her the crown princess brow knit, and his thin lips compressed.
 "H'm! More trouble for us, Heltzen- dorff, suppose! Very well, show her in."
 The fair visitor was in the room for long time-indeed, for over an hour. Their voices were raised, and now and then, curiously enough, received the impression that, whatever might have been the argument, the pretty girl had gained her own point, for when she came out she smiled at me in triumph, and walked straight forth and down the stairs.
 The crown prince threw himself into big armchair in undisguised dissatis- faction. Towards me he never wore a mask, though, like his father, he in- variably did so in the presence of strangers.
 "Those accursed women !" he cried. "Ah, Heltzendorff, when a woman is in love she will defy even satan him. self! And yet they are fools, these women, for they are in ignorance of the irresistible power of our imperial house. The enemies of the HohenZol- ferns are as cloud of gnats on sum- mer's night. The dew comes, and they are no more. It is a pity. Has not one of our greatest German philoso- phers written: Tt is no use breathing against the windP"
 'True," I said. "But, surely, it is a nuisance to be followed and worried by that little English girl!"
 Worried! Yes. You are quite right, my dear Heltzendorff. But I do not mind worry, if it is in the in- terests of Prussia, and of our house of Hohenzollern. I admit the girl, though distinctly pretty, is a most ir- responsible person. She does not ap- peal to me, but am compelled to hu- nor her, because I have a certain ob- ject in view"
 could not go further, or I might have betrayed the knowledge I had
 
 q was surprised that she should turn up here, in Ostend," said.
 q had written to her. I expected her."
 "She does not know your real rank or station?"
 "No. To her am merely Herr Emil Richter, whom she first met away in the country. She was tourist, and was Captain Emil Richter of the Prus-' sian Guards. We met while you were away on holiday at Vienna"
 I was anxious to learn something about Miss Kings brother, but "Willie" was generally discreet, and at that mo- ment unusually so. One fact was plain, however, that some secret report pre- sented to the emperor had been shown to her. Why? I wondered if his high ness had been successful in coercing her into acting as he desired.
 Certainly the girls attitude as she had left the hotel went to show that, in the contest, she had won by her woman's keen wit and foresight.
 A fortnight afterwards we were back again at Potsdam.
 A Surprise Package for "WiIIie."
 About three months passed. The | crown prince had accompanied the en- peror to shoot on the Glatzer Gebirge. |