Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-08-17

tears yelling in her fine dark eyes.
''In that case, then, please leave
the matter entirely in my hands," 1
said.
That same night, about ten o'clock,
the emperor entered the room to which
l had just returned to work.
"Send Frau Kleist to me-" he
snapped. And I will summon you
later when 1 want you, Heltzendorff"
Frau Kleist! had no idea the wom-
an had arrived at the castle. But dis
patched one of the servants to search
for her, and afterwards heard her high
pitched voice as she assembled the
stairs to hold secret counsel with his
majesty.
Below I found the fat, fair-haired
little doctor from Augsburg, who was
imperial patient.
Suddenly one of the imperial fun
keys bowed at the door, commanding
the doctor to the royal presence, and
he left me, hot and Hurried.
Had the emperor called the unknown
doctor into consultation with Frau
Kleist?
Inquiries I had made concerning the
doctor from Augsburg showed that he
was quite a well-known specialist on
mental diseases, and he had also writ
ten a textbook upon bacteriOlogy and
the brain. Why had the kaiser sum-
moned him? He required no brain
specialist.
1--WE leave tomorrow at noon," the
emperor exclaimed brusquely when, an
hour later, 1 was summoned to his
room. This amazed me, for our ar
engagements were to remain three days
longer. 1 recollected Madam Reit-
schers words.
81 do not feel at all WELL" his majes-
ty added, land this Doctor Vollerthun
orders me rest at Potsdam."
In silence 1 bowed, and then ven
tured to refer to what was uppermost
in my nind.
May be permitted to speak to your
majesty upon a certain confidential
subject" 1 begged.
what subjects" snapped the en-
peror.
your majesty's negotiations with
the sultan of Turkey. Frau Reit-
schel has learned of them, but she is
eager to come before you and take
an oath of entire secrecy"
The kaiser's eyes narrowed and
glowed in sudden anger.
A Woman's Oath.
"a womans oath !" he cried. 'BahI
Never have 1 believed in silence i'm
posed upon any woman's tongue
more especially that of a born enemyI
appreciate your loyalty and acumen,
Won Heltzendorff, but 1 have, fortu-
nately, known this for some little time,
and in strictest secrecy have taken GER
tain measures to combat it. Remem-
Der that these words have never been
uttered to you! Remember thatI You
are adjutant, and l am emperor. I'm
derstand 1 fully appreciate and note
your royal report, but it is not woman's
sphere to enter our diplomacy, except
as a secret agent of our fatherland.
Let US say no more"
| wandered back through the great ST.
lent, echoing corridors of the ancient
castle to 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-highest one and the real
cation of those plans for world power
stood one frail little Parisienne, the
,ivacious, well-meaning Madam Reit-
;chel
Next day we left the SchIoss Langen-
,erg, but before doing so we heard
With regret that our charming little
hostess had been suddenly taken i'll
Turing the night, and the kaiser. as a
mark of favor, had ordered his doctor,
to remain behind to attend
er That Herr Reitschel was in great
distress 1 saw from his face as he
TODD on the little platform at Ilmenau-
Back in Berlin, 1 wondered what was
q progress in that far-off schloss in
'huringia, but week later the truth
ecame wildly apparent when l read
4 the Staats-Anzeiger an announce
lent that Frau Reitschel, the young
fife of the famous Anton Reitschel Of
onstantinople, had been seized by a
hidden and mysterious illness and had
eveloped insanity to such a hopeless
egree that it had been necessary to
)nfine her in the Rosenau private asy-
i'm at COburg.
In a second 1 thought of the dancing
istress and the mental specialist
ON Augsburg.
Poor Madam Reitschel! She died
lrly in 1913, raving lunatic. Her
evoted husband, having served the
nperor's purpose, had been recalled
Berlin, where, bereft Of the kaisers
vor he predeceased her by about six
onthS, broken-hearted.
Copyright, 1917. William LeQueuxO