Middletown transcript., 1917-08-04

i
little old woman's beautiful winter gar
den was ushered in.
He was dark haired, aged ABOUT
twenty-eight, judged, with small
shrewd black eyes, dressed in a we'll
cut suit of gray country tweeds, anu,
but for his German name, l should
have taken him for an Engllsh tour
list, one Of those familiar objects OF the
Harz in peace time.
"Come in, Karl" exclaimed the
crown prince, affably, as he grasped
his visitors hand. His highness dld
not often offer his manlcured hand TO
others, and at this was greatly sur
prised. 1.-THE forester did not know
you, of course. Well, am very pleased
to see you. Have YOU come straight
here?"
Eyes, your highness. went first to
Berlin and, learning that you were
here, thought 1 had better lose no
time"
"Quite right" laughed his highness,
who, turning to me, said: "Heltzen-
dorff, will you tell the others to 60 on
that am detained for an hour on
state business, and-and that l Will
Join them as soon as possible. l will
find you in the woods, on the left OF
the Quedlinburg road, before one
comes to the Wurmtal Apologize for
me, but the delay is inevitable. have
a conference with Herr Krahl."
The Crown Prince Disappears.
While his highness remained behind
at the forester's house to chat alone
with the mysterious Karl Krahl, we
went out among the birds and had
some excellent sport. Yet the sight OF
the young man, whom l had long en-
deavored in vain to trace, caused me
considerable wonderment. Who was
that young fellow in whom the little
old countess seemed to take such deep
and peculiar INTEREST," What was his
offence that she, with the crown
prince, should concoct, as it seemed to
me, such a plot as that l had partly
overheard?
That there was a woman in the case
l felt assured, but her name had not
been mentioned and / had no suspi-
cion of whom it could be. realized,
however, that something important
must be in progress, otherwise his
highness, devoted to sport as he was,
would never have given up the best
afternoon to consult with that stranger
in gray tweeds.
The foresters and beaters had come
with us, as the crown prince had, at
his own request, been left alone with
his mysterious visitor.
After couple Of short beats we ar
rived at the spot on the forest road to
Quedlinburg, most romantic and pic
turesuue gorge, where his highness had
arranged to meet us, and there we sat
down and waited.
A full half-hour had passed, yet the
head forester, who was keeping look
out along the road, did not signal his
highness' approach.
81 wonder what can have detained
him?" remarked Won Oertzen, the In
spector general Of cavalry.
/ explained that strange young
man had come to the forester's house.
An hour went past. The light would
soon fade and we, knowing "Willie's"
utter disregard for his appointments,
at last decided to continue the shoot,
leaving one of the foresters to tell his
highness the direction we had taken.
The crown prince did not, however,
ioin us, and darkness had fallen ere
we returned to the fOrester's house.
Of his highness there was no sign,
fact which much surprised us. In the
room wherein 1 had left him, his gun
and green Tyrolese hat were lying
upon chair, and the fact that all the
cars were still ranged outside showed
that he had not driven back to the cas-
tie.
The crown prince had disappeared!
A Ladys Bag.
Knot, his highness chauffeur, who
had been walking with us, was sent
back posthaste to the schloss to ascer-
tain whether he had been seen there,
for his highness' movements were often
most cratic. We knew that If the
whim took him he would perhaps go
off in an opposite direction. or trudge
back to the castle with utter disregard
~ arr potura1 anYiptV
Lights were lit and we enjoyed
cigars awaiting KNOTS return. In an
hour he was back with the news that
nothing had been heard of his high
ness. Soon after we had left that
morning, however, young man in a
gray suit had called and seen the ma
ior domo, who had directed him where
his highness might be found.
Upon Eckardt-the commissary of
police responsible for his highness'
safety-the onus rested. Yet, had he
not been sent out with the party, as
his highness had expressed to me q
wish to be left alone with the stranger,
whose name alone knew
While we were discussing the most
| judIei6us mode * act Ar 4 scent.
ed Rch mystery ~ this n y ~ Kstl