Tombstone epitaph., 1917-08-19
TheSec1etS Of HE H0hnn7d)kuC
STARTLING EXPOSURE OF INNER LIFE OF CROWN PRINCE
TOLD COUNT ERNST HELTZRDORF TO WILLIAM LEQUEJW

Il am ready TO do anything-any-
thing for my dear husbands sake" the
handsome young woman assured me,
tears yelling in her fine dark eyes.
In that case, then, please leave
the matter entirely In my hands," I
said
That same night. about ten O'Clock,
the emperor entered the room towhich
I had Just returned to work.
"Send Frau Kleist to me-" he
snapped. And will summon you
later when I want you, Heltzendorfr."
Frau Kleist! had no idea the wom-
an had arrived at the castle. But I 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
still an enigma. but eager to see his
imperial patient.
Suddenly one OF the imperial fun
keys bowed at the door, commanding
|
he left me. hot and Hurried.
Had the emperor called the unknown
doctor into consultation with Frau
Kleist?
Inquiries had made concerning the
doctor from Augsburg showed that he
was quite well-known specialist on
mental diseases, and he had also writ
I IL 30 ILL 4
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, l was summoned to his
room. This amazed me. for our ar
rangemcnts were TO remain three days
longer. l recollected Madam Reit-
schels words.
81 do not feel at all we'll" his majes-
~ added, land this Doctor yollerthun
orders me rest at Potsdam."
In silence / bowed, and then VEN
tured to refer TO what was uppermOst
in my mind.
May be permitted to speak to your
majesty upon a certain confidential
subject" l begged.
what subject?' 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 woman's OATH" he cried. Bah |;
Never have l believed in silence i'm
posed upon any woman's tongue
more especially that OF born enemy /.
appreciate your loyalty and acumen.
Won Heltzendorff. but l 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 that! You
are adjutant, and am emperor. Un-
derstand, l fully appreciate and note
your royal report, but 1t is not wOman's
sphere TO enter our diplomacy, except
as a secret agent Of our fatherland.
Let US say no more"
Ten minutes later. being dismissed.
wandered back through the great si-
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
izatiOn of those plans for world power
stood one frail little Parisienne, the
vivacious. weIl-meaning Madam Relt-
schelI
Next day we left the Schloss Langen-
berg, but before doing so We heard
with regret that our charming little
hostess had been suddenly taken i'll
during the night, and the kaiser, as a
mark of favor, had ordered his doctor,
Vollerthun, to remain behind to attend
her. That Herr Reitschel was In great
distress / saw from his face as he
stood on the little platform at Ilnenau.
Back In Berlin, wondered what was
In progress in that far-off schloss In
Thuringia. but a week later the truth
became wildly apparent when / read
In the Staats-Anzeiger an announce
ment that Frau Reitschel, the young
wife Of the famous Anton Reitschel Of
Constantinople. had been seized by a
sudden and mysterious illness and had