, 1917-08-02

unfortunately the latter refuses to adj
NIT any affection for Louisa. Giron
angrily declared his intention to leave
Dresden, because of Won Fritsch's sug-
g%estion. This course, 1 saw, would be
unfortunate for IL plans, therefore |
urge the king to induce Louisa to re-
quest him to remain. She has done so,
but to no avail, and Giron left for
Brussels tonight. May 1 be permitted
to come to discuss with your majesty
n further elaboration of the plans?-
Won Metzsch."
The emperor read the secret mes.
sage twice.
1--WE go to Erfurt tomorrow, do we
not?" he said. Telegraph in cipher
to Won Metzsch to meet us there to.
morrow evening at And de.
stroy that message" he added.
1 obeyed his orders, and afterward
continued to deal with the state pa
pers, much enlightened by the news
transmitted by the emperor's creature
1 confess that / felt the deepest
sympathy for the helpless victim. AT
the Schloss, high above the old-world
town of Erfurt, Won Metzsch had o
long conference with the emperor, but
l was unable to overhear any word Of
it. All l know is that the controller
of the Saxon household left Erfurt for
Dresden by special train at midnight.
Poor, defenseless Louisa! You, my
dear LeQueuX, to whom the princess o
few months afterward fled for advice,
know well how sterling, how womanly
and honest she was; how she was one
victim of many of the INSCRIPTIONS
intrigues by which the arrogant wal
lord of Germany has until the present
managed to retain his throne.
The Crisis.
Well, 1 watched the course OF
events; watched eagerly and daily
Twice 1 had received letters from hei
imperial highness, short notes in her
firm, bold handwriting.
From Won Metzsch came severa.
cipher messages to the emperor after
we had returned to Potsdam, but Zorr
Won Bulach, my colleague, deciphereG
all of them, and, as he was not my
friend, 1 did not inquire as to theil
purport. 1 knew, however, that mat
tiers in Dresden were fast approaching
a crisis, and that the unfortunate
Hapsburg princess could nc longer sus
tain the cruel and unjust pressure be.
ing put upon her undoing. That a Jul
dred of Germany's spies and agents
provocateurs were busy 1 realized
from the many messages by telephone
and telegraph passing between Berlin
and Dresden, and 1 felt certain that
the ruin of poor Princess Louisa was
nigh.
A significant message came to Pots
dam late one December night-a mes
sage which, when I deciphered 1t and
handed 1t to the emperor, caused him
to smile.
The princess had left Dresden!
Three days later, on December 9.
a further cipher telegram came from
Won Metzsch, in Dresden, which read.
Louisa has learned Of the Sonnen.
stein project, and has left Salzburs
for Zurich, her brother accompanying
Won Metzsch."
S~Onnenstein! That was a private
lunatic asylum!
In a few moments the kaiser had
summoned, by his private telephone.
KOehler, then chief of the Berlin Sc.
cret police, and given orders that the
princess be watched in Switzerland
Half an hour later three police agents
were on their way to Zurich to follow
the poor, distracted woman, even be-
yond the confines of the empire. 4
She was, no doubt, in deadly fear
of being tent to q living tomb, so that
her mouth should be closed forever
And seeing herself surrounded by enc
mics and spies on every hand-fOr
even her brother Leopold, with whom
she had Travelled to Switzerland, now
refused to assist her-she adopted the
only method of further escape that at
the moment presented itself.
Alone and without anyone to advise
her, she, as you know, took a desper-
ate resolve. one alas! fraught with
disastrous consequences.
The iron had indeed entered the
poor princess soul.
Note by William Leoueux.
The denouement of this base In
trigue will be best related in her i'm
perial highness' own words. In one
of her letters, which / have on my
table as 1 write, she says:
Il saw before me in those never-to-
be-forgotten days all the horrors of a
'Maison de Sante.' What could i do?
1 was friendless in a strange hotel.
Even Leopold seemed dlsinclined to
be further troubled by a runaway sis
ter. / knew Frau o Fritsch had ac-
cused me falsely of having secret love
affairs, and that the emperor had d.
rected the whole plot which was to