The Washington times., 1917-05-06

tanned regarding the affair
Then Knof drove me alone back Il
the schloss. i wondered II his high
ness. wishing to get away unobserved
returning In secret there, had left ms
a written message In his room. He hao
done that on one occasion before.
l dashed up to the small. old-world
room which by day overlooked the TO
mantle and picturesque valley, but
upon the table whereat I had been
writing early that morning there was
nothing.
The Countess Ven KienitE.
As turned to leave l heard a foot
step. and the next instant saw the
little deformed old countess facing
me.
Her appearance quite startled me.
Apparently she had just arrived. for
she was in a dark blue bonnet and
warm travelling coat
"Ahi Count Won Heltzendorff! she
cried In that squeaky. high-pitched
voice Of hers. "Is his imperial high
ness here7 l must see him Immediate
ly!'
mo, Countess. His Imperial High
ness IL not here" was my reply.
This afternoon he mysteriously DIS
appeared from the fOrester'r lodge at
Neue Schenke, and we are unable to
track him."
'Disappeared" gasped the old lady,
instantly pale and agitated.
yes" ! said, looking her straight
in the face.
DO you know whether he had a
visitor today yodng, dark-halred
man.
..Vr - rz.-... 80. calIad
and saw him. At His Highness' re-
quest left him alone with his visitor
at the forester's house. The man $
name was Karl Krahl."
Countess u Suspicious.
How did you know his name?' she
asked, staring at me with an ex-
preston of distinct suspicion.
"Beeause-well, because happen to
have learnt 1t some time ago." l said.
And. further, on returning to the
house we found this little bag in the
room wherein I had left the Crown
Prince.
"Why,-a Iady's bag" she exclaim-
ed as / held it out for inspection.
Yes" 1 said in a somewhat hard
tone. DO you happen to recognize
it!"
me? Why" asked the old woman.
well, because i think II Is your
own property" 1 said. 81 have some
recollection Of having seen It In your
hand"
she took II, examined It well, and
then, with an artificial laugh, de-
clarej:
cit certainly is not mine. once
had a bag very similar. but mine was
not OF such good quality"
Are you really quite certain
Countess? I demanded.
"Quite," she declared But why
trouble about that bag while there Is
a point much more important-the
safety and whereabouts Of his I'M
perial highness7" she went on In
great state of agitation Tell me.
Count, exactly what oecurred-aS far
as you know"
I recounted to her the facts just
as they have already been written
down, and as I did % watched her
face, noticing upon IL an expression
full of suspicion OF myself. She was.
Il seemed to me, undecided as to the
exact extent OF my knowledge.
How did you know that the young
mans name was Krahl.- she asked.
eagerly. You had perhaps met him
before-eh:
TIE Search.
To this leading question main
tained a sphinxlike silence. That the
little old woman who had 30 unex-
pectedly become q lady-in-waiting was
playing some desperate double game
I felt sure, but its exact import was
still an enigma.
"In any case" she said. "wouid Il
not be as well to return to the Neue
Schenke and make search
/ smiled. Then, In order to let her
know that was acquainted with ItaI
ian. the language she had spoken on
that well-remeNbered night In her
own conservatory. I exclaimed:
"Ahe! allie volte con gil occhi
aperti 81 far del sognL' (Sometimes
one can dream with ones eyes open.)
Her thin eyebrows narrowed, and
with q shrug OF her shoulders the
clever old woman replied:
"Dal falso bene viene II vero male. !"
(From an affected good feeling comes
q real eVil.)
/ realized at that moment that
there was moro mystery in the affair
than had yet conceived. His i'm
perial highness was certainly miss
ing. though the female element of the
affair had become eliminated by my
recognition OF her own handbag. She,
too. had been IN secret to the for
sster's house with what object:
Half and hour later we were back
at the little house in the forest,
No Trace Found.
Tha Ruas.. had all returned to the
castle, and only Eckhardt, the police
cOmmissary, remained, with the for.
ester and his underlings. Already
search had been made in the sur,
rounding woods. but without result.
or his Imperial Highnsss there was
no trace,
In the long room, with its pitch
pine wallis, and lit by oil lamps. the
old countess closely questioned Eek
hardt as to the result OF his tnauir-
ieis, But the pclioe official, who had
become full OF nervous fear, declared
that he had been sent off by His
Highness, and had not since found
any trace of him, He spoke OF the
little black silk bag, OF course, and
attached great Importance to II,
Within half an hour we had re-
organized the beaters from the neigh
borhood and, with lanterns, set out
again to examine some woods to the
east which had not been searched.
About 10 O'Clock we set forth, the
countess accompanying us and walk
ing well, Notwithstanding her age.
though / could see that II was a
fearful anxiety that kept her active.
To the men with us every inch OF the