The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-08-25


one Tell him 1 must see him, for 1
dread daily lest the truth OF the
kaiser's real intentions be known at
the Quai d'Orsay''
Certainly" was my reply. 81 will
deliver your message this evening"
Tell him that my sole desire is to
act in the interests OF the emperor and
himself" she urged.
But, forgive me-" I said, 'I cannot
see why you should interest yourself
in the crown prince if he declines TO
communicate with you"
Il have my reasons, Count Won Helt-
zendorff," was her rather naughty re-
ply. please tell him that the matter
will not brook further delay"
I had seen in the London neTspa-
pers during the past week how eagerly
the English journalists, with the dust
cast into their eyes, were blindly advo-
eating that the British public should
welcome the great German national
movement, headed by Baron Won Cess
Ter, supported by BaIlin, Delbruck
and Won WedeI, with the hearty coop
GRAFTON Of the emperor and the imperi-
al Characteristic movement to estab-
fish better relations with Great Bri-
tain.
knew that the secret should at all
hazards be kept. and that night told
the crown prince of my second meet
ing with the pretty woman in black
and her urgent request
He laughed, but made no remark.
Yet knew by his tone that he was not
so easy in his mind as he desired me to
believe.
1t also seemed strange why, if the
young Frenchwoman was so DESTROYS
Of meeting him, she did not call at the
villa.
About q week later it suddenly oc-
CURED to me to endeavor to discover
the real identity of the lady In black,
but as 1 was not certain whether she
actually lived In Nice it was rather
difficult. Nevertheless, by invoking
the aid Of my friend BeIabre, inspector
Of the Surete Of Nice, and after wait
ing few days I made an astounding
discovery, namely, that the lady who
called herself De Rouville was an TIA
Ian cafe concert singer named Irene
Speroni- woman who had aroused
the Jealousy Of the crown princess
And she knew that important state Sc
cret Of Germany
The situation was 8 most serious
one felt it my duty to mention my
discovery to his highness, when, to my
surprise, he was not In the least angry.
He merely said:
at is true, HeItzendorfr-true what
the crown princess declared-that 1
went to Wiesbaden and that 1 gave
the woman pair Of emerald earrings
which I ordered from old VollgoId.
But there was no reason for jealousy.
saw the woman and gave her the
present in the hope OF closing her
lips"
In q moment 1 understood. The
pretty variety artistic was endeavoring
TO levy blackmail. But how could she,
in her position, have learned the secret
of the emperor's intentions?
She was, I found, living as Signorina
Speroni, with her maid, at the Hotel
Bristol over at Beaulieu, just across the
blue bay Of ViIIefranche, and as the
days went on I realized the imminent
danger Of, exposure, and wondered If
the kaiser knew Of 1t.
made q remark to that effect to his
highness one morning, whereupon he
replied:
Don't disturb yourself, my dear
Heltzendorff! have not overlooked the
matter. for it is one that closely con-
Germs both the emperor and myself
The woman obtained the secret by
opening the dispatch box Of one who
believed her to be his friend, and then
she attempted to use her knowledge in
order to drag me into her net. But I
do not think I am very likely TO be
caught-eh7'
At that moment Herr SchafeF en-
tered the room, therefore further dis
cussion was out Of the question.
From inquiries I made later on
found that the concert singer had sud-
denly left the hotel, therefore 1 went
over to Beaulieu and had an instruc-
tive chat with the hall porter, a Ger
man, OF course. From him I learned
that the signorina had been staying
there ever since the date when we had
arrived at Nice and. further, that two
gentlemen had been frequently in the
habit Of calling upon her. One was a
smart young Frenchman who came In
a motor car and the other was a Ger
man. From the description OF the lat
ter at once came to the conclusion
that it was none other than Herr Scha-
fer
1.-The one gentleman did not know of
the others visits said the bearded
porter, with laugh 1.-The signorina
always impressed silence upon me, be-
cause she thought one would be jeaI-
Gus of the other. The German gentle
man seemed very deeply in love with
her, and she called him Hans He &C
eompanied her when she left here for
San Reno"
1 reported this to his highness, but
he made no remark A week later
some fishermen found upon the brown
rocks near Capo Verde, beyond San
Reno, the body OF a woman, fully
dressed, afterwards identified as that
OF Irene SperOni, the singer so popu-
lar IN Rome
It was proved that on the previous
night she had been seen by two peas
ants walking along the sea road near
San Lorenzo, accompanied by & tail,
tI,fv, nan vrfao zooTnad greatly sxoffo5