The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-08-18
The Grown Princes
Amazing Adventure
SUPPOSE that none of you have
ever heard the name of Thyra
Adelheid Won Kienitz?

Adelheid Won Kienitz?
She was a funny little deformed
person, aged, perhaps, seventy, widow
Of the great General Won Kienitz, who
had served in the Franco-German cam
paign, and who, before his death, had
been acknowledged to be as great a
%strategist as Lord Roberts.
Countess Won Kienitz was the daugh-
ter of a certain Countess Won Borcke,
and after living for many years in re-
tirement in her picturesque old schloss,
perched on a rock not far from the
famous wine district Of Berncastel, on
the Mosel river, became suddenly
seized with an idea to re-enter Berlin
society.
With this view she rented q fine
house not far from the Le~ichtenstein
bridge and early in 1911 commenced
a series of wildly extravagant enter
tainments with a view, as it seemed to
me, to attract the more modern and go
ahead section Of Berlin society.
One afternoon, seated by the crown
prince as he drove recklessly his great
Mercedes car along the Bismarckallee
In the direction of Potsdam, we passed
an everdressed old woman, very artifi-
cial, with yellow hair and short stat
ure.
Look, Heltzendorffl Is she not like
Won KienitzT
Eyes, her figure is very similar" 1
admitted.
"Ah The old woman was introduced
to me the other night at Bismarck
Bohlen's house. Himmell What a
freak! Have you seen her wig?"
| replied that I had visited once or
twice at the StulerStrasSe and that the
company l had met there were certain
ly amusing. l mentioned some of their
names, among them that of young Won
Ratibor, Major Gersdorff of the Deaths
Head Hussars, Van Heynitz of the
Konigsjager, a w%ell-known man about
town, his friend Winterfeld, together
with a number of ladies of the very
ultra go-ahead set. At this his high
ness seemed highly interested.
"She certainly seems a very curious
old person." he laughed. "Fancies that
she's but twenty-five, and actually had
the audacity to dance at Bismarck
Bohlen'S."
New Arrival at Court
Judge my great surprise when,
about six weeks later, Frau Won Alven-
sleben, the pretty grand maitresse of
the court of the crown princess, stop
ped me in one of the corridors of the
Marmor palace and, drawing me aside,
whispered:
Il have news for you, my dear
count. We have a new arrival at
court-Frau Yellow-Wig."
She saw that l did not follow her.
Countess Won Kienitz-a friend of
yours, I believe"
Friend of mine |" I echoed. 1--WE
only been in her house three or four
times, just in a crowd, and out Of Gu
riosity."
"Oh, la Ia! Well, she has told the
crown princess that you are her friend
and, in brief, has entirely fascinated
her imperial highness."
What the grand maitresse had told
me was perfectly correct, for three
days later a dance was held, and as I
entered the room l saw amid that gay
assemblage the widow Of the long-for-
gotten military hero talking quite ia
miliarly with her imperial highness.
To my utter ~amazement, also, his ma
1esty the emperor, in the gay uniform
Of the Third regiment of Uhlans of
Saxony, advanced and smiled gracious
ly upon her as she bowed as low as
rheumatism and old age allowed.
The fascination which the shrill-
voiced old woman exercised over
"Cili" 1.-THE crown princess) was quick
~ remarked, and, of course, gossip be-