The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-08-11

staying at q great, nlgn-up pr1SOnl1ke
schlOss, the ancestral home of Prince
Ludwig Lichtenau, In the Wolfels-
grund.
The emperor and his suite had
left, and our host had been suddenly
called to Berlin by telegram, his
daughter having been Ill. Therefore,
the crown prince and we of the suite
had remained for some further sport.
On the day after the emperor's de-
parture I had spent the afternoon in
a small paneled room which over
looked a deep mountain gorge, and
which had been given up to me for
work. l was busy with correspond
ence when the courier from Potsdam
entered and gave m the battered
leather pouch containing the crown
princes letters. Having unlocked it
with my key, I found among the cor
respondence a small square packet adj
dressed to his imperial highness, and
marked private"
"Now, fearing bombs or attempts by
other means upon his sons life, the
emperor had commanded me always to
open packets addressed to him. This
one, however, being marked private"
and, moreover, the inscription being
in a feminine hand, I decided to await
his highness' return.
When at last he came in, wet and
muddy after a long days sport, 1
showed him the packet. With a care
less air he said: "Oh, open it, Helt-
zendorff. Open all packets, whether
marked private or not"
II obeyed, and to my surprise found
within the paper a small leather-cov-
cred Jewel case, in which, reposing
upon a bed of dark blue velvet, was
the beautiful ornament which 1 had
admired at the throat of the fair
haired British girl-the golden butter
fly.
I handed 1t to his highness just as
he was taking a cigarette from the box
on a side table.
The sight Of it electrified him. He
held his breath, standing for a few
seconds staring at it as though he
were gazing upon some specter. His
countenance was as white as paper.
"When did that arrive?" he man.
aged to ask, in a hoarse voice, which
showed how completely sight Of 1t had
upset him.
"This afternoon. 1t was in the cou.
rier'S pouch from Potsdam."
"lf the Truth Came Out"
He seemed highly nervous, and at
the same time extremely puzzled. Re-
ceipt Of that unique and beautiful
brooch was, l saw, some sign, but of
Its real significance I remained in en-
tire ignorance.
That 1t had a serious meaning ]
quickly realized, for within half an
hour the crown prince and myself were
In the train ON our 200-mile journey
back to Berlin.
On arrival his imperial highness
drove straight to the Berlin Schloss,
and there had a long interview with
the emperor. At last I was called into
the familiar pale-green room, the kai-
ser's private cabinet, and at once saw
that something untoward had oc-
Cured.
The emperor's face was dark and
thoughtful. The crown prince, in his
badly creased uniform betraying a
long journey-so unlike his usual
spick-and-span appearance, stood ner-
vously by as the kaiser threw him.
self into his writing chair with a deep
grunt and distinctly evil grace.
81 suppose it must be done," he
growled to his son. "Did I not fore
see that the girl would constitute a Sc
rious menace7 When she was in Ger
many she might easily have been ar
rested upon some charge and her
mouth closed. BAH our political po-
lice service grows worse and worse.
We will have 1t entirely recognized.
The director, Laubach, Is far too SEN
timental, far too chicken-hearted."
AS he spoke he took up his pen and
commenced to write rapidly, drawing a
deep breath as his quill scratched
upon the paper.
"You realize" he exclaimed angrily
to his son, taking no notice of my
presence there, because I was part and
parcel of the great machinery of the
court, 'you realize what this order
means7 1t is a blow struck against our
cause-struck by a mere slip Of a girl.
Think. If the truth came outl Why,
all u propaganda in the United
States and Britain would be nullified
in a single day, and the good rela-
tons we are now extending on every
hand throughout the world in order to
mislead our enemies would be exposed
In all their true meaning. We cannot
afford that. 1t would be far cheaper
to pay twenty million marks-the In
nual cost of the whole propaganda in
A~merica-than to allow the truth to be
known"
Suddenly the crown princes face
frightened, as though he had had
some inspiration.
"The truth will not be known, I
promise you" he said, with a strange
grin. I knew that expression. III