The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-07-14

the instrument, q sharp click, and all
was again silence.
I put down the receiver In wonder.
I saw that to telephone to me at the
palace was impossible, as it would go
through the exchange there, and some
body might be listening. For that rea-
| son he had sent me to the AdlOn, and
from his conversation he was evidently
representing himself at The Hague to
be q prosperous German merchant, as
he had done at Nice and other places.
! At nearly two o'clock in the morn
| ing passed the sentries on duty, and
re-entered the Potsdam palace. 1t was
then too late to give the kaiserin her
husbands message, therefore waited
till morning. and gave it to her YER
bally when alone with her in her break
fast room.
The empress seemed greatly relieved
when I told her of the telephone con-
versation, and during the day wrote me
a note to hand to the emperor on my
arrival at The Hague. That night I
left for Holland, and next morning
duly inquired at the Hotel des Indies
for Herr Zeller. was conducted to
small suite OF rooms on the first floor,
where, dressed in a gray suit, his ma
jesty rose to meet me, smiling at my
| establishments
well, you heard me plainly on the
telephone. eh?'' he asked. "Ah, 1 see
you are surprised that I am here. I,
too, am equally surprised to find my
self here. And, further, 1 do not know
how long shall remain"
81 have brought the Clothes" re-
marked, and afterwards drew the en-
press letter from my pocket and hand
ed it to him.
Her majesty should have left for
Prague yesterday" he said. did she
go?"
mo. She was still at the palace
when left at eight o'clock last night"
The emperor gave vent to a grunt of
dissatisfaction. From the books lying
about his room 1 gathered that he
passed his time in reading. preferring
not to go out in the day time for fear
Of being recognized. Apprehension on
that score was unnecessary, for the
kaiser, shorn of his uniform and deco
rations, presents in civilian attire a
very ordinary appearance and not
readily recognizable by the man in the
street. For that reason he was often
able to spend a week In Paris, Nice,
or Oh the Italian Riviera without any
body being the wiser.
Mystery of the Royal Scheme.
I engaged a room close to that OF
Herr Zeller, and for some hours re-
, manned with him while he signed a
number of state papers which I had
brought with me. He seemed strangely
absent-minded, thought, but present
~ he took up one of the formidable
blue documents which, by the heading
1 saw was an urgent report from the
, imperial chancellor.
+ Look, Heltzendorffl Look at this =
cried the emperor.
1.-THE chancellor reports that the edi
tor of the Cologne Gazette has called
at the chancellery and inquired how
, long it was intended that I should re
q main out of the country? Think Of it
Ny absence is knownI"
"That may be So" responded. ''bu
your majesty'S whereabouts is un
> known to all save her majesty the EN-
n press"
: Eyes, yes" said the emperor fmpa
: tiently. But our police will commenc
: making inquiries, and shall be traces
4 here"
"Why not leave at once,'' suggest
ed, in the hope of calculating the truth
> "Ah! That is just the unfortunat
point. I am unable TO leave" he re
= Piled 81 must remain-and ! do no
know for how long"
= Further than that he would tell m
& nothing The fast that his absenc
from Germany was known greatly VI
y set him. It seemed to me as though
o by that truth leaking out, some cleve
secret plan Of his had been thwarted.
3, From his countenance, as he re-rea
that document, saw that serious troI
y Bile was brewing for somebody. Hi
Z majesty, seized by his mania for travG
would very often at five minutes IL
e tee leave Potsdam and journey to th
le farthest end OF the empire. But th
papers were always at once informe'
ID and the kaiser never went out OF hi
Il country without first acquainting Ii
Ell chancellor OF his intentions. In til
~ case, however, he slipped away by
ct night train, and nobody knew unit
Is next morning.
" The Dark-Haired Woman.
IS On concluding the correspondence
be went out for a stroll, when, not fl
at from the hotel. I noticed q Well-dres
IN ed, rather handsome, dark-haired wor
an approaching. To me her face seer
tie ed familiar, and was puzzled to kno
III where had seen Il before.
We I passed on. and. entering a CAT
sat down to smoke and 20 think MeE
lit DRY OF that woman's face still haunti
me. I felt that had met her som
In where. and had had good cause to !