The Ordway new era., 1917-08-10
OF iNh]FR iIFF OF KAISER AND CROWN PRINCE As
ST Won HEI TZENDORFF TO WILLIAM lEQUEUX

handsome young woman assured me,
tears yelling In her hne dark eyes.
'In that case, then. please leave
the matter entirely in my hands,"
said.
That same night, about ten o'clock.
the emperor entered the room to which
I had just returned to work.
"Send Frau Kleist to me-" he
snapped. "And will summon you
later when want you, Heltzendorff."
Frau Kleist! I had no idea the worn-
an had arrived Mt the castle. But dis
patched one of the servants to search
for her, and afterwards heard her high
pitched voice as she nscended the
stairs to hold secret counsel with his
majesty.
Below I found the fat fair-haired
little doctor from Augsburg. who was
still an enigma. but eager to see his
imperial patient.
Suddenly one of the imperial fun
keys bowed at the door. commanding
the doctor to the royal presence, and
he left me, hot and fiurried.
Had the emperor called the unknown
doctor into consultation with Frau
Kleist?
Inquiries had made concerning the
doctor from Augsburg showed that he
was quite n well-known specialist on
mental diseases. and he had also writ
ten textbook upon bncteriology and
the brain. Why had the kaiser sum-
moned him? He required no brain
specialist.
1--WE leave tomorrow at noon," the
emperor exclaimed brusquely when, an
hour later, / was summoned to his
room. This amazed me, for our ar
rangemcnts were to remain three days
longer. recollected Madam Reit-
schels words.
II do not feel at all WELL" his majes-
ty added, land this Doctor Vollerthun
orders me rest at Potsdam."
In silence / bowed, and then ven-
tured to refer to what was uppermost
in my mind.
"May be permitted to speak to your
majesty upon n certain confidential
subject" l begged.
"what subject?" snapped the en-
peror.
"Your majesty's negotiations with
the sultan of Turkey. Frau Reit-
schel has learned of them, but she is
| eager to come before you and take
an oath of entire secrecy"
The kaiser's eyes narrowed and
| glowed In sudden anger.
A Woman's Oath.
"A woman's oath! !" he cried. "Bah!
Never have l believed in silence inn
posed upon any wOman's tongue
more especially that of born enemy!
appreciate your loyalty and acumen,
Won Heltzendorff, but l have, fOrtu-
nately, known this for some little time,
and in strictest secrecy have taken GER
tain measures to combat 1t. Remem-
| Der that these words have never been
uttered to you! Remember that! You
are adjutant, and l am emperor. Un-
derstand! l fully appreciate and note
your royal report, but 1t is not woman's
sphere to enter our diplomacy, except
as secret agent of our fatherland.
Let us say no more"
Ten minutes later, being dismissed,
l wandered back through the great ST.
lent, echoing corridors of the ancient
castle to my own room. A great human
drama, greater than any ever placed
upon the stage, was now being en-
acted.
The emperor was plotting the down.
fall of the Turkish empire and the
overthrow of Islam in Europe. Be
tween the all-highest one and the real
ization of those plans for world power
stood one frail little Parisienne, the
| " pi vl,alI
schel!
Next day we left the Schloss Langen-
berg, but before doing so we heard
with regret that our charming little
hostess had been suddenly taken ill
during the night, and the kaiser, as
mark Of favor, had ordered his doctor,
! Follerthun, to remain behind to attend
her. That Herr Reitschel was In great
distress l saw from his face as he
stood on the little platform at nnenau.
Back In Seriin, wondered what was
, IN progress in that far-Off sChlOss in
Thurineia, but week later the truth
became yividly apparent when read
In the Staats-Anzeiger an announce
ment that Frau Reitschel, the young
. wife Of the famous Anton Reitschel of
Constantinople, had been seized by a
sudden and mysterious illness and had
developed insanity to such a hopeless
degree that 1t had been necessary to
conine her in the Rosenau private asy-
lum at Coburg.
In second / thought Of the dancing
mistress and the mental specialist
from Augsburg.
, Poor Madam Reitschel! She died
early In 1913. a raving lunatic. Her
devoted husband. having served the