The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-07-28

ceipt Of that unique and beautiful
brooch was, saw, some sign. but of
its real significance remained in en-
tire ignorance.
That 1t had a serious meaning I
quickly realized, for within half an
hour the crown prince and myself were
in the train on our 2OO-mile journey
back TO Berlin.
On arrival his imperial highness
drove straight TO the Berlin Schloss,
and there had q long interview with
the emperor. At last I was called into
the familiar pale-green room, the kali
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 1 not fore
see that the girl would constitute a Sc
riouS menace? When she was in Ger
many she might easily have been ar
rested upon some charge and her
mouth closed. BahI our political po-
lice service grows worse and worse.
We will have 1t entirely reorganized.
The director, Laubach. is far too SEN
| tfmental, 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 was part and
parcel of the great machinery of the
| court, you realize what this order
means? 1t is blow struck against our
| cause-struck by mere slip Of a girl.
| Think, If the truth came out! Why,
all our 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 an
nuaI cost of the whole propaganda in
America-than to allow the truth to be
known"
Suddenly the crown princes face
frightened, as though he had had
some inspiration.
1.-The truth will not be known, ]
| h. "a
grin. 1 knew that expression. 1t
meant that he had devised some fresh
plan. 1.-The girl is defiant today, but
she will not remain so long. I will
take your order, but I may not have
occasion to put it in force"
"AhI You have perhaps devised
| something I hope so,'' said the
emperor. You are usually ingenious
in a crisis. Good! Here is the or.
der: act just as you think fit
''I was summoned, your majesty" ]
said, in order to remind him OF my
presence there.
"Ah! Yes. You know this Miss
King, do you not7'
ST received her in Plymouth" was
my reply.
| al it'll gO0 VIII ISCOSllL6 nGE
Probably your services may be very
urgently required within the next few
hours. You may CO." and his majesty
CURLY dismissed me.
waited in the corridor until his i'm
perial highness came forth. When he
did so he looked flushed and seemed
agitated. There had, knew, occurred
a violent scene between father anC
son, for to me it seemed as though
willie" had again fallen beneath thu
influence of q pretty face.
He drove me in q big Mercede.
over to POtsdam where 1 had a guam
tity of military documents awaiting at
tentiOn, and after q change of clothes
1 tackled them.
Yet my mind kept constantly revert
ing to the mystery surrounding tn,
golden butterfly
A Note From Miss King.
After dinner that night returned {,
my workroOm, when, upon my plotting
pad, found a note addressed to M
in the crown princes sprawling hand
Opening it, found that he had scrib
bIed this message:
'T have left. Tell Eckhardt not +
trouble. Come alone, and meet M
tomorrow night at the Palast hotel
in Hamburg. 1 shall call at sever
o'clock and ask for Herr Richter.
shall also use that name. Tell nc
body of my journey, not even tn
crown princeSS-Wilhelm, KronDrinz.
1 read the note through a secont
time, and then burned 1t.
| Next day I arrived at the Palas
[ hotel, facing the Binnenalster, In Ham
burg, giving my name as Herr Rich
ter.
at seven o'clock 1 awaited his high
ness. Eight o'clock came-nine-tel
even eleven midnight, but, thougi
: I sat in the private room had en-
? gagged, no visitor arrived.
} Just after twelve. however, a waite
brought up a note addressed to Her
Richter.
: Believing it. to be meant for me,
opened it. To my great surprise,
! found that it was from the mysteriOu
Z Miss King, and evidently intended 70
the crown prince. 1t read:
, eskFv brother WAS released from tn