Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-08-16

personal valet, Schiller, the military
secretary, Major Lentze, and Eckardt
the commissioner of secret police for
his highness' personal protection.
After a restless night-for there
were many stoppages-1 spent next
day with the crown prince in long and
firing discussions on military affairs.
/ endeavored to obtain from him some
reason why we were proceeding to
Nice, but to all my inquiries he was
smilingly dumb.
Only fortnight before he had had
q quarrel with his wife.
"Cilli Is a fool!" he had declared
room In anger.
We had been busy arranging a pro-
gram of official visits in eastern Ger
many, when suddenly the crown prin-
cess entered, pale with anger and de-
manded fercely an explanation of
certain anonymous letter which she
held In her hand.
Kindly read that!" she said haugh-
tily, land explain what 1t means"
The crown prince grinned, that cold
sinister expression overspreading his
countenance, a look which Is such
marked characteristic Of his.
Then, almost snatching the letter
from his young wife's fingers, he read
1t through, and with sudden move
ment tore 1t up and flung 1t upon the
carpet, saying:
II refuse to discuss any unsigned
letter! Really, If we were to notice
every letter written by the common
scum we should, indeed. have sufficient
to do"
His wife's arched brows narrowed.
Her face betrayed fercest anger.
II happen to have inquired, and /
now know that those allegations are
, correct" she cried. This dark-haired
singer-woman, Irene SperOni, has OBJ
tanned great success on the variety
stage In Italy. She Is the star Of the
Sala Margherita in Rome"
''Well?" he asked In defiance. "And
what Of 1t, pray?"
THAT letter you have destroyed tells
! me the truth. I received it few
days ago, and sent an agent to Italy
In order to learn the truth. He has
returned tonight. Seer And sud-
denly she produced a crumpled snap
shot photograph of the crown prince
In his polo-playing garb, and with him
smartly-dressed young woman,
whose features were in the shadow.
"Yes," she cried bitterly. "You re-
fuse, of course, to look upon this piece
of evidence! I now know why you
went to Wiesbaden. The woman was
singing there, and you gave her pair
Of emerald and diamond earrings
which you purchased from Vollgold
In Inter den Linden. See! Here Is
the bill for them!"
And again she produced slip Of
| paper.
The scene ended in the poor woman,
In q frantic paroxysm of despair, tear
ing off the splendid necklet Of dia-
monds at her throat-his present to
her on their marriage-and casting 1t
full into his face.
Then, realizing that the scene had
become too tragic, l took her small
| hand, and, with a word of sympathy,
| led her out of the room and along the
| corridor.
AS left her she burst into sudden
| torrent of tears; yet when / returned
again to the crown prince / found his
manner had entirely changed. He
treated his wife's natural resentment
! and indignation as huge joke, and 1t
| was then that his imperial highness
declared to me:
| 'Cilli is fool!"
|
Listen, Heltzendorff," his highness
exclaimed suddenly. I'm Nice l may
| disappear for day or two. l may be
missing. But If / am, please don't
raise a fuss about 1t. I'm incognito
and nobody will know. may be alb,
sent for seven days. Il am not back
by that time then you may make In
Quiry."
"But the Commissary Of Police Eek
ardt! He will surely known l re,
marked In surprise.
mo. He won't know. I shall evade
him as I've often done before" re
| piled his imperial highness. Il tell
you of my intentions so that you may
curb the activities Of our most esdma
BILE friend. Tell him not to worry, and
he will be paid a thousand marks OIL
the day Count Won Grunau reappears.'
smiled, for saw the influence OF
the eternal feminine
mo, Heltzendorff. You ere quite
mistaken" he said. reading N!
thoughts. There Is no lady in this
case. / am out here for secret pur
poses Of my own. For that reason
take you into my confidence rather
than that unnecessary inquiry should
be made and some of those inferna
journalists get hold Of the fact thai
the Count Won Grunau and the crown
prince are one and the same person.
was a fool to take this salon. ough
to have Travelled as an ordinary pas
senger, know, but" he laughed, "thi
is really comfortable and, after all
what do We care what the world thinks
-eh? Surely we can afford to laugh
at 1t when oil the honors of the game
are already in our hands"
His words mystif1ed me, but be
II