Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-07-05

one of the imperial SerV-
ants, entering the kaiser's study, where
1 was awaiting him.
AS I passed downstairs to the room,
to which entrance was forbidden even
to the crown prince himself, | natur-
ally wondered why I had been COM
manded to audience there.
'Have you any knowledge of the
contents of the letter which you have
brought from the crown prince?" the
emperor asked bluntly.
l replied in the negative.
"Wher6 are you going now?" he ask
ed suddenly.
"To Thorn. His imperial highness
inspects the garrison there on Thurs
day." I said.
"Ah! Of course. I intended TO go,
but it is impossible"
Then after a pause, the emperor
looked me straight in the face and
suddenly said:
''Heltzendorff, have you any knowl-
edge of any man called Minckwitz?'
I reflected.
ST know Count Won Minckwitz, grand
master of the court of the duke of
| Saxe-Altenburg," was my reply.
mo. This is man, Wilhelm Minck-
| WITT, who poses as a musician"
I shook my head.
"YOu are quite certain that you have
never heard the name? Try to recol-
| lect whether the crown prince has
| ever mentioned him in your presence y
I endeavored to recall the circum-
stance, for somehow very gradually |
| felt q distinct recollection of having
once heard that name before.
cat the moment I fail to recall any
thing, your majesty" was my answer.
The emperor knit his brows as
though annoyed at my reply, and then
| grunted deeply in dissatisfaction.
"Remain here in Potsdam," he said,
Telegraph to the crown prince re-
| calling him at my orders, and I will
cancel the inspection at Thorn. Tell
the crown prince that I wish to see
| him tonight Immediately upon his re-
! turn"
Then, noticing for the first time that
the emperor held a paper in his hand
I realized by its color that it was one
| of those secret reports furnished for
the kaiser's eye alone-a report Of one
| of the thousands of spies Of Germany
spread everywhere.
| Minckwitz! I impressed that name
| upon my memory, and, being dismissed
| bowed myself out Of the imperial pres
| ence.
Returning to the Marmor palace
| sent q long and urgent message over
! the private wire to "Willie" at al
| tona, repeating his majesty's orders
and recalling him at once. Quite well
I knew that such an unusual MESA &c
would arouse his highness' apprehen
| sion that for some offenSe or other he
| was about to receive q paternal cas-
! tigatiOn. But I could not be explicit
! because I had no knowledge Of the
! reason the emperor was canceIing oul
engagement at Thorn.
"Did He Ask You That"
At nine o'clock that night the crown
| prince burst into the room wherein
was attending to the correspondence
''What in the name of fate does al
this mean, Heltzendorff?" he demand
ed. why did the emperor fail to re
ply to my message?"
81 delivered it." l said. And then
described what took place in the en-
peror's private dining room. Whel
mentioned the name of Minckwitz the
crown princes cheeks blanched.
Did he ask you that?" he gasped.
Eyes. l told him that the only per
son / knew of that name was Coun
Won Minckwitz"
''Ah that little fat, old master Of tn,
court. GA. The emperor knows hin
well enough. 1t is somebody else he
is referring to-"
His majesty wishes to see you a.
once" urged, full of wonder.
l could plainly see that his Imperial
highness had been much upset at men
ton of the mysterious person called
| Minckwitz What could the emperor
know of him? Was there some scan
dial at the root Of 1t all. some fact!