The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-08-18

'Of course, of course" replied the
emperor, turning in his chair. Come
in and close the door. 1t has turned
quite cold tonight. Well?' he asked,
| looking at her inquiringly.
The court dancing mistress hesitated
for a second. Their eyes met, and in
that glance saw complete understand
ing.
MAY speak in confidence with your
majesty?" she asked, advancing into
the room. Except the court ladies she
was the only female at court whom
| the sentries stationed at the end of
the corridor allowed to pass to his
majesty's private cabinet.
But Frau Kleist had access every
where. Her eyes were the eyes of the
emperor. Many a diplomat, fnancier,
military or naval commander has been
raised to position of favorite because
| he first secured the good graces of the
ex-ballerina. And, alas many good,
| honest man has been cast out of the
Potsdam circle into oblivion because
of the poisonous declaration of that
smiling, bejeweled old woman.
'Of what do you wish to speakF' in
CURED the emperor.
"Of the Reitschel affair."" was the
old woman's low reply.
At her words the kaiser frOwned
slightly, and dismissed me. 1 bowed
myself out, and closed the door upon
the emperor and his clever female spy.
That she should have at that late
hour come from Potsdam-for, looking
down into the courtyard, 1 saw the
| lights of her big Mercedes showed
/ that some underhand work was in
progress.
By handling, as I did, hundreds of
secret reports which reached the en-
peror 1 had learned much concerning
Herr Anton Reitschel, and from old
Won DOnaustauf, master of ceremonies
1 had also been able to obtain. certain
missing links concerning the intrigue
Reitschel, a burly, round-faced, fair
haired PrusSian Of quite superior type
held the position of chief director OF
the German-Ottomanb bank in COnstan-
tinople His duty for the past three
years had been to conciliate the sultan
and to lend German money to any in
dustrial enterprise in which any grain
of merit could possibly be discovered
He had been singled out, taken from
the Dresdner bank, and sent to Con.
stantinople by the kaiser in order tC
play Germany's secret game in Turkey
especially that of the Bagdad rail
way-and to combat with German gold
Great Britain's diplomacy with TewfiB
Pasha and old Abdul Hamid, in view
of "The Day." which the emperor had
long ago determined should soon dawn
As old Won Donaustauf had put it:
"Our employer intends that, notwith.
standing Britain's policy in the neal
East, Germany shall soon rule from
Berlin to Bagdad. Herr Reitsche1 is
in reality charged with the work OF
'Germanizing' the Ottoman empire
That 1 already knew by the many Sc
cret reports of his which arrived sc
constantly from Constantinople.
Truly the game which the emperor
was playing in secret against the Other
powers of Europe was desperate one
On the one hand, the kaiser was max
ing pretence of fair dealing with Great
= Britain and France, yet on the Other
his agent, Herr Reitschel, was evel
busy lending money in all directions il
order to secure favor in Germany's In
terest.
Yet q further game was being played
namely, that while the kaiser was max
ing pretence of being the best friend Of
the sultan Abdul Hamid. visiting Con
stantinople and Palestine, building
fountains, endowing Institutes, yet h
was also secretly supporting the Youn:
Turk party so as to effect the sultan:
downfall.
Herr Anton had been paying a mum
, Der of flying visits to Berlin, and haC
many private audiences of both kaise
and sultan.
Suddenly all of US were surprised b.
the announcement that the kaiser's IA
vored civilian in Turkey had marrie'
: MademoiseIle Julie de LagareDne
, daughter of Paul de Lagarenne, son o
: the great French sugar ref1ner, an
, secretary Of the French embassy a
} Rome. A week after that news wa
; spread 1 met them both in Kranzler'
in Inter den Linden, and there he in
5 troduced me to a pretty, dark-haired
: vivacious young Frenchwonan, VIII
spoke German well, and who told m
that her husband had already give
I In her name for presentation at tn
: next court.
/ That was about a month prior {
: OrviIle Wright's flight and the mid
. night visit of Frau Kleist to the en-
s peror.
e Truth to tell, the old woman's mer
a ton OF Herr Reitschel's name cause
4 three weeks before I had gathered cel
tain strange facts from a secret repoE
q of 8 spy, who in ConstantinopIe ha
been set to. watch Herr Reitschel's d.