The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-08-11
The Secrets d,4e ~Hbhen5d)emC
TOLD BY COUNT ERNST Won HlTZENDORFF TO WILLIAM LEQUEUX

All! You have perhaps devised
something-eh? 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"
II was summoned, your majesty" 1
said, In order to remind him of my
presence there.
"Ah! Yes. You know this Miss
King, do you not7"
II received her in Plymouth was
my reply.
"Ah! then you will recognize her.
Probably your services may be very
urgently required within the next few
hours. You may CO." and his majesty
curtly dismissed me.
l waited in the corridor until his i'm
perial highness came forth. When he
did so he looked flushed and seemed
agitated. There had, l knew, occurred
a violent scene between father and
son, for to me 1t seemed as though
willie" had again fallen beneath the
influence Of a pretty face.
He drove me in q big Mercedes
over to Potsdams where I had a GUAM
tity of military documents awaiting at
t%ention, and after a change of clothes,
I tackled them.
Yet my mind kept constantly revert
ing to the mystery surrounding the
golden butterfly.
A Note From Miss Kino.
After dinner that night I returned to
my workroom, when, upon my blotting-
pad, l found a note addressed to me-
In the crown princes sprawling hand.
Opening it, I found that he had scrib-
bled this message:
II have left. Tell Eckhardt not to
trouble. Come alone, and meet me
tomorrow night at the Palast hotel,
In Hamburg. 1 shall call at seven
o'clock and ask for Herr Richter. l
shall also use that name. Tell no.
body of my journey, not even the
crown princess-Wilhelm, Kronprinz."
l read the note through a second
time, and her burned it.
Next day 1 arrived at the Palast
hotel, facing the Binnenalster, In Ham,
burg, giving my name as Herr Rich
ter.
At seven o'clock I awaited his high
ness. Eight o'clock came-nine-ten
even eleven-midnight, but, though
l sat In the private room I had en-
gagged. no visitor arrived.
Just after twelve, however, a waiter
brought up a note addressed to Herr
Richter.
Believing it to be meant for me. I
opened it. To my great surprise, I
found that it was from the mysterious
Miss King, and evidently intended for
the crown prince. 1t read:
my brother was released from the
Altoona prison this evening" pre-
sumo, owing to your Intervention
and we are now both safely on u
way across to Harwich. You have evil
IDENTIFY discovered at last that I am not
the helpless girl you believed me to be-.
When your German police arrested my
brother Walter in Bremen as a spy
of Britain 1 think you will admit that
they acted very injudiciously, in face
of all that my brother and myself know
today. AT Plymouth you demanded,
as the price of Walters liberty, that I
should become attached to your secret
service in America and betray the man
who adopted me and brought me up as
his own daughter. But you never
dreamed the extent of my knowledge
OF your country's intrigues; you did
not know that, through my brother
and the man who adopted me as his
daughter, l know the full extent of
your subtle propaganda. You were, 1
admit, extremely clever, Herr Richter,
and l confess that I was quite charmed
when you sent me, as souvenir, that
golden butterfly which I returned to
you as a mark of my refusal and def
ance Of the conditions you imposed
upon me for the release of my brother
from the sentence of fifteen years In
a fortress. This time, Herr Richter, a
woman wins. Further, 1 warn you
that If you attempt any reprisal m
brother will at once expose Germany's
Vaccinations abroad. He has, 1 as
sure you, many good friends, both In
Britain and America. Therefore If you
desire silence you will make no effort
to trace me further. Adieu I"
Twelve hours later / handed that let
ter to the crown prince in Potsdam.
Where he had been In the meantime I
did not know. He read it through;
then he crushed it in his hands and
tossed it into the fire.
Copyright, 1917, William LeQueux.)
Navy older Than Government.