Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-08-10

away unseen rocOllecteQ tne KAISER |
unrelenting vindictiveness.
Poor princess! l knew that the red |
talons of the Hohenzollern eagle would |
sooner or later be laid heavily upon |
her.
She left Berlin two hours later, but |
half an hour before her departure I
found a hurriedly scribbled note upon
my table explaining that she had had !
"a few unpleasant words with the en-
peror," and that she was leaving for
Dresden a day earlier than had been
arranged.
A fortnight passed. Twice Baron
Won Metzsch came to Potsdam, and
was on each occasion closely closeted
with the emperor, as well as having
frequent consultations with Judicial
Councillor Lohlein. 1 had strong sus-
picion that the conspiracy against the
lively daughter of the Hapsburgs was
still in progress, for felt assured that
the kaiser would never forgive those
words of defiance from woman's lips,
and that his vengeance, slow and sub
tie, would assuredly fall upon her.
did not know at the time-not, in
deed, until fully three years later
how the actions of Won MetZsch, who
was creature of the kaiser, had from
the first been instigated by the all
highest, who, from the very day of the
princess marriage, had, notwithstand-
ing his apparent graciousness toward
of hot
should never become queen of SaXOny.
For that reason, namely, because
the emperor in his overweening vanity
believed himself to be the heaven-sent
ruler of the destinies of the German en-
ptre, was much opposed to an Austrian
princess as q potential queen at Dres-
den, and had set himself the task to ruin
the poor woman's life and love and to
arouse such scandal concerning her
that she could not remain in Saxony
with every finger pointing at her in
opprobrium and scorn.
! Decipher Message for the Kaiser.
A fresh light, however, was thrown
| upon what l afterward realized to be
an astounding conspiracy by the re-
ceipt of cipher message late one No
vember night at Potsdam. l was at
work alone with the emperor in the
pale green upstairs room, reading and
placing before him a number of state
documents to which he scrawled his
| scribbly signature, when the telegram
was brought.
''Decipher that, Heltzendorff," he
commanded, and went on with the
work Of reading and signing the docu.
ments, while 1 sat down with the red
leather-covered code book, and pres
emily found that the message, which
was from Dresden, read:
Frau Won Fritsch today had an in
terview with Giron, the French tutol
to the crown princess children, but
unfortunately the latter refuses to ad
NIT any affection for Louisa. GiroI
angrily declared his intention to leave
Dresden, because of Won Fritschs sug
gestion. This course, 1 saw, would bt
unfortunate for our plans, therefore
urge the king to induce Louisa to re
quest him to remain. She has done so
but to no avail, and Giron left fol
Brussels tonight. May be permitted
to come to discuss with your majest!
a further elaboration of the plans?-
Won Metzsch."
The emperor read the secret mes
sage twice.
1--WE go to Erfurt tomorrow, do W,
notr he said. Telegraph in ciphe
to Won Metzsch to meet US there to
morrow evening at seven. And de
u stroy that message" he added.
I obeyed his orders, and afterwar'
continued to deal with the state pa
pers, much enlightened by the new
transmitted by the emperor's creature
l confess that l felt the deepes
sympathy for the helpless victim. A
the Schloss, high above the old-worl
town of Erfurt, Won Metzsch had
long conference with the emperor, bu
I was unable to overhear any word o
1t. All 1 know is that the controlle
of the Saxon household left Erfurt fo
[ Dresden by special train at midnight.
J Poor, defenseless Louisa! You, m
dear LeQueux, to whom the princess
: few months afterward fled for advic,
know well how sterling, how womanl
} and honest she was; how she was on
victim of many Of the unscrupulou
l intrigues by which the arrogant wa
| lord of Germany has until the preseI
managed to retain his throne.
Well, I watched the course {
: events; watched eagerly and dali,
J, Twice 1 had received letters from he
f imperial highness, short notes in he
firm, bold handwriting.
. From Won Metzsch came sever;
l cipher messages to the emperor aftt
4 we had returned to Potsdam, but Zor
Won Bulach, my colleague, deciphere
u all of them, and, as he was not n
e friend, I did not inquire as to the
e purport. 1 knew, however, that ma
V tiers in Dresden were fast approachir
S a crisis, and that the unfOrtuna
y Hapsburg princess could no longer su
o tain the cruel and unjust pressure b
7. ing put upon her undoing. That hu
h dred of Germany's spies and agen
|, pEOhOCdlSuTS were DuSS IedllLt
l from the many messages by telepho1
l. and telegraph passing between Berl
o and Dresden, and l felt certain th
It the ruin of poor Princess Louisa W;
# nigh.
y A significant message came to Pot
n dam late one December night-a me
sage which, when 1 deciphered it al
u handed it to the emperor, caused hi
to smile.
Y The princess had left Dresden!
J." Three days later, on December
n d further cipher telegram came fro
It Won Metzsch, in Dresden, which reaC
e Louisa has learned of the Some
stein project, and has left Salzbu
n for Zurich, her brother accnmpsnyin
Ii -VoR Met2sch."