, 1917-07-12

1912. I became implicated in 1t
in q somewhat curious amer
] CHANGED to be lunching at the Es-
planade in Berlin, chatting with La
rogue of the French embassy. Our
hostess was Frau Breitenbach, a
wealthy Jewess-a oma who came
from Dortmund-and who was spend
ing money like water in order to
wriggle into Berlin society. As per-
sonal adjutant of the crown prince, 1
was, of course, n of the principal
guests, and I suspected that she was
angling for a card of invitation to the
next ball at the Marmor palace.
Frau Breitenbach was lunching with
sixteen guests at one big, round table,
her daughter Elise, a very smartly
dressed girl of nineteen, seated Oppo-
site to her. 1t was a merry party, in
Guiding, as 1t did, some of the most
renowned persons in the empire, among
them being the imperial chancellor,
Bethmann-H ollweg, and that grand
seigneur, who was n favorite at court,
the multimiIionaire serene highness,
Prince Macmillan Egon zu Fuersten-
berg. OF the latter 1t may be said that
no man rivaled his influence with the
emperor. What he said vas law in
Germany.
F~uerStenberg was head of h ia
nous princes trust now dissolved,
hui at that time, with its capital of
$500,000,0 900, II was n great force in the
German commercial world. Indeed,
such n boon companion was he of the
kaiser's that an august but purely dec
orative and ceremonial place was actu-
ally invented for him as colonel mar
shall of the PrusSian court, an excuse
to wear a gay uniform and gorgeous
decorations, as beftted n man who,
possessing a hundred millions, was an
important asset to the emperor in his
deep-laid scheme for world power.
Young Man Across the Room.
That merry luncheon party was the
prologue of a very curious drama. AS
we chatted ] noticed that far across
the crowded room, at a table set in a
window, there sat alone a dark-haired
sallow, good-looking young civilian
who was eating his lunch in a rather
bored manner, yet his eyes were fixed
straight upon Elise ~Breitenbach, as
hlpuEh Slt tAtINlHCb oNci lllII Jill
strange fascination.
Half a dozen times I glanced across
and on zach occasion saw that the
young man had no eyes for the no
tables around the table, his gaze being
fixed upon the daughter OF the great
fnancier.
Somehow / felt a distinct belief that
the young civilians face vas familiar
to me. II was not the first time l had
seen him, yet i could not recall the cir
cumstances in which we had met.
Two nights later / dined with the
Breitenbachs at their fine house in the
Alsenstrasse The only guest besides
myself was the Countess Won Basse,
witt, and utter dinner Frau Breiten'
bach took the countess aside to talk
while l wandered with her daughter
into the winter garden, with its high
palms and gorgeous exotics, that over
looked the gardens of the Austrian EN-
bassy.
When the man had brought us cot
fee, the pretty Elise commenced tC
question me about life at the crown
princes court.
"How intensely interesting 1t mus
be to be personal ad%jutant to tn,
crown prince! Mother is dying to ge
u command to II OF the receptions a
Sotsdam," the girl said. "Only toda!
ihe was wondering-well, whether yol
could possibly use your influence il
that direction"
In an instant ] saw why had beeI
invited to dinners and luncheons 81
often.