, 1917-07-05

declared, ana ln~Slgnlncant foreign Ill
plomats were under the impression
that the emperor had at last deigned
to notice them.
The whole thing was a huge joke in
vented by the kaiser on the castle ter
race, and the court and the imperial
family were in fits of laughter over it
for a week.
A Message to the Emperor.
One afternoon when we were back
again at the palace at Potsdam the
emperor was explaining to me a GER
tain order he wished carried out. Pres
emily n of the flunkeys entered with
a private note for his majesty. The
emperor read it, and instantly I saw
that his countenance grew pale and
his manner changed.
He read 1t again, and then re-read
1t, his lips compressed, his eyebrows
narrowed, and his cheeks unduly pale.
Afterwards he struck a match and
burned the letter in the crate.
That missive no doubt contained
some grave news, the nature of which
I could not guess, because he suddenly
abandoned his work, and, telling me to
meet him in the study at eight o'clock
that evening, he strobe out.
When he had gone out / picked up
the blackened finder and examined 1t,
but it was so charred that l could not
read any word, though from the two
or three marks of the pen / realized
that 1t had been written by the hand
of a m
An hour later / learned that the EN-
peror had left Potsdam. He had by
receipt of that letter evidently become
seriously perturbed.
1 called the Turnkey who had handed
him the missive and questioned him.
He had received 1t from another serv-
ant who had received 1t from someone
else, until at last / discovered that it
one of the sentries On duty outside the
palace, who in due ours had sent it
in to his majesty.
While passing along n of the cor
ridors that evening l met bald-headed
old Won Klupfel, who was at that time
grand chamberlain, and he beckoned
me into his coZy room. Then, when the
door was closed, he asked
"What has h%appenedf The emperor
has left incognito and all of a sudden.
The state ball tomorrow night has been
cancelled"
Cancelled !" / echoed. "Where has
the emperor gomez"
Nobody knows-except Herman,
his personal valet, whom he has taken
with him."
Curious" / remarked, thinking Of
the letter, though, of course, i told Won
Klupfel nothing of 1t. Whatever tran
spired within his majesty's study was
always regarded as n strict secret.
More than one serious family quarrel
had occurred there in my presence.
swell, something serious has GER
tainly occurred. That is my belief"
declared the old chamberlain. Uncle
Zeppelin was coming to the palace to-
morrow on a visit, and / have just sent
him a telegram to postpone his jour
ney."
But his majesty had two important
engagements tomorrow, and, in addi-
ton, a military parade in Berlin" 1
said.
"All is Cancelled, my dear Won Helt-
zendorff," replied the old fellow. "The
emperor has left for Il destination un-
known. l suppose / had better report
his absence to the imperial chancel-
lori" he added.
mo, If 1 were you I would say moth
ing" 1 replied. For some private rea-
son his majesty has evidently been
forced to go on a journey. Without
doubt / shall hear from him tomorrow.
AS soon as 1 do so I will tell you"
A Telephone Message From "Herr
ZelIer."
Ny expectation was realized, for the
next day just after six o'clock In the
evening / received a telegram dispatch
ed from HARLEM, in Holland, ordering
me to go to the Adlon hotel, in Berlin,
al once and register there. The CON
Guiding words of the message, sent in
English, were: "You will receive a
telephone call at 10 80 tonight" 1t
was signed "Zeller," one of the names
used by the emperor when he travelled
incognito.
1 ordered the car and drove into Der.
lin, taking with me a small bag, and
engaged a room in Herr Adlon's hotel,
In which was a telephone.
Soon after ten o'clock / told the
telephone operator that If anyone rang
me up 1 should be In my room.
Half-past ten came, and then slowly
the hands of the clock passed round to
eleven, and past.
Suddenly there was a sharp ring
and / took up the receiver.
A strange voice sounding far away
asked for me, and I replied in the af'
firmative.