Tombstone epitaph., 1917-08-12

Dresden. because OF Won Fritsch's sug-
gestion. This course. I saw, would be
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 for
Brussels tonight. May be permitted
to come to discuss with your majesty
further elaboration of the plans?-
Won Metzsch."
The emperor read the secret mes.
sage twice.
ave go to Erfurt tomorrow, do we
nOt?" he said. Telegraph In cipher
TO Won Metzsch to meet us there to-
morrow evening at seven. And de-
strOy that message" he added.
/ obeyed his orders. and afterward
continued to deal with the state pa.
pers, much enlightened by the news
transmitted by the emperor's creature
1 confess that l felt the deepest
sympathy for the helpless victim. At
the SchlOss, high above the old-world
town Of Erfurt, Won Metzsch had o
long conference with the emperor. but
/ was unable 10 Overhear any word of
1t. All l know is that the controller
of the Saxon household left Erfurt for
Dresden by special train at midnight.
Poor, defenseless Louisa. You. my
dear LeQueux. to whom the princess q
few months afterward fled for advice
know well how sterling. how womanly
and honest she was; how she was one
victim of many of the unscrupulous
intrigues by which the arrogant wal
lord of Germany has until the present
managed to retain his throne.
The Crisis.
Well. / watched the course Of
events: watched eagerly and daily.
Twice had received letters from her
imperial highness, short notes in her
firm. bold handwriting.
From Won Metzsch came several
cipher messages 10 the emperor after
we had returned TO Potsdam, but Zorn
Won Bulach, my colleague. deciphered
all of them, and. as he was not my
friend, 1 did not inquire as to their
purport. l knew. however, that mat.
tiers in Dresden were fast approaching
Hapsburg princess could no longer sus-
tain the cruel and unjust pressure be-
ing put upon her undoing. That hun
dred of Germany's spies and agents
prOrocateurs were busy I realized
from the many messages by telephone
and telegraph passing between Berlin
and Dresden, and l felt certain that
the ruin of poor Princess Louisa was
nigh.
A significant message came TO Pots
dam late one December night-a mes.
sage which, when l deciphered it and
handed it to the emperor, caused him
TO smile.
The princess had left Dresden,
Three days later. on December 9
n further cipher telegram came from
Won MetZsch, in Dresden. which read !
Louisa has learned of the Sonnen |
stein project, and has left Salzburs
for Zurich, her brother accompanying |
Won Metzsch"
SOnnenstein. That was a private |
lunatic asylum!
In few moments the kaiser hat 1
summoned. by his private telephone |
Koehler, then chief of the Berlin Sc
cret police, and given orders that the |
princess be watched in Switzerland .
Half an hour later three police agent. |
were on their way to Zurich to follow
the poor, distracted woman, even be
yond the confines Of the empire.
She was, no doubt, in deadly feaI
of being sent to living tomb. so thai
her mouth should be closed forever
And seeing herself surrounded by enc
mics and spies on every hand-foI
even her brother Leopold, with whom
she had travelled to Switzerland, nov
refused to assist her-she adopted tn,
only method of further escape that a
the moment presented itself.
Alone and without anyone to advis.
her, she, as you know, took a desper
ate resolve, one alas! fraught with
consequences.
The iron had indeed entered tn,
poor princess soul.
Note by William Leoueux.
The denouement Of this base In
trigue will be best related in her i'm
perial highness' own words. In one
of her letters. which / have on my
table as l write. she says:
81 saw before me in those never-to
be-forgOtten days all the horrors of o
'Maison de Sante' What could / dol
l was friendless in strange hotel
Even Leopold seemed disinciined to
be further troubled by a runaway sis
ter. knew Frau Won Fritsch had ac-
cused me falsely of having secret love
affairs, and that the emperor had d.
rected the whole plot which was to
eliminate In my confinement in an
asylum. Suddenly a solution occurred
10 me. I remembered Monsieur Giron,
who had already suffered great.
" through his friendship with me. II
he joined me, then my flight from
Dresden would be considered as an
elopement, and l should escape a liv-
ng death in a madhouse! Monsieur
Iiiron was at that moment my only
friend. and IL was for that reason that
telegraphed to him at Brussels. Well,
ne joined me, and by doing so complet-
ID the emperor's triumph"
Copyright, 1911. BY William IeQueuxJ