Middletown transcript., 1917-07-28

L
| tire ignorance.
That 1t had a serious meaning I
quickly realized, for within half an
hour the crown prince and myself were
in the train on our 2OO-mile journey
| back to Berlin.
On arrival his imperial highness
drove straight to the Berlin Schloss,
and there had long interview with
! the emperor. At last was called into
the familiar palegreen room, the kai-
ser's private cabinet, and at once saw
that something untoward had oc-
Cured.
The emperor's face was dark and
thoughtful. The crown prince, in his
badly creased uniform betraying
long journey-so unlike his usual
spick-and-span appearance, stood ner-
vously by as the kaiser threw him.
self into his writing chair with deep
grunt and distinctly evil grace.
II suppose it must be DONE" he
growled to his son. ibid 1 not fore
see that the girl would constitute Sc
riOus menace? When she was in Ger
many she might easily have been ar
rested upon some charge and her
mouth closed. Bah! our political po-
lice service grows worse and worse.
We will have it entirely reorganized.
The director, Laubach, is far too SEN
timental, far too chicken-hearted."
| AS he spoke he took up his pen and
commenced to write rapidly, drawing a
deep breath as his quill scratched
upon the paper.
"You realize" he exclaimed angrily
presence there, because was part and
parcel of the great machinery of the
court, "yOu realize what this order
means? 1t is blow struck against our
cause-struck by mere slip Of girl.
Think, If the truth came QUIT Why,
all our propaganda in the United
States and Britain would be nullified
in a single day, and the good rela-
tons we are now extending on every
hand throughout the world in order to
misfead our enemies would be exposed
in all their true meaning. We cannot
afford that. 1t would be far cheaper
to pay twenty million marks-the an
nual cost of the whole propaganda in
IAmerica-than to allow the truth to be
known"
Suddenly the crown princes face
frightened, as though he had had
some inspiration.
1.-THE truth will not be known,
promise you," he said, with strange
grin. I knew that expression. III
meant that he had devised some fresh
plan. 'The girl is defiant today, but
she will not remain so long. I will
take your order, but I may not have
occasion to put it in force"
"Ah! You have perhaps devised
something 1 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"
said, in order to remind him Of my
presence there.
"Ah! Yes. You know this Miss
King, do you not?"
81 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
CURLY dismissed me.
waited in the corridor until his i'm
perial highness came forth. When he
did so he looked flushed and seemed
agitated. There had, knew, occurred
a violent scene between father and
son, for to me it seemed as though
"Willie" had again fallen beneath the
influence Of a pretty face.
He drove me in big Mercedes
over to Potsdam where had a guam
tity. Of military documents awaiting at
tention, 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 King.
After dinner that night returned to
my wOrkroom. when, upon my blOtting-
pad, I found a note addressed to me
in the crown princes sprawling hand
Opening it, found that he had scrib-
bled this message:
81 have left. Tell Eckhardt not to
trouble Come alone, and meet me
tomorrow night at the Palast hotel,
in Hamburg. I shall call at seven
o'clock and ask for Herr Richter.
shall also use that name. Tell no.
body of my journey, not even the
crown princess Kronprinz."
1 read the note through a second
time, and then burned it.
Next day l 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 midnight, but, though
1 sat in the private room 1 had en-
gagged. no visitor arrived.
Just after twelve, however 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 our
way across to Harwich. You have EVIL
IDENTIFY discovered at last that am not
the helpless girl you believed me to be-.
When VOTE German nnlice arrested NV