Williams news., 1917-08-23


 She took it, examined it well and then, with an artificial laugh, declared l:
 "It certainly is not mine. I once
 had bag very similar, but mine was not of such good quality"
 Are you really quite certain, count ess?" I demanded.
 | "Quite," she declared. "But why trouble about that bag while there is a point much more important-the safety and whereabouts of his imperial high neSS?" she went on in a great state of agitation. "Tell me, count, exactly what occurred-as far as you know" | l recounted to her the facts just as they have already been written down, and as did so watched her face, mo- ticing upon it an expression full of sus- picion of myself. She was, it seemed to me, undecided as to the exact extent of my knowledge.
 "How did you know that the young mans name was Krahl?" she asked, eagerly. "You had perhaps met him before-eh?"
 The Search. To this leading question I maintained a Sphinxlike silence. That the little old woman who had so unexpectedly become lady-in-waiting was playing some desperate double game I felt sure, but it's exact import was still an enigma.
 "In any case" she said, "would it not be as we'll to return to the Neue Schenke and make search?''
 I smiled. Then, in order to let her know that I was acquainted with Ita- lian, the language she had spoken on that well-remembered night in her own conservatory, exclaimed: "Ahe! ale volte con gli occhi aperti si far dei sogni." (Sometimes one can dream with ones eyes open.)
 Her thin eyebrows narrowed, and with a shrug of her shoulders the old woman replied:
 "Dal falso bene viene il vero male." (From an affected good feeling comes real evil.)
 l realized at that moment that there was more mystery in the affair than I had yet conceived. His imperial high ness was certainly missing, though the female element of the affair had be- come eliminated by my recognition of her own handbag. She, too, had been in secret to the forester's house-but with what object?
 Half an hour later we were back at the little house in the forest.
 The guests had all returned to the castle, and only Eckhardt, the police commissioner, remained, with a for ester and his underlings. Already search had been made in the surround ing woods, but without result. Of his imperial highness there was no trace.
 In the long room, with its pitch-pine walls, and lit by oil lamps, the old countess closely questioned Eckhardt as to the result of his inquiries. But the police official, who had become full of nervous fear, declared that he had been sent off by his highness, and had not since found any trace of him. He spoke of the little silk bag, of course, and attached great importance to it.
 Within half an hour we had reor- ganized the beaters from the neighbor- hood and, with lanterns, set out again to examine some woods to the east which had not been searched. About ten o'clock we set forth, the countess accompanying us and walking well, notwithstanding her age, though could see that it was fearful anxiety that kept her active. To the men with | us every inch of the mountain side was familiar, and for hours we searched.
 A Startling Discovery.
 Suddenly, not far away, horn was | blown, followed by loud shouts. Quick ly we approached the spot, and Eek hardt and myself, as we came up, looked upon strange scene. Close to the trunk of great beech tree lay the form of the crown prince, hatless, out stretched upon his face.
 Instantly I bent, .tore open his shooting jacket, and to my great relief found that his heart was still beating. He was, however, quite unconscious, though there seemed no sign of a struggle. As he had left his hat and gun in the house, 1t seemed that he had gone forth only for a moment. And yet we were quite mile from the foreSter's house!
 The countess had thrown herself up on her knees and stroked his brow ten derly when I announced that he was still living. By her actions saw that she was filled by some bitter self-re- proach.
 With the lanterns shining around a weird and remarkable scene which would, if described by the have caused great sen- sation in Europe-the crown prince was brought slowly back to conscious ness, until at last he sat up, dazed and 
 His first words to me were: 'That fellowl Where is he? That , that glass globeI"
 An hour later he was comfortably in ,