Williams news., 1917-08-23

a lady-in-waiting.
 The crown prince, too, soon became
 on friendly terms with her, and man!
 times I saw them chatting together as
 though exchanging condolences. Why.
 q can't make it out," declared Vor
 Behr, the chamberlain du service, tc
 me one day two months later. "The
 old woman has the most complete con.
 trol over her highness. Because she
 was averse to the journey we are not going to Norway this year. Besides since her appointment, she has sue ceeded in plotting the dismissal of the Countess von Scheet-Plessen. | A Conversation in Italian. One evening I went to the countess | house in the Stulerstrasse to a dinner party, at which there were present the l crown prince, Admiral von Spec from Kiel and Von nberg, the emperor's doc tor, together with the old Duke von Trachenberg, who held the honorary and out-of-date office of grand cup- bearer to the emperor, and the eternal "Uncle" Zeppelin. With us were a number of ladies, including their se- 4ShC IAShhCSoCS, luC 11hCCSS NOu Ild- dolin and the Duchess von Ratibor, both ladies of the court of the kaiser in, and several others of the ultra smart set.
 After the meal there was a small dance, and about midnight, after waltzing with pretty girl, the daugh- ter of the Baron von Heintze-Weissen- rode, we strolled together into the fine winter garden, with its high palms, its plashing fountains and it's cunning ly secreted electric lights.
 Two persons were approaching somewhere behind us, conversing in Italian-a man and woman.
 Flush !" I whispered mischievously. 'Listenl Do you know Italian?"
 Alas! mo-" was her reply. "Do you?"
 I did not answer, for I had already recognized the voices as those of our hostess and the crown prince.
 Next moment, however, my compan- ions quick ears caught that unroistak- able squeaky voice.
 ''Why, it's the countess l" she ex- claimed.
 His highness and the little old lady in-waiting seated themselves out of sight a short distance away and con- tinued a very confidential discussion in an undertone in the language in which, after German, happen per haps to be most proficient.
 The pair were discussing somebody named Karl Krahl.
 T saw the emperor today" declared the old woman, in her sibilant Italian, undoubtedly so that no one should un- derstand, for Italian is seldom spoken in Germany. "His majesty shares my views now, though he did not do so at first. Indeed, I was very near being dismissed in disgrace when I first preached the affair. But, fortunately, he now knows the truth and sees the advantage of-wen, you know, eh?'
 "Certo, contessa," replied the crown prince, who speaks Italian extremely well. q quite foresee the peril and the force of your argument"
 "How shall we act?" asked the old woman. 'tIt remains for you to devise a plan. At any moment matters may approach a crisis. One can never ac- count for the condolences exchanged by those who love each other. And, re- member, Krahl is in love-"
 The crown prince grunted, but as several couples entered at that mo- ment the pair broke off their confiden- tial chat and, rising, went out to- gether.
 Who was this Karl Krahl?
 l searched various directories, lists of persons engaged in the government offices in the Wilhelmstrasse, the and Unter den Lin den; consulted the director of Berlin police, Won Jagow; the well-known De- tective Schunke and Heinrich Wese- ner, assistant director of the secret service of the general staff; but mo- body knew Karl Krahl. There seemed to be no record of him anywhere.
 An Unexpected Caller.
 In October I accompanied his im- perial highness to Ballenstedt, the beautiful schloss in the Harz noun tains. Here once or twice each season the crown princes habit was to invite | AS" O1 AlS 1uOSL to shoot in the forests of Stecklenberg and the Lauenberg, and along that curious sandstone ridge known as the | Teufelsmauer, or Devils Wall"
 The guns consisted of five we'll known officers from Berlin, together | with Doctor Zeising, the master gen. eral of forests, and Lieutenant Gen. eral vOn OertZen the fat old insnector general of cavalry. AS usual, we all had most enjoyable time.
 On the third day, after a champagne luncheon taken at the forester's little | house at Neue Schenke, we were about | to resume our sport. Indeed, all the | guests had gone outside, preparing to | go to their allotted stations, when the | head forester entered and, addressing the crown prince, said:
 srThorn fc %0