, 1917-07-26

when, n week later, 1t was announced
that she had actually been appointed
Il lady-in-waiting.
The crown prince, too, soon became
on friendly terms with her, and many
times L saw them chatting together as
though exchanging condolences. Why?
~ can't make it out" declared Won
Behr, the chamberlain du service, to
me one day W. months later. 'The
old mi has the most complete con-
troll 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 Won Scheet-Plessen.
A Conversation in Italian.
One evening l went to the countess
house in the StulerstrHsse to a dinner
party, at which there were present the
crown prince, Admiral Won Spec from
Kiel and Won nberg, the emperor's doc
tor, together with the old Duke Won
T~rachenberg, 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and Out-of-date office of grand cup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 Sc
rene highnesses, the Princess Won RAJ
dolin and the Duchess Won 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 a pretty girl, the daugh-
ter of the Baron Won HeintZe-W eissen-
rode, we strolled together into the fine
winter garden, with its high palms,
its FLASHING fountains and its cunning
ly secreted electric lights.
Two persons were approaching
somewhere behind us, conversing in
Italian-a man and II IN
Flush" 1 whispered m~ischievously.
'Listen! Do you know Italian?"
ALAS! no." was her reply. "Do
your"
1 did not answer, for 1 had already
recognized the voices as those of our
hostess and the crown prince.
Next moment, however, my c0mpan-
IONS quick ears caught hat unlcistak-
able squeaky voice.
"Why, it's the countess! she ex
claimed.
His highness and the little old lady
in-waiting seated themselves out of
sight u short distance away and con-
tinued a very confidential discussion
in an undertone in the language in
which, after German, / happen per-
hans IN he most prnfipipDt
The pair were discussing somebody
named Karl Kruhl.
81 saw the emperor today" declared
the old woman, in her sibilant italian,
undoubtedly SC that no one should I'M
derstand, for Italian is seldom spoken
in Germany. Ellis majesty shares my
views now, though he did not do so at
dismissed in disgrace when / first
broached the affair. But, fortunately,
he now knows the truth and sees the
advantage of-well, you know, eh?"
"Certo, contessa," replied the crown
prince, who speaks Italian extremely
well. 81 quite foresee the peril and
the force of your argument"
Ilo" Sliuil we act! uSheu TIE Olu
woman. at remains for you to devise
II plan. AT any moment matters may
approach n 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 ut hat mo-
ment the pair broke Off their confiden-
tlal chat and, rising, ven out to-
gether.
Who was this Karl Krahl?
l searched various directories, lists
of persons engaged in the government
offices in the WilhelmstraSSe, the
Liepzigerstrasse and Inter den Lin
den; l 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 no
body knew Karl Krahl. There seemed
to be no record of him anywhere.
An Unexpected Caller.
In October L accompanied his i'm
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
Il few of his most intimate chums 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 Zelsing, the master gen
erSl of forests, and Lieutenant Gen
eral Won Oertzen, the fat old inspector
general of cavalry. AS usual, we all
had II most enjoyable time.
On the third day, after a champagne
luncheon taken ut the forester's little