The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-12-19
CHAPTER xI-continued.

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We accordingly entered very large
sitting room. The empress, in a negli-
gee of her favorite royal purple. en-
tered and shook hands with me cor
daily. She looked very worn, and 1t
was plain that she had been suffering
considerable pain and loss of sleep.
She had a handsome figure and was
stately In her carriage. but her crown
Ing glory was a prOfusiOn of white
hair. She was then f1fty-fOur years old,
but her hair had turned white many
years before.
1t was said, indeed, that the change
had been brought about rather sudden
ly as a result of certain drugs she had
taken in an effort to avert tendency
TO avoirdupOiS which had developed.
I know the kaiser loathed fat wOm-
en-. On more than one occasion he
had said to me as he babe me fare
well: ''Well, Davis, you have kept me
dere talking so long you have almost
spoiled my morning walk, but I'll take
a walk through the Tiergarten just the
same" and then he would add disgust
eddy, "where presume 1 will have to
greet all the fat JewesSeS In the
park 70
But to return to the kaiserin: The
ka1serin's physician Joined US, and
there were several maids-very supe
rior young wOmen-iG attendance upon
their royal mistress.
After 1 had examined the empress
and had given my advice, the physi-
clan explained to me in a low voice
hot g h.
and not do much, as he was afraid Of
her physical condition.
Anything you do for her majesty"
he explained, would require giving an
anaeSthetic. She is not in condition to
stand pain without. The only anaes-
thetic her majesty will take is chlOro-
form. I've administered it to her eleven
times and l know just what it means.
I'm afraid of her heart at this time.
Indeed, just as soon as l can get her
Into condition l want her to go to
Nauheim for the cure"
His alarming words caused quite
furry among the maids and they
crowded around the empress and
begged her to have nothing done that
day but to endure her suffering a little
AOh6CL III nope IildI T0nO1 WOuiu
come without the necessity of an oper-
alton at that time. Their pleadings
prevailed upon the patient to postpone
the treatment.
This made the kaiser very angry and
he walked up and down the room i'm
patiently.
''Here," he said. give got Doctor
Davis to come in on q Sunday after
noon, and you want to be in shape for
the ball on Tuesday, and now you
won't have anything done! That's the
way with the women!''
Then he turned to me and said !:
well, Davis, I'm sorry to have spoiled
your day" And he dashed out of the
room. apparently much provoked. 1
felt had almost witnessed a family
quarrel, but the incident indicated to
me that whatever hopes the kaiser
might entertain of one day dominat-
Ing the world, he had not yet acquired
nndisputed dominion in his own house
hold!
l did not see the kaiserin again for
nearly q year, when she came to my
office with lady-in-waiting.
She arrived in her own car Its ap-
pr0ach was heralded by the imperial
''Tadi-Tada" without the concluding
'"Ta-Ta," which latter was reserved
exclusively for the kaiser, and not
even the kaiserin was allowed to use it.
The kaiser's "Tadi-Tada-Ta-Ta" was
the subject of much sarcasm among
the prOletariat, who Satirically put it
to the words: "Celerie-Salat-Ta-Ta,"
IL, -,
table which cOntrasted most unfavor
ably with the simple meals to which
they were accustomed; while the So
cialists showed their sentiments very
plainly by imprOviSing the words /:
H'VOn Unsern Geld-Ta-Ta," meaning,
1'FrOm our money-ta-ta," referring to
the royal immunity from taxation
which was one of their bitterest pills.
1t was not long after 1 had known
the kaiserin before she made clear to
me that she possessed n most dicta-
torial manner, which was quite in con-
trast with that of the kaiser, at least
when he was in my office.
She objected strenuOusly to remov-
sng her hat-and she usually wore a
large one with a veil-but finally yield
ed when 1 explained that l could not
accomplish my work satisfactorily un-
Tess she did. When 1 placed cotton
rolls in her mouth, she insisted that as
she did not like the sensation of the
cotton against her lips or tongue,
would have to encase the cotton in
eubber.
I told her politely but firmly that my
CsO1k would be done in my own way
aEsd she finally acquiesced, adding
<'Weu, if you make such point of it
doctor, I suppose shall have to lei
you have your way"
From that time on the kaiserin came
to me more or less regularly. Hei
Iackey usually followed her into the
house carrying an artistic lunch box o.
bag containing sandwiches and bOuil
ION, of which the empress partook il
any office The Princess Vfctori.
Louise, the kaiser's only daughter,
may mention. usually came similarl.
provided No German ever lets any
thing interfere with his second break
fast.
The empress never spoke on politi
cal subjects She was not participant