The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-13
-NTESS VON SCHAUMBERG)
Russian Women

The prince suggested that I might well cultivate a Russian woman who was a great deal in the place, a cer- tain Mime. Wassi1tshikoff, who had once been maid of honor to the Car itsa of Russia and who afterwards be- came fascinated by the brother of the Czaritsa, the Grand Duke of Hesse
 She followed him to his home at Darmstadt, so that he had to cast her off; but when. the war came along, she romised to be useful, so that peo- pie took her up again.
 I took the hint the prince gave, and in a very short time was calling her Vera and she addressed me as Hilda. She held an informal gather ing once a week in her house, which she called a salon and called a menagerie. The oldest people came toit, even including such outcasts as this man Lenin and his friends.
 Separate Peace Plan
 The Hesse family, including Prin- cess Irene of Prussia, the Kaiser's own sister-in-law, were all working with the Russian Empress to bring about a separate peace between Rus sia and Germany. Vera Wassiltchi- koff was in this scheme right up to her eyes, as the Swiss people say; and because this man Lenin was all ways babbling about peace she en- couraged him to frequent her house.
 He used to stare at me, but took care to glance back as though he were the cur he really was, and in those days he never dared to address me. I knew I disturbed and cowed thim, and it pleased me to thing. it | though l never dreamed I should lift a finger to bring hirl to my feet What an idea that people should think I am hiding him now! Why. if l knew where he was, should cheer fully hand him over, as far as I am concerned, to the first of these Rus sian policemen, or assassins q do not know which they are) that might care to call for him.
 Vera Wassiltchikoff went off to Russia on her plan of a separate peace, and she managed things so badly there that she never got away again. It should have been easy enough to get out of a place like Rus sia, but they would not let poor Vera ] go-
 l After that lost sight of Lenin fo1 quite a long time; that is to say, ] did not meet him face to face. knew that he was proving about after me hanging about street corners to sec me go past, and wasting days in the useless attempt to get a look or g smile from me. I did not admit by one single glance that he existed; why should I?
 Moves to 'TUse'' Him
 It was not until we were all in structed to work for peace, and to lei all other aims take second place, that l I began seriously to consider Herr Lenin. He was a talker, you see; anG his talk seemed to carry weight among the mad Russians who sheltered il Switzerland by the thousand. I re membered things I had heard hin say in Vera's house when I pretend
 ed I was not listening at all.
 | He used to say that if the Russian soldiers would refuse to kill the Ger
 mans. no doubt the Germans anG
 Austrians would in return refuse t
 kill them
 And so, in spite of the accurset
 Car, and the equally vile Kaiser
 peace would come to the countrie
 whose people did not quarrel with on&
 another. Such nonsense neve
 heard! As if German soldiers woult
 stop fighting if their Kaiser did no wish it.
 Still I thought I might use him il some way, since the secret report } furnished the information of mysel 5 and a few others similar situate showed me that the discipline of tn Russian armies was being sapped b
 just that kind of talk, decided ? therefore, that it might not pe< / 5 waste of time to see a little of Her Lenin, and I acted accordingly. Lenin's Gang
 I flung him nod; I gave him 5 fleeting smile as he passed me;
 dropped a glove which he must need
 pick up and return to me. Then , had him at my heel, like the rougf 5 hairy mongrel dog of which he al : ways reminded me.
 A Gott in Himmel! but he was a bor, that Herr Lenin- Be brought bore
 by the dozen to the Villa Capresi-
 men and women who bored me S
 that had to give my maid 500 franC P for scratching and cuffing her or n night when they had all gone ava, F If I had not been able to punis
 somebody for the torture I endured e should have had mysteries. In an a case, the woman did not mind, fc e she bought with a. part of the none 4 a wrist watch and a pair of the higE " est boots I ever saw. and saved tt a rest.
 d GraSped Her Money
 Lenin was jealous of every man l whom I smiled; and that amused IT ;t little amid all my boredom. H '. women friends also did me the honC q of being jealous, and one of them, IS short-haired Russian girl who dresse e exactly like a man in a skirt, trie o to stab me one night with a lit e crooked knife. took 1t from ht
 A