Evening star., 1922-04-30
cess "A Hapbmg M,,ey-By William LeQueux

l saw the princess daily at CiaF-
idge's, and often we lunched together
at the Carlton, the Berkeley, the Plea
dilly and other places, yet she made
no mention of those secret visits to
Charlotte street.
One evening when we were all din
ing together at Claridges, she sud
denly said:
I'm tired Of London for a little bit.
A woman met yesterday said that
Llandudno, in North Wales, is a
charming spot. We will go there for
a fortnight or so. The Imperial Ho-
tel is good, they say. Mr. LIE Queux
will you wire tomorrow and see il
they can give US a suite of rooms? a?
OF course shall go incognito."
promised. and next day 1 ar
ranged by telegraph that we should
go on the following Tuesday.
THOUGH 1 had been at Llandudno
before-when once l was staying
at Colwyn Bay-neither Leopoldine
Wales before. They were charmed
with it.
One evening after tea she went out
alone for stroll onto the promenade,
as she frequently did and from my
window I watched the direction she
took. Then, going for a walk my
self, I followed her at some distance.
intending to meet her as she returned.
At the farther end Of the splendid
nj q "a
overlook a person in a bath chair.
and as / crossed the road and ap-
preached nearer l was able to discern
that the invalid was pale, thin
faced young man. and that he was
being wheeled by an older man.
Both were rather poorly but respecta-
bly, dressed.
It was obvious that the meeting
there was by appointment. for the
invalid shook her hand warmly.
! while his companion raised his hat.
Then the chair was pushed to a shell
ter close by, where the princess sat
upon a seat and gossiped with the
pair.
All this interested me, SO / watch
ed. Was 1t possible that we had
been brought to North Wales in Or
der that she should have opportunity
to meet the invalid? That some mys-
terious affair was In progress I was
quite convinced.
She remained with them for half
an hour and then returned to the
hotel, after gripping the invalid's
hand and waving him an affectionate
| farewell.
Following the bath chair at dis
tance, saw 1t pun up in side road.
| when, to my surprise, the invalid.
clean -shaven young man Of about
! twenty-eight. rose from the chair and
ascended the steps quite briskly: The
manner in which he walked caused
me to wonder il he were not sham
| ming.
At dinner that night her highness
| told us that she had had such a nice
| walk around the Great Orme. which
! was In the opposite direction!
made no comment, but I was more
than ever puzzled.
THE emperor had placed into my
hands a very delicate and difficult
ways more sharp than mans, and
1 saw that Leopoldine could outwit
me every time.
| The visitors at the hotel. mostly
honest money-making Lancashire
folk. were, of course, in complete
| ignorance that the handsome, dark
haired foreigner who spoke rather
loudly and gesticulated with natural
high spirits, was an imperial prin-
cess. She was known as Mile. Won
+, Chertek and posed as the daughter OF
| the baroness. Hence it was amusing
| to see how polite every one was to
the baroness, who spoke English 50
well and referred. to my daughter
kept a watchful eye upon the in
| valid and. his companion. Each day
her highness met them as though
casually, but undoubtedly by appoint
| ment. There was a glass shelter at
the extreme end Of the promenade
which was their usual meeting place
| and on most occasions the elder man
who wheeled the chair. went off for
| half an hours quiet smoke while she
chatted with the invalid. Often she
carried big boxes Of cigarettes and
mysterious little parcels Of daintie'
to him. Then. when they parted. the
two men would go back to their lodg'
ings in evident high spirits.
| What was the meaning OF it all?
At last 1 resolved to idle in the
vicinity Of the house at night and
watch. One night I pleaded that
wanted to go to the local theater and
SO escaped from the hotel. had only
watched the mems lodgings fol
twenty minutes when both of then
emerged, the invalid walking as east
1y as did. They turned the corner
| and together went to cinema
That showed me that the invalid
was shamming. The two men were
playing some clever game. and 1t was
UP to me, as agent of the emperor. te
fathom it and prevent further
scandal.
Having seen the pair into the pic.
ture show, I returned to the hotel
and, with the excuse that could mol
get a seat at the theater. sat dowr
to chat with Leopoldine in our pri'
vate sitting room.
| 4 Xxx
WE were both smoking. when
suddenly asked:
| when shall we leave this place
It's too full Of trippers. Don't you
agree, Baroness?"
The baroness at once agreed. She
always did.