Evening star., 1922-08-27
Spendthrift Princess Louise of Belgium
Holds Record for Shopping and Borrowing
Hnto-Fomer Empress

i, ''The well-born captain doubtless re-
members" he said. that the late En-.
peror Of Mexico was Archduke Maxi
milan. brother of Germany's august
ally. Emperor Francis Joseph OF Aus
tria."
"Ach, So?"
Then the master OF ceremoniez
went over the whole story; how the
studious but impractical Maximilian
married lovely Carlotta, daughter OF
King Leopold I of Belgium. and lived
happily in their castle at Trieste. He
told how the American civil wal
tempted Emperors Francis Joseph
and Napoleon III to set up western
empire in Mexico.
THE time was ripe-when Juarez
was unable to unite the Mexican
factions. and the United States was
too busy with the civil war to assert
the Monroe doctrine. They set up
Archduke Maximilian and Carlotta on
army to back them.
He told how Maximilian failed ut
terly to win the confidence of the
Mexican people. and how, the Ameri-
can civil war being over, the United
States warned France and Austria
that the Monroe doctrine still waved
The European army was withdrawn
and Macmillan and Carlotta were left
to shift for themselves.
In vain did Carlotta rush back to
Europe. imploring all the royalties for
succor! Maximilian was shot by the
Mexicans, and sweet Carlotta, twenty
five years old. went ravinE crazy!
For fifty years She has dwelt here
in her native Belgium" said the mas
ter Of ceremonies. living with hel
imperial retinue. her nurses and at
tendants. She knows nothing that has
happened. Since her husbands tragic
death she has been hopelessly insane
no longer violent. as when she tried
to burn the chateau, but living over
again her years Of happiness as en-
press
Through q peep-hole in an iron
gate. the captain glimpsed a tall And
slender old lady of commanding mien
all in black, who stood najestieally
gasing at nothing. while the ladies'
In waiting waited.
"wunderbar!" said Capt. von
schmitz; ana diligently he reported
the affair to his superior. Later. a
placard was put up at the lodge gate
warning all and sundry not to ring
the bell. 1t was signed by . German
staff officer.
But, higher up. the plans about Car
lotta were already being put into
operation.
This was IIouiee's Aunt Carlotta
whose great fortune she must soon IN
herit.
rARLoTTA. being sister TO the late
~ old King Leopold twho could men,
ton 100000 francs a. "All that
inherited from my mother and fAthef")
she was already a great heiress when
she married Maximilian.
All these fifty years her capital had
been accumulating in the hands OF the
Prince de Lsne, her guardian. Not
half the income was used annually to
keep up her imitation court. And Leo.
pold, that grand business man, let hel
in on the round floor to the Konso
TO international steamship reorsanixa.
tions, and the building operations oi
Ostend and Brussels : So today Car.
iotta's fortune reaches anywhere from
S12,oeo,oo0 to 31s,0oo,oo0i
To inherit It there are Just Louis,
and her sister. stephanis, on the on.
hand. and. on the other, the children
! Of Carlotta's other brother. the Ceunt
Of F1Anders--includins the present KIM
Albert
How else could the money possibly 60.
Tut tut! It could 60 BY will, coult
It not? TO whom she, CArlottA, nigh
please to leave II.
What, mad cArlottA make . viii?
Exactly. Al thA war went on, ii
1915, an interesting series Of reports
had been wafily press-aEented t.
American and, English papers. A
Dutch specialist, DR.. Ceyso, was i'm.
| proving Carlotta's mind! As early
las February. 1914, whan the German
armies were only preparing to In.
wade Belgium, the campaign Wal
started. carlotta ID "half insane
she IL ''thres.auartsrs sane" Soon
she will be able to make tsstamen'
| tary disposition Of her fortune ~ sht
The words are in tn, report. Tn,
! German armies were with Carlotti
four years. All paAsss - II = viii
disinheritins her Belgian hsirS II
<.vnr nf tina aArtna aniA farntty a,
kings had bSsn made ready to sprint
when carlotta should dis--unAoubt
sdIy, haA Germany won the wAs.
/ Uven now mAtsriA1 may b. expSst'
sa fdk 8 vsrY ssnsA4ienai lAW1uif. =,
1fye ~ ooIOf. It would s144G fiAax 1
| m0t1srnte par4 Of 4hS orix xfuns foffia6,