Evening star., 1922-04-30

aDoue tnere IeW days Defore our
| arrival.
For several days I was greatly per-
| turbed, and at last 1 decided on a
bold course-one which might we'll
| have failed had not, my diplomatic
manner, which / supposed must be
| inborn. stood me in good stead.
While the two men were out one
afternoon I called dpon their land
lady to inquire if she had any apart
ments to let.
| The instant 1 saw her I recognized
in her the greedy type of seaside
| landlady. She smiled beamingly but
regretted she was full. All Llandudno
was full. she told me. 1t was rec
ord season.
We were alone in the room, where
upon produced a Is note and handed
it to her. looking straight into her
| eyes.
whats that for, sir?" she asked
in surprise.
Because / want YOU to tell me
something. Take it.
! What do you want to know"
"One or two little things concern
| ing your visitors-the men Dane and
Matheson. Dane is no invalid. is he?
| He's only shamming?"
| She looked at me suspiciously.
! What do you want to know for?'
| 81 have reasons. Take that and
| answer my questions i urged. push
! ing the note oyer the table towards
| her. Il see you agree with me-" /
laughed. Now. a step farther. Does
Mr.. Dane ever have any letters?'
| He does sometimes"
| "Are any of them readdressed?"
! "One or two have been"
And you've noticed the address to
which they've been sent before. of
course. Is that address Charlotte
street, Tottenham Court road?"
Yes; but how do you know"
Never mind, Mrs. Evans"
t, laughed.
And Mr.. Dane has a lady friend
| who lives at the Imperial, hasn't he?"
"Yes. I've heard them talking
| about her She's a very rich young
| lady, 1 hear. The other night they
| were discussing her as went to bed,
and 1 stopped and listened"
| And what did you hear?"
"Only that they thought they were
on a good thing. That's all ] could
make out"
And Dane poses as an invalid
| whenever he meets herr"
YES. She came here yesterday
| afternoon, and he wrapped himself
| up on 4 couch and pretended to be
| ILL.,"
thanked her, ,and while she
took my leave.
NINE was a difficult position. I
ANl could not explain to Leopoldine
what 1 knew. or she would at once
accuse me of spying upon her But
felt that some desperate game was
| in progress and that. in addition to
| the invalid girl at Charlotte street,
! there had been an invalid man-Hen-
ry Dane. whose wan figure was now
such a pathetic sight on the prone
| made at Llaynudno.
| Eventa proved that I was right in
my surrnise. for month later the
| princess love romance had a rather
| sensational denouement.
In consequence Of the undesirable
acquaintance she had made ! con-
trived to have her recalled to Vienna
! by the emperor. She, of course. was
| in ignorance OF my private letter to
him asking that might be relieved
Of my duties. but as his confidential
agent could do no other.
| One Saturday, when we were back
in London, she showed me his majes-
tvs letter-a kindly one. asking her
| to come to Vienna. as he wished to
! see her upon family matters. She
said she would go. but she added:
| It can't bear Vienna. I shall be
back here in a months time. But I
must spend this week end with the
Hopes now I promised. There is
big dance there. ] shall motor to
Ipswich this afternoon. I told Harris
to bring the car at half past 3"
| The car was brought. and in it
was placed the princess dressing bag
and her jewel case.
Harris, the chauffeur. was speaking
with me as he awaited his mistress,
| when suddenly, in a flash, two men
(, sprang to the other side of the car
! jewel case, which contained over
10000 worth OF ornaments. includ-
ing wonderful collar of pearls.
In that instant I recognized the in
valids face and that of his friend.
Harris in a second dashed after the
men, raising a hue and cry, with the
result that while he stopped the pre-
tended invalid Dane. a constable
stopped Matheson~ about zoo yards
from the hotel.
They proved to be a pair of well
known and expert jewel thieves with
several previous convictions to their
discredit.
I had, some difficulty in avoiding a
scandal, but where an imperial prin-
cess is concerned there are always
| ways and means" to hush up the
truth As a matter Of fact, the two
men appeared before a London mag
tstrate on a totally different charge,
of which they were guilty-a robbery
at Euston Station three months be-
| fore-and were afterwards convicted
and sent to two years hard labor.
But the incident cured her imperial
| hiehness, the Archduchess Leopoldine
| Of Austria, Of the habit of making odd
| friendships.
1t was not until two years after
wards that she confessed to me, as
we were sitting together in the
lounge Of the Savoy after supper one
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