| Show Ex Ex s Secret I l 1 I Life 1 Is R Revealed eal d ly by byA l. l 1 A Former Assoc Associate te J 1 f 2 I f f By One Who Knew Her at cit Co Court rt As Asne one who k knows the ex-Empress ex of G Germany many well I have always re regarded regarded regarded re- re her as a's as o occupying a prominent I position among the unhappiest women in Europe A short time after alter the birth of the crown prince prince prince-he he who vas destined to I break a fond rood mothers mother's heart and become become become be be- come one of the worlds world's greatest profligates prof prof- love love or 01 anything approaching the tender passion took wings from the life of or the empress We who moved in court circles circles' In inDerlin Berlin Derlin knew that the woman whose head lay uneasy under a royal roal crown was eating her heart out at the shocking shock shock- shockIng ing neglect of ot the man who had sworn to love lo and cherish her until death Beyond those thore function it was absolutely lut ly necessary for her to to attend In company with the kaiser the empress played no part in her husbands husband's life From my roy own knowledge I j can say that he be treated her like lUte dirt She was wad not a wife wite but merely a pawn paton in the great Ireat game the self st styled led war lord Was playing Men of the German court particularly particularly those In the immediate royal en entourage entourage entourage en- en worshiped their She was sympathetic gr gracious cious and tolerant but never lost her dignity ORDERED FROM THE HUNT And no breath of scandal was ever associated with her name nane throughout her long and trying life Ute Yet the kaiser was madly almost insanely Jealous of ot his hii consort Her most Innocent action was misconstrued and and he went s so far tar during the years 1901 and 1902 as to have bave her ev every ry movement watched by his hii spies spiel Even her i er personal lady In w waiting lUng I and her i Iii n of f the bedchamber er were order ordered d to report her actions and arid many of Df f this unhappy w womans woman's mans private and confidential letters were were perused at the instigation 1 of of the the kaiser Although he did not love her the kaiser could not tolerate even even s so much muchas as an admiring glance being cast upon his empress b by an another man Well Well do I remember an nn occasion on which the he head ld of Hohe had a a ah h hunting U p ir party to to which the kaIser In had been com corn commanded commanded i I i Just before starting her m majesty jesty was the recipient of a a. somewhat somewhat- t- t broadly expressed compliment from a me member of the party and this so enraged the kaiser that notwithstanding she was blameless in the atter only forbade her to attend hd th th the hunt but although it was it-was was early eari- In ire the h day or ordered ordered or- or dered her majesty to retire to her own apartments and stay there J Her majesty was a v very ry homely woman who hated the ostentatious splendors of the kaisers kaiser's luncheons and arid dinners and wh whenever never permitted to eat alone Indulged d Jn n n pork chops and potato salad of which simple di dishes she was very fond I DIAMONDS WORTH ORTH Yet on state stat occasions at court this royal woman of such simple tastes was often compelled to wear Jeweled ornaments ornaments ornaments orna orna- ments valued at a quart quarter quarter-of r t a a. million sterling I Many of ot them were ere heirlooms x of f the Prussian bourt ourt and could only b be J worn by a reigning queen But apart from these possessions the diamonds alone aim which were the private property property property prop prop- erty of the empress empress diamonds diamonds which It has b been en my privilege ege to inspect and handle were handle were Worth at least Most of ot them were wertS left lert to her by the the- Empress s Augusta On Orr the floor of the great ballroom In iii the royal pala palace e at Potsdam I h have hv ve seen the dancing when wearIng wearing wearing wear- wear Ing the diamond which was found In Napoleons Napoleon's triangular hat under a tree after alter the battle of Waterloo This priceless gem she ehe wore set set high high in her coiffure like Uke a glittering gUttering star And at th the tha same time I have seen her wearing the dazzling insignia of the Order o c ot the Swan of which she was the only holder In hi the world Yet at times over the face of this je Jewel el laden aden woman would come a look of unutterable anguish No royal queen In the wh whole le of Europe Europe Europe Eu Eu- rope has been subjected to so o many acts of petty pett tyranny as the empress Her lIer lord and master de de- lighted in humiliating her both lic lie and private a Once I recollect her maj majesty sty w was s 1 to o her delight allowed to ac accompany the kaiser to a shooting hooting box he lie owned I In the Black Forest Only Oily a dozen or orso orso so highly favored guests were in In- In In her excitement she he smiled be be- bewitchingly witchingly at t the Baron von von an old gentleman whose gentleman whose past affairs with the ladies of the court had made his name notorious Carried away the baron seized the hand of or his empress and imprinted a a kiss upon It it Instantly she snatched the hand away and arid all th the color ebbed from her hel cheeks For by a curi curious us and for her unfortunate coincidence the kaiser at that moment stood on on the threshold of the room In one swift glance his eagle eye with Jealously even though the baron was nearly 70 years of age took in the situation With an an effort effort- he choked back hi his his' anger But to the pleadings of his wife that she should not be deprived ot of the pleasures pleasureS- of the hunt he turned a deaf deat ear You will not leave the leave the box madam he said In a voice of thunder When I I. return 1 I shall deal with the mat mat- ter Feeling miserable and forlorn with time hanging heavily on her hands the empress after the departure of or orthe the party part decided to revive her fl flagging flaggIng flag flag- g- g ging spirits with an cau eau de cologne haf bath h. h By l some me mischance she left lett the bathroom bathroom bathroom bath bath- I room door unlocked and scarcely ha hashe hat had she been splashing about about in In the fragrantly fragrantly fra tra- fra- fra grantly scented water for ten minutes when the handle handl of the door was turned and a mans man's vol voica humming a tune so sounded on the threshold It was merely a man ma servant who wio had had- come to perform some ordinary domestic duty and he had of course course I no idea that the only bathroom m in the place was occupied I Before he could wholly enter the bathroom th the empress sent up a I piercing scream and fend h her r. r subsequent cries cres of rage brought a number of servants servants servants ser ser- ser ser- I rushing to the spot Hastily donning a bathrobe she ahe sheI explained wh what t had taken place and I vowed the servant should be punished Ind Indeed ed so great was her anger that II she gave orders for tor word to be sent to the the- kaiser who was wasP enjoying his sport about a mile away Wilhelm tore back frantl franti ally Anticipating An An- Anticipating his fate ate the man servant disappeared and the same night committed com corn suicide in the Black Forest Th The kaiser dismissed d every female servant in the house the tho spot be because because ho- ho cause he decreed they had been c careless careless care care- I less In allowing a man to approach any room in possession of her ma ma- jesty And in consequence the empress during the rest of the stay stay- at the shooting box had to act as her own maid and even humiliate herself hersel by doing work such as a domestic servant servant servant ser ser- ser ser- vant performs I have known the chief chiet lern In a blind rage to strike his consort with hIs hla clenched fist and the tM language he habitually used to her herin in private was revolting The empress was a peace peace loving woman fond of her children In Jn spite of their profligacy And no one re regretted regretted regretted re- re more than she that her husband hus hus- band was the chief instrument in bathIng bathing bath bath- Ing Europe in a a. sea of blood |
