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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1912)
m TTIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX. rORlXAD, APRIL 1912. t)EAUTY Kaiserin Auguste Victoria Became Jealous When the War Lord Made Eyes at the Slim and Lovely Duchess of Aosta, so She Went in fo Cures, Massage and All Sorts of Treatment Now She Loses Her Health. CUKES- 3? : ,3 BT HENRT W. FISCHER. .Author of "Private IJves of Kalxr William It and 14 is Consort." THE tremendous strain under which the woman of fashion labor to preserve her beauty and forestall the ravages of time while responding; t t lx mo1's decisions In the matter of the "figure." whether generous or lithe. "Princess of Wales" style or a It ITIncess de Chlmay. seems to have wrecked the health of Kaiserin Au guste Victoria. The attacks of heart trouble that hive been bothering the Imperial lady ir some years past are becoming more frenu-nt and more severe. Fits of vorti.-o have causod the Empress sev- ral severe falls, though the fact la not always communicated to the public Twlre she sprained her ankle and once he broke her right forearm on account of suvklen weaknesses brought on by heart affections. After four accidents, while riding. Her Majesty Is now allowed to mount hors only when state occasions, urh as the feast day of her regiments, demand, and then the utmost precau tions are taken. The horse she rides 1 thorouKhly tired out before she mounts him and she rides between an e-!Jutant and a maid of honor, who closely presa to her side In order te support her If occasion arises. The Kmpress will be 14 yeara oM cn Octoler II. being three months and five days older than the Kaiser. Tet while William's carroty locks and 1arker mustache are only sprinkled with gray. Auguste Victorias hair has turned snow white, a truly beautiful white, but Indicating premature age Just the same. And all because of the entirely legl t mate and praiseworthy desire to be and remain beautiful In her husband's eyes. In ber 30s Auguste Victoria came very near presenting the beau Weal of fie Uerman type of womanhood. She -was tall and broad-shouldered and well proportioned no finer prototype of hl ever trod the lyric stage. Her shoulders tapered beautifully, bearing the great load of the crown j-wols. worn on great occasions, with ease and comfort. The whlteiesa of her skin was at that time described as ct "fairly supernatural aspect." and her arms were gracefully modeled. t'hlc at Thirty. And ther were no artificialities about her figure. After nursing six children she might have adopted a rorsetless costume without fear of of fending. In fact, when not officially engaged, she often went without stays vn to social functions. She had an Imposing carriage, and U.e domestic happiness sh enjoyed owed at all times In her kindly man ner and smile. At that period woman's genorous proportions, within certain limits, were sll the rage In Germany and on the ci'nttnent generally. For a woman of t ie Empress' height, between 150 and lt pounds was considered en regie. Indeed Augusts Victoria could afford m start a fashion that Increased the ficure rathr than reduced It that of wearing highly-embroidered coats and jackets, which gave work to numerous nendle-women and Increased her popu larity. Then the Aostas happened to visit at cKe Wqgic Dilliard BT EDMl'XD SVITH MIDDLTTON. 9S the lull of an August afternoon Shaman Tu'.oc sat within the shaded doorway of his little shop, contem platively smoking. From time to time a thin brown hand slowly stroked his long gray beard, while his dark, melan choly eyes looked far away Into the dirtance. Presently a shadow darkened the doorway, as a well dressed stranger l.arted uncertainly and gazed curiously within. The merchant rose courteously and with a wave of his hand extended a sl'.ent Invitation to enter. Seeing that thn stranger still hesitated. Shaman a!d In a tone devoid of eagerness, "Would the gentleman care to step InT It Is not necessary to buy." An air of distinction In the old man's hearing, scarcely expected In such sur roundings, excited the stranger's Inter est, and with an appreciative. "Thank you. if you don't mind." he entered. The merchant noted the young mu'i eyes as they swept over his wares with half-observant gaze, and saw that his fare wore the unsatisfied expression of one who seeks something greatly de sired. "Are you a fortune teller?" asked the stranger eagerly. "Not In the ordinary sense, my son," answered the aged merchant solemnly, "but much of the wisdom of the East is mine and I have known the hearts ti nay men." "If you help me." burst Impulsively from the other's lips, "you may name ; our own price." "I am listening, my son." responded Fha.-nan with dignity, apparently un moved by these glittering promises. "My name is Philip Arden." began the young man la quick, excited tones, "and I am what people call rich. If my lot had been different, with my own way to make. I should doubtless hare become a gambler, as the gaming Instinct Is strong within me. At times I am consumed with a perfect fever to fieri at games involving chance and Ikill" "Why do you tell this to me 7" de- oiaudcd the old the Berlin palace. The elder Duke of Aosta. since dead, was a brother of King Humbert, of Italy, and reasons of state Induced the Kaiser to treat his guests with every consideration and display of favor. He even gave them, at the Berlin Schloss. an apart ment connecting with that his own family occupied. Naturally, their Ger man majesties and the Aostas were In each other's company at all times of the day until late at night, and there began Auguste Victoria's martyrdom. The Duchess Letetla of Aosta was only at the time, a beauty of the first rank. While slender to a de j gree and even petite, she lacked not that fullness of bust that William ad mired most In his own wife. The Aosta fascinated him. He ex pressed his admiration for her style of beauty and the Empress' Jealousy was aroused. Result: The Duke and Duchess left Berlin abruptly, ten hodrs before the appointed time. That even ing the Empress railed a council of her damee of the palace. The grand Mistress. Countess Brech dorff. presided. Others present were Baroness Von Haske, Countess Keller, and the wardrobe women, Frau Schwerdtfeger and Frauleln Gleln. The Empress tearfully told her fe male ministers that His Majesty was finding fault with her figure and that she herself had considered It "unfash ionable" for some time past. "Nothing but a long, slender waist will please His Majesty now." she said, "and such I must secure at the quick est possible notice." eta Omt tm Cknact Ft a are. Countess Breckdorff. who Is respon sible for the Empress' health and per son, tried In vain to dissuade Her Majesty. Insisting that the Kaiser liked her as she was and that It would never do for the first lady of the land to submit to devices that might Imperil health and beauty. But for once Auguste Victoria would't listen to her adviser and friend. "My first duty Is to please the Kaiser." she said, "and means for pleasing his tsste In the matter of figure must be found." The Countess Breckdorff suggested banting, but the "cure" was voted down as too slow and as Interfering with her Majesty's appetite God's an ointed are big eaters, you know. Finally the Baroness recalled a news paper article telling of a famous and exceedingly skilful beauty doctor named Madame Echelbner, who had succeeded In ridding a well-known Berlin actress of (0 pounds avoldupols. Auguste Victoria was elated. SO pounds off her weight! Why. It would make her more slender than the hated and envied Letetla! Despite the Grand Mistress protests a telegram com manded Madame Schelbner to report at the palace at llo'clock next morn ing. She brought testimonials from sev eral reputable physicians and from a large number of society women and others for whom she had secured "the latest figure." The "all too solid, flesh" of the Em press almost frightened her after In spection and she asked permission to give Her Majesty a thorough massage before she decided whether to assume 1 "Tou shall see," answered Arden, meeting his glance fairly. "Being wealthy, the gambler's love of gain does not appeal to me. Instead, I have devoted myself to games of skill, play ing as an amateur with men of my own class. After making a fad of one game after another, 1 have settled upon billiards, to which I have devoted myself, heart and soul, for two years." Just then a soft rustle of silk In the back of the shop, a sudden trembling of swaying curtains, and a quickly caught breath bespoke a listener In those regions. Shaman Tuloe never turned his head, although he heard. Arden was too absorbed In his story to notice. One look at those curtains would have disclosed a pair of peer ing eyes that shone like midnight. "Go on," said the merchant, calmly stroking his beard. "There Is yet some thing to tell." "No lover could hsve been more de voted to his mistress than I to my fa vorite game. I .wooed her early and late, playing my way up through the ranks at the club, until last Spring I defeated the strongest man and was hailed club champion. But. alas! my Joy was short lived." "Tour hand lost Its cunning?" sug gested Shaman Tuloc . "No. not so. A more subtle hand than mine entered the lists," explained Arden with a touch of bitterness in his tone. "While my laurels were yet fresh, a stranger Joined the club, a tall, slender man, with sallow skin and coal-black hair, which parted over a narrow, contracted forehead. His black, beady eyes were set close together over a long hooked nose, and his thin lips were shaded by a scanty black mous tache. They say that those ratty weasel-like eyes could look Into the shin ing depths of any Jewel and rightly prize Its worth. Enough for me that he could play billiards like a fiend. His long slender hands controlled the balls like a magician. He defeated me once, twice, thrice each time worse than before In a word, Ignominiously. Let me vanquish him! Help me to de feat Aim" cried Arden, moved to the tsVv ' 1 I A - ... - DUCHESS depths of his being, "and I will give you what you like." Shaman Tuloo smoked a while in si lence, then rose from his seat and drew a small casket from a secret recess in the rear of the shop. The box was of fragrant sandal-wood, wrapped with cords and sealed In many places. Care fully removing these, he disclosed a small bundle of numerous layers of fine silk, concealing some object with in. Very reverently the old man un wrapped the silken folds until there lay uncovered In his palm a small cyl inder of Ivory of wondrous quality, and without spot or blemish. "My son, you behold a portion of the tusk of the Sacred Elephant of Slam, the most sacred of the holy herd. He went Into the silence at the age of ZOO years, and this rello possesses a mighty power. Llstsn to the words on the scroll. I will Interpret" As -Shaman Tuloo spoke he lifted from the casket an Oriental scroll and reverently held It towards the light. "To the pure and single of heart," he read in a low vice, "I will grant his wish." "I will give any price, fulfill any conditions," exclaimed Arden In a chok ing voice, his wbole form trembling. "Look! What do you seer the old man suddenly demanded, holding the Ivory above his bead. "Only the Ivory, nothing more," the young man answered. "Look again!" cried Shaman Tuloo eagerly, "look at the center. What do you see now?" "I see a delicate pink light shining through the ivory," answered Arden excitedly. "It seems to move and trem ble like a rose swaying In the breese." "It Is the soul of the sacred tusks!" cried Tuloo triumphantly, "the spirit, the life. Therein lies the power." "What am I to do? Tell me!" de manded the young man. "Bring from your club the finest ball you have. My hands shall fashion Its mate in size and appearance from the sacred tusk. I will entrust the task to no other. Is a week's lime you s&W Jm0ii immm&mlMAjf . pww pi f a Vi I OK AOSTA. shall have a ball, endowed with the living spirit of victory." That same evening Arden brought from the club the" desired model and the next day Shaman Tuloo began his self-imposed task. As he wrought his labor of love, patiently, silently, with reverential skill, the slender, graceful form of bis only daughter glided often through the parted curtains and hung over her father's shoulder with moist eyes and heaving bosom. More than once a rosy blush suffused her modest cheek as she recalled the young strang er's face and trembling voice. Then she murmured a silent prayer for her fa ther's task and for the young man's victory. On the eighth day the ball was fin ished, and to the Instructed eye seemed to throb visibly with sentient life, as Ball teA Tale jO o . ; o c the responsibility as Imperial beauty doctor and flesh reducer or not. When she finished Madame Schelbner declared that she would take the case, and henceforth this woman assumed supreme command of the Kalserin's dressing-room and boudoir. Auguste Victoria was so anxious to please her lord that she submitted to massage twice daily, at the same time accepting the services of a French builder of stays that became known as "death-grip" at court. And between "death-grip" and the manipulations of the beauty doctor, the once stately Empress lost flesh daily, to her great delight and satis faction. Every 24 houra she had herself weighed and every ounce gone she reckoned as an asset in her domestic happiness. But strange to say, though the Kaiser admired the new figure in his cousin German, the sprightly Countess Char lotte Von Hohenau, in Madame De Pan aflel, in Frau Von Kotxe and other beauties of the court, he failed to com pliment the Empress' "improved" ap pearance. As a matter of fact, he re regarded It as an indication of 111 health and ordered his physician. Dr. Leuthold, to examine Her Majesty and report any threatening symptoms. The Empress heard of it, discharged"" the beauty doctor and abandoned the "death-grip" corset for the time being. The unsuspecting physician was fooled and the Empress resumed her flesh-reducing methods. They made her thin all right, but being the cause of many disorders and pains. Interfered with the Empress happy temperament. Now when a once beloved woman grows Irritable and un attractive, the average man Is very liable to turn to others. The Kaiser's attentions to Countess Von nahenau. it lay, white and glistening. In the sandal casket. "Take it, my son," said Shaman Tuloc committing the box to him. "Let no other hand than thine use this sacred ball. Let no other Interest divide your heart. Then victory will attend." The report that Arden was to play his conqueror again filled the club house. An undeflnable feeling was in the air that this game would possess unusual features that it was a strife for mastery to an unusual degree. The two men presented a remarkable contrast as they stood In evening dress at the end of the table ready to begin. One was the picture of cold, nervy cun ning and calculation; the other, the best type of a gentleman player, brave, gen erous, skilled, eager for the fray. It was like night matched against day KAISEIUX AUGUSTE VICTORIA. Madame De Panaflel or Frau Von Kotze may or may not have exceeded the lim its of extremely lively flirtation, never theless they caused Auguste Victoria severe heart burnings, besides prompt ing red to Increase her efforts to win out in the beauty contest of her Im agination, to the undoing of her health. One afternoon, William, Impatient of his wife's delay, strayed into her dressing-room and, observing the great ar ray of bottles and platters filled with toilet waters, medicines and cures-for-alL cried out: "I didn't know the castle apothecary shop had moved up here!" If he had read the labels on most of the concoctions there would have been no . Jocular remark, but a large-sized row, probably terminating the services of a large number of her majesty's In timate attendants, for the majority of the bottles, pots and boxes promised to arrest, or forestall, adiposity and re duce weight by drugs that should be properly labeled poisons. The Empress, alas! had become the victim of every advertising charlatan and unscrupulous chemist the world over, buying every variety of toilet waters, medicines, powders, vinegars, electricity preparations, etc, she heard of, and never resting until she gave each a trial. Kverv one of these concoctions had Its share in undermining Auguste Vic toria's once robust health, and along with her health went her flesh and her good looks. That fine neck of hers. In which William had taken so much pride, became wrinkled and hollow In spots; yes, she was thin now, as she had longed to be, but her slenderness was not of the Mary Garden sort, but of the type of a prematurely old woman. There is perhaps no sadder spectacle OF LOVE AND MAGIC the powers of darkness arrayed against the powers of light. To the surprise of his ferret-eyed op ponent, Arden, playing with the sacred ball, won the bank. The balls were spotted and the game begun. The style of play was 14-inch back line, one shot in. Without effort, by graceful, easy play, Arden rolled off run after run. His ball was absolutely under control and the audience was with him to a man, following his game with frequent ap plause. But, do what he would, Arden could not shake off his opponent. He answered run with run and invariably finished a point or two in the lead. Arden, however, never lost confidence for a moment in his ball or the outcome of the game. As the players ap proached the goal, the 300 mark, al most abreast, but the dark man still In the lead, the excitement grew Intense. With only eight to go, the latter ran sir and missed on the 299th shot. A hateful scowl showed on his face but changed Instantly to a triumphant smile, as he saw that Arden, who stood at 29S, was left an Impossible shot. Arden's ball lay tight against the cushions In one corner, the red ball In the same position in the far corner on the same wide, and his opponent's ball against the cushion along the rail half way between the other two balls. It, Indeed, looked to be an impossible shot, but Arden, with unruffled counte nance played a masse, whose like had never been seen on that or any other table. His ball, with a beautiful curve, spun to the ball half way down the rail, continued its Journey In the same marvelously accurate fashion to the red ball, and counted, of course. The house fairly thundered its applause. The re sult of the shot was to leave the three balls lined up along the center of the table. A second brilliant masse counted 297, and the remaining three shots were clicked off In rapid succession. As Arden made the last shot, which meant victory for him. he felt his eyes drawn Irresistibly across the table to the tier of seats opposite. His gaze rested on a pair of eyes shining with a radiancy he had never seen before. As than that of a wife vainly trying to retain a husband's love. William has always been a loving and tender bus band to Auguste Victoria. She was beautiful in his eyes until, unfortu nately, the Idea became fixed In her mind that she must surpass the great est beauties in Europe, and in the quest for modish charms sacrificed her own, allowing quacks to rob her of her health and adding years to her ago. Court gossip has it that the Empress has been using Iodine for years inter nally because of this drug's reputed flesh devouring propensities. Iodine is an irritant poison. No wonder her majesty's heart became affected, no wonder occasionally her limbs refuse service, which causes her to fall with out warning, resulting In broken bones or Injury to the head or spine. However, In the Empress' case, the Intent goes far toward excusing the ef fect. Auguste Victoria risked her health and good looka not in an at tempt to shine In society, but prompted by the laudable desire to become more attractive In the eyes of her husband, whom she worships. Bent upon pleasing him, she hazard ed her beauty for a mere phantom fear, and fashion, intended to be her slave, became a tyrant and destroyer. I College Development. j Century. This power of the American college to develop individual initiative and leadership has been decidedly enhanced in recent years. The college In the United States has gradually developed from a quasl-famlly institution for growing schoolboys to a small world of wide, voluntary opportunity for young men. There is a decided difference be tween American undergraduate life to day and that of a century ago. or even of 60 years ago. he felt himself yielding to their power and started towards them a strange thing happened;. With a sudden 'click the wonderful ball with which he had played and won, snapped asunder and parted Into two pieces. As it fell apart, Arden saw an appearance like a deli cate flame leave the ball, pass through the air toward the wonderful eyes, then over the head of Shaman Tuloc's beau tiful daughter and away. A minute later , Arden was holding her by the hands and gazing at close range Into those wondrous orbs. Tuloo hastened to the table and clasped the precious fragments of Ivory to his breast. Later, that night, as he stood beside the beautiful Esther In her father's shop, Arden asked: "Why did the Ivory ball snap and the pink soul flee away?" "Because, my son, another love had come into your heart" and then, as Shaman Tuloc looked on the young people, he raised his hands and sard, solemnly: "The God of heaven bless you, my children!" . (Copyrighted by Short Story Pub. Co.) Our Trade With Italy. Century. The trade of the United States in Italy should Increase rather than de crease, as it shows signs of doing. It should take on a more profitable na ture than at present. As the agricul tural Industry of Italy increases its output, and as the demand of America for these products Increases, there should be plenty of cargo both ways, which is one of the .great secrets of profitable foreign , trading. The United States has sent good men to Rome men like George P. Marsh in the anxious days of Italian political reconstruction, and Lloyd C. Griscom in tne aays oi me jieasma disaster, when nearly 100.000 people perished. The American representatives handled the relief work effectively and to the everlasting gratitude of the Italian people. Here is fertile soil for friendly intercourse not only social and diplo matic, but commercial as well, which can be skillfully tilled to the advant age of both nations in the Years to come,
