The free press., 1893-05-11

The girls clear eyes met the mans
bewildered questioning. Then a sud-
den light dawned upon her; his motive
became clear.
ooh, she cried, and her breath came
and went rapidly; "in plain words, sir,
you want me to smuggle papers into
Russia which would get me into trouble
were they discovered by the polices"
| eyes"
"Yhen I must decline; it would be
wrong"
! ''On the contrary" he said quickly,
''it would be right. You might even
be the means of saving life"
| His tone and manner were earnest.
Whether he was speaking the truth or
! whether this earnestness was merely as
ltss'e,ffiffed to convince her it was difficult to
say, but the girl was satisfied.
"May ask why you have chosen me
for this workl'
tFirst, because you are going to the
country anyhcw; secondly, and chiefly,
because you are foreigner and mere
girl. You with pass unheeded, unsus-
pected, where oshers would not-that is
to say, if you cankeep your self-posses-
sion when it is needed, and I think you
can, for, though you are so young, you
have nerve, charactsr--you are to be
tru sted."
She did not speak for moment, but
thought deeply and raoidIy, with her
gaze upon the floor.
Woman-like, she shratk at the idea of
danger, and was about 70 refuse; then
she thrust all thought of self aside, and
only remember her mother, her Sister,
the man she loved, and whas such sum
of money could do for them, and held
her tongue.
"Give me $40, 900 and will do it. F"
"You know how to ask, Miss pent-
treath." 4
~ WON'T jeopardize my safety for
less," she said firmly. eff were alcas
in the world should refuse altogeth, /;
but l want the money for the sake oil
those who are very dear to me-"
"Very WE'LL" he answered, after d
pause, "you shall have your $4,000
directly / receive advice that you have
fulfilled your part of the contract
will give you the papers the morning
you sail. When you arrive you must
wear a white rose-an imitation one
will do very we'll. Your responsibility
will cease and your reward will be won
when you have delivered the packet
safely into the hands of man with a
similar flower pinned in his coat, who
will contrive to ask you--how, when OF
where cannot tell you-for the present
from his friend in London.
Two days later Cecil found herself on
the deck of an outward bound steamer,
the parting over, the voyage begun.
On the ship the time seemed endless
to her, and she could settle to nothing.
Every day seemed week. She was in
fever of impatience to reach her desti
nation, and get the critical period over.
Yet, such is human nature, when she was
told by a fellow passenger that they
would arrive the next morning, she
would have given as much to retard
their progress as previously she woulo
have given to accelerate it.
She was awakened about s o'clock il
the morning by the sudden cessation oF
accustomed motion as the Kornilof cime
to standstill beside the quai at
Odessa.
Already the deck was strewu with
luggage, crowded with passengers, and
| in wild state of commotion. Officials
in uniform were afiixing large seals to
all trunks and packages, large and
small, prior to dispatcbiug them to the
custom house to be opeaed and searched.
CtLer officials were scanning every
hole and corner of the steamer itself land
one stood in the gengway, apparently 70
prevent any one from going ashore.
"Do they always search the ships like
thisY" asked Cecil of one of the officers,
with whom she had grown friendly
during the voyage.
mo, it isn't usual. You see they're
on the alert jyBt now to stop certain
papers getting into this country. The
assengers-some of them at least-will
very likely be searched, too. Nobody
has been allowed to land yet"
She felt herself turn red and then
white, and she nervously fingered the
imitation rose which she had that morn
ing pinned for the first time at her
throat.
"Mrs. Petrowitch will be waiting TO.
me. Surely they'll let the land now"
~ dare say they will. I'll find out
for YOU" said the sailor, kindly.
He went up to one of the custom
house men and spoke to him in Russian.
"This young English lady wishes to
60 ashore at once. There Is notning 70
detain her; supposeY"
The official called another, and the two
eyed Cecil and consulted together. or
course, she could not understand WORD
of what was passing, and in consequence
had to endere awful suspense with as
sumed indifference.
L