The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1900-12-21

spy business the same stOlid faced
lwaiter slipped into my room with pale
face and whisperingly exclaimed:
Those spies are following you every
wLre. For Gods sake be careful.
All. me, but who could have put them
on The SCENT
Zee here, Hans" I said as put my
hai' 4 on his shoulder. you are evident
ly IN the inside of this affair, and
wish you would tell me what in the
devil it all means. Has your gang
planned to rob a bank, steal a steam
boat or upset the Russian government?
don't like to go 1t blind this way"
He looked at me open mouthed for
half a minute, and then broad grin
stole over his face. He thought was
playing off on him to test his prudence
/ and loyalty.
/ you will carry 1t through all right"
he finally said with many heavy mods
Of his head. and he went away looking
| very well pleased.
At the end Of another "a hours l got
q further insight into the mystery.
! had strolled into another hotel three or
4, four blocks away to examine the regis
! ter, as q globe trotter invariably does
Tor no reason ,he can explain, when a
! traveller entered who might have been
my twin brother as far as outward ap-
pearances went. He was Of my height
and weight had the same colored eyes.
hair and mustache, and l believe our
own mothers would have wondered
which was which. He stared ut me,
and l stared back, and / wandered
back to my own hotel, knowing that
the real man from London had arrived.
An hour later the Pole came to me in
great funk. He had confused the two
Of us, as well he might, and given his
little affair away to stranger. He
started out to say something, but
stopped him with:
II have seen your chief and know
how the mistake came about. Nothing
you said to me will. go farther. What
you are up to don't know and don't
want to know, but don't mix me up in
1t. Good day."
He mumbled blessings on my head
and disappeared to be seen no more.
nor did the twin brother call on me or
send me any word. My waiter was
also knocked out when he discovered
that a mistake had been made, but a
few words quieted him. The Russian
spies must have had a bad time of it
trying to settle on the right man. but
they finally decided In my favor. The
Englishman was free from surveil-
lance, while / was logged closer than
before.
At the end of week and while they
were still DIGGING me, and was rath-
er enjoying 1t, there was fire aboard
of a ship In the harbor. 1t was about
o'clock at night, and great crowd
gathered on the wharfs to watch the
confiagratlon. l made one of the num-
Der, and in my anxiety to secure good
view / mounted the bows of a smart
looking brig lying at wharf. | was
hardly over the rail before two men
followed and seized me and hustled me
down into the cabin. They were the
Russians who had been spying on me.
OF course made every form Of protest,
but was run into stateroom and
locked up, and within an hour the brig
was out of the harbor. 1t seemed as IL
she had simply been waiting my arriv-
al on board. We had been under way
q couple Of hours when my door was
opened, and was ordered to step out.
found the captain of the brig, the two
spies and Russian government official
awaiting me.
have told you that the Engllshman
L. - - l<..4 \ l.. -
had time to look for little details. AS |
sat down opposite the Russian official
he began comparing my description and
appearance with a written description,
and at the end Of five minutes he rose
up and Numbered at the two spies:
'Dolts! Idiots! BlunderersL You
have arrested the wrong man! This is
not the Englishman"
There was row to beat the band for
the next ten minutes. The spies pro-
tested that | answered the description
given them and had carried off the
character in all ways, and the official
shouted at them:
HAS he mole on his chin? Does
his left eyeld droop a little? Is there
you blunderers and incompetents, but
you will be rewarded for this!"
eff not too much trouble" l said to
the official as he got through storming,
twill you kindly explain why an Amer
lean citizen has been made prisoner In
this fashion? OF what am guilty If
guilty Of anything. by what authority
do you take the law in your own
handsY
was told that 1t was mbtake, but
got no other satisfaction The brig
was put about. but as the wind feH we
did not make the harbor until after' !
daylight Then was dumped on the
wharf without apology. walked
straight to the American consul and
told him the story, and hisreply. was:
"why. man, you had best thu nix your
stars instead of looking for an apology.
When the Russian officials get hold of
the wrong man byImistake. he is gen.
orally sent to SIBERIA to cover up the
blunder."