New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1908-04-22
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u4uu I care 10 go TO anOlner one. ANY
enjoyment in court society in Russia
in these days is like smoking while sit
ting on a barrel of gunpowder.
Opposite me sat an important gov
eminent functionary. a man about for
ty years old. and his dinner companion
was girl of twenty. was struck
with her appearance the moment
placed my eyes upon her, and yet
could not explain why. All can say
is that she was noticeable. conclud-
ed that she would not have been there
had she not been noble.
She chatted affably all through the
dinner with her companion till the end,
when noticed that she suddenly be-
came agitated. She was eating nuts
and raisins at the time and bent low
over the plate containing them. using a
nut pick as though she were nearsight-
ed. When she raised her eyes they
met mine. and thought I saw in them
a mute appeal.
terest. Indeed, when we all rose at the
departure of the emperor and empress,
instead of craning my neck to get a
glimpse of them l kept my eyes fixed
upon her. When we seated ourselves
again she seemed to be annoyed at
something under the table and put a
hand under it. apparently, at least. to
feel what it was. She had no sooner
done this than saw her again look at
me with that same mysterious some
thing in her eyes. Whatever it was
it was more like an appeal for help
than anything else. l returned it with
questioning glance, as if to say.
What do you want me to do?" But
there is limit to what one can say
simply by an expression. and she seem
ed to be able to help me no further
Meanwhile was racking my brain
for solution. I am a believer in
transference of thought. and am sure
the girl assisted my mental effort by
exerting her will power to guide me-
put my hand under the table The
girl turned ashy pale. I felt about in
front of me till my fingers came in
contact with some little pointed arti-
Gle sticking into the bottom of the
table. | withdrew it and found it to
be nut pick. 1t was stuck through a
bit of paper folded in the form of
rectangle. This | knew without tax
Ing my find out into the light. working
with one hand while with the other /
held the stem of my wineglass.
Now, it did not occur to me just then
that was in imminent danger of be-
ing whisked off to Siberia before day
light the next morning. | knew, how
ever, that the girl was playing some
desperate game, and all my faculties
We're exerted in her behalf 1t did not
require deep penetration to surmise
that she wished to get rid of the rec
tangular folded paper or something in
1t. The nut pick must be unimportant
and only means to an end. I con-
trlved with one hand to open the paper
thought | could feel powder in it.
and, withdrawing my hand far enough
to look at it. | saw that the thumb and
niger We're covered with something
White. II there was any more of the
contents it must have been scattered
on the floor.
For a time thought my work done.
but presently it occurred to me that
enough of the powder or whatever it
was would cling to the paper to iden-
tify the former substance A happy
thought occurred to me- Taking a
cigarette from my pocket and match.
struck the match. had crumpled
the paper and instead of lighting my
cigarette at once chatted with nv next
nelghbor, and then, pretending to no
tice that the match was nearly burned.
i touched it to the paper and lit the
cigarette from the latter.
The moment the paper began to burn
a waiter on the opposite side of the
table hurried around to where was.
I knew surely that he was coming to
me for purpose, but he was too late.
When he reached me the paper had be-
come ashes
cannot to this day forget the look
of the girl opposite. It was the quin-
: sNSA2A'S1iSS " ASilCL luu
On leaving the palace was taken in
charge by Cossacks. driven to police
quarters and searched They found
only in my vest pocket nut pick.
which have at the present day. l had
my passport with me, and my captors
knew that / had been invited to the
dinner at the request of the American
minister. This, considering that they
had no evidence of political or other
crime against me, gained me my lib
erty, but was ordered to leave Rus
STA at once. Having seen all / wanted
of a society living on dynamite, de
parted by the first train
The episode remained unexplained
till more than a year afterward, when
i had returned to America. One day
received call from a Russian. He
told me that he was a member of an
American branch of a Russian secret
political society whose object was to aid
the revolution His circle had been or
0ered to find me and to thank me for
saving the dams rhtnr of q Rrcc;on ,,oI,Ir> |