Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-12-01
An ELUSIVE MISSION,
b. WlNsLoW Hunt.

IL WIS WHO. dIttF tDe HssASstua'
tion Of the Grand Duke Sergius. was
sent to catch Vera Treperhoff, young
girl whom the police knew to have
concocted the murder. ! will omit how
i tracked her TO the border and take
up the story after she had passed It.
She made directly for Austris and
thence for Venice. This indicated that
she would 60 to America rather than
England and that she would probably
sail from one OF the two principal Itas-
Ian ports-Genoa and Naples. Genoa
being the shorter distance. took the
train for that city. hoping to heed her
on before she left the porl.
The reason -: my being chosen for
this VIZ. was that had seen the girl
qri.s often during her trial on charge
Of having been implicated In another
political crime. Having boarded the
train at Venice soon after It's depar-
ture. thinking there might be one
chance in dozen that Vera Treperhoff
would be aboard, walked through
the side aisle. looking into every COM
partment. In the middle compartment
OF the third car noticed youth with
the light hair and eyes OF the north.
and In . twinkling spotted my quarry.
Not wishing to make myself known.
passed on.
! concluded not to make any attempt
at arrest till the girl left the train.
Tht~ A.~tS tv.o,
the departures at every station aud
the risk that she might elude me. But
l knew the stops and kept my eye on
her a. soon as we slowed up until we
were again well on the way. Ny in
tention was to have her arrested Mt
Genoa or wherever she aiighted. since
could better fulfill the legal condi-
lions at definite point. Besides. l
did not believe she knew her danger.
The last time saw Vera Treperhoff
was in leaving Alessandria. The COM
partment In which she sat had been
emptied except by herself. kept my
eye on her till the train had reached
pace Of some forty miles an hour.
There would be no further stop till
we arrived at Genoa. and l felt conf
dent that should take the girl back
to Moscow and gain the commenda-
ton Of the government. also q hand
some reward.
Just before reaching Genoa I took
my hand baggage to the compartment
where Vera Treperhoff sat, with the
intention of remaining there till the
train pulled up at the station. She
was not In the compartment She was
not In the car. went through the
train from front to rear, opening every
closet, but nothing could Hnd OF the
girl wanted. ! scrutinized every pas
senger. man and woman. boy and girl.
but Vera was not among them. Short
~ before we slowed up for Genoa I
made up my mind that she had. after
all. recognized me and preferred death
by jumping from the train to the hor-
rors of Siberia.
At Genoa | engaged a special loco
motive to go over the route to lind the
body or any trace Of the euIprit. in
vestigated every kilometer OF the track
between the terminus and Alessandria.
but found nothing to give me the
slightest ciew. | was informed that
the rate Of travel over the section
where I had missed the girl was fifty
miles an hour. No one could have
Jumped from the train and retained
SUFFICIENT life to crawl away. | offered
a reward Of 10000 rubies to any one
In the vicinity who would give me any
information whatever leading to
clew. The offer brought many re-
ports of girl limping through the
country. but they all proved to have
been made up.
Never in all my ofacial experience
have been 20 utterly incapable Of
forming a theory AZ to any escape
from my clutches. Familiar with every
device that could have been adopted,
I went over them carefully and elm
mated all Of them. That young girl
not over twenty years old could have
left q train going at rate OF nfty
miles an hour seemed incredible. To
assume that she could have passed
from II later In disguise would be an
insult to my professional skill.
feared to return to Russia and tell
the truth lest l should be accused OF
conniving at Vera Treperhoff's escape.
and II l lied l would be detected.
chose the alternative Of going to AriRr-
lea to make a new home. sailed
from Genoa. and, going on deck one
morning. there In q steamer chair In
excellent health was Vera Treperhon.
Approaching her. l informed her that
she had nothing to fear from me and
asked her how she had left the train.
This was her reply:
II recognized you the moment I saw
4 you and knew your GRAND. Between
Alessandria and Genoa is in the
railroad connecting 1t with the road
to Piacenza. knew from my time