Amador ledger., 1909-12-31
AN ELUSIVE MISSION.
BY wlNsLow HUNT.

| girl whom she police knew TO have
concocted the murder will omit how
| tracked her TO the border and take
up the story after she had passed it.
She made directly for Austria and
thence for venice This indicated that
she would go TO America rather than
England and that she would probably
sail from one of the two principal Ital-
ian ports-tenoa and Naples. Genoa
being the shorter distance. ! took the
train for that city, hoping TO heard her
Off before she left the port.
The reason for my being chosen for
this work was that had seen the girl
quite often during her trial on a charge
of having beer implicated in another
political crime. Having boarded the
train at Venice soon after its depar-
ture. thinking there might be one
chance in Il dozen that Vera Treperhotf
would be aboard. | walked through
the side aisle. looking into every con-
partment. In the middle compartment;
of the third car noticed a youth with
the light hair and eyes of the north.
and in twnkling 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.
This would necessitate my watching
the departures at every station and
the risk that she might eludp me. But
| knew the stops and kept my eye on
her as soon as we slowed up until we
were again well on the way. My in
tention was to have her arrested at
Genoa or wherever she alighted. since
| could better fulfill the legal condi-
lions at definite point. Besides.
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 ut Genon. and | felt conf
dent that | should lake the girl back
to Moscow and gain the commenda-
ton of the government also Il hand
some reward.
Just before reaching Genoa | took
my hand baggage to the compartment
where Vera Treperhof 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 find 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 !
made up my mind that she had, after
all. recognized me and preferred death
by jumping from the train to the nor
rors of Siberia.
At Genoa ! engaged a special loco
motive to go over the route to hnd the
body or any trace of the culprit. | in
vestigated every kilometer of the track
between the terminus and AlesSandria.
but found nothing to give me the
slightest clew. | was informed tnat
the rate of travel over the section
where | had missed the girl was fifty
miles an hour No one could nave
jumped from the train and retained
sufficient life to crawl away. ! ofered
q reward of 10000 rubles to any one
in the vicinity who would give me any
information whatever Leading to a
clew. The offer brought many re-
ports of a girl limping through the
country. but they all proved to have
been made up.
Never in all my official experience
have | been so utterly incapable OF
forming a theory as to any escape
from nv clutches. Familiar with every
device that could have been adopted.
| went over them carefully and elm
mated all of them. That young girl
not over twenty years old could nave
left train going ut Il rate of hfty
miles an hour seemed incredible. TO
assume that she could have passed
from it later in disguise would he an
insult to my professional Skill.
feared TO return 10 Russia and tell
the truth lest | should be accused OF
copnjving mt Vera TrepPrhoff'S escape.
and If lied ! would be detected. !
chose the alternative of going 10 Ar'er'
lea 10 make II new home sailed
from Genoa. and. going on deck one
morning. there in Il steamer chair in
excellent health was Vera TrepPrhoH.
Approaching her. Informed her that
she had nothing to fear from me ana
| asked her how she had left the train
! This was her reply:
81 recognized you the moment saw
you and knew your errand. Between
Alessandria and Genoa is Y in the
railroad connecting it with the road
TO Piacenza. knew from my tim"