The Washington bee., 1911-09-09
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Sacrifice
By ANDREW C EWING.

q A1oA 0&LN4AS OppOSADo AHS give q SASA
Of relief. Still, he continued to look
out the window, as he had been doing,
apparently dreading to see something
or some one The train moved out
with acc slerating motion, and the fast
er it rolled the more relieved looked
my feliOg passenger.
Suddenly l heard him give a smoth
cred cry, and, following the direction
OF his eyes, saw man running Ike
a deer to catch the train. The pas
senger put his head out the window
70 see the end OF the race, drew ii in
and gagped:
my GodP'
did he catch the train7" asked.
''He jumped on to the footboard Of
the last car"
my friend 1 said, II judge that
you are a political refugee"
why do you think thatT" said the
nan, sttfening up.
'@The man who ran TO catch the
train is a government official His
object Is to arrest you"
who are your
''An American"
"Ah! Americans are our friends.
will tell you. That man, as you say,
Will arrest me, and shall be sent to
Siberia. Help me"
SLOW can do thatP"
I'VE are not unlike-the same height
both light hair and beard, both wear
glasses Give me your travelling coat
end your golf cap and put on these
Russian clothes. When the train stops
an officer will come here to arrest ma.
But by that time It viii be night I
shall pretend to be asleep In my cor
ner with the collar OF your coat pulled
| up about my face and your cap down
over my eyes. You say, with a groan
| Of despair, I am caught at last, but I
WI not live to go to the minesr
While they are removing you 1 shall
watch for an opportunity to get away
before they discover their mistake"
When the scheme was first proposed
30 me l had not the remOtest idea of
perpetrating it. But since 1t was an
hour before the train stopped he had
that time to persuade me. 1 should
have yielded, but 1 was not sure that
I would not suffer long term Of i'm
prlsonu1snt for interfering In the
mans capture. Before we had reach.
ed the station he had promised If ]
would take his place 10 see that the
American minister was made aware
OF the matter, and as the train slowed
down, not being able to resist his pa.
thetic appeals, adopted his plan.
Ali happened as he had predicted
AS soon as the train stopped the coact
door was thrown open and Lantern
thrust into the compartment. True t
my promise, 1 cried out In Russian
81 am caught at last, but 1 will moi
live to go to the minesP'
l was jerked out of the coach and
hurried away. What. became Of the
political l did not know. I was
taken into the station, given a closer
inspection and the deception discover
ed. By the next train / was taker
back to St Petersburg and thrown
into prison
The next morning / asked for writ
ing materials, which were given me
and wrote a note 10 the American min
lister, stating that l was an American
citizen In Russian prison and askiEi
his assistance The day passed and
heard nothing. 4 week, a month, wen
by. I gave up hope and cursed my
self for fool.
One morning young man came Z
see me, saying that he was from tn
embassy. / asked him why he had beel
so long in taking cOgnizance Of II.
note. He replied that no note had beer
received, but the very next day afte
my arrest the minister had been in
formed Of all that had happened. H
had since been trying to get the gov
ernment to take the matter up. l ha'
been twice moved from one prison t
another, and each time the embass,
had been informed Of my removal. Il
short. my note to the minister had no
been delivered, but some one had beel
keeping watch over me and informing
the minister of my condition.
After another months hard work tn
embassy succeeded in securing my re
lease on condition that l leave tn
country Immediately. / was escortet
over the line, wondering the Will
whether I had been a fool or a fin
p fellow. l had no sooner got beyon'
the border than q man stepped up 3
me and said, 81 am to take you to tn
count"
Thanks, no. I don't want 10 g
to any count. I've had enough OF thI
business"
But he persuaded me and took me Il
a house where I was received by-th'
man whom | had helped to escape H'
rushed forward and gave me beal
hug and kissed me on both cheeks
When his transports had subs1ded h'
said:
81 kept my promise. The governmen
tried to lose you, but my friends pre-
vented. After you left me l got ou
OF the car and escaped. 1 have beer
here ever since. I am a noble, rlch
and half my fortune is yours.
"No." 1 said. ''It feels so good tC
have made one sacrifcial act that yot
can't pay me for doing it"