The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-04-10
FOILED
BY DWIGHT NORWOOD
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.


working hard to get enough money to-
gether to be married, for Anna had
but a very small dot One day n man
came to the village and put up at the
inn. He hailed from Moscow. but ha
did not explain the reason Of his com
ing He did not take up any business
or profession. and after he had been
In the place awhile people began TO
wonder who he was and what was his
errand. All they knew Of him was
his name. Peter Petroff. and that they
learned from him.
One evening Anna and Jean and Pc.
ter Petroff met at a dance. Anna was
pretty girl, and Petrof fell In love
with her at sight. He asked her to
dance with him. and she accepted.
He asked her again. and she declined.
| She did not care to dance twice with
any one except her lover So Petroff
asked her If she would not "sit out
the dance with him, as we call it in
America Not wishing to offend him.
she consented.
Petroff made the acquaintance of
Annals father and succeeded in ingra-
tiating himself into the old mans good
graces, This gave him free access to
the house and to Anna Petroff told
Zobeiski that he had comfortable
income and was well able TO support
a wife. He asked for Anna. Her IA
Their told him that Anna was already
betrothed Petroff expressed surprise
at what he already knew and much
regret. Zobeiski was vexed that Anna
was tied to Jean. because he thought
Petroff would be a much better hus-
band for her. He told Anna OF the
offer and advised her to break with
Jean and marry Petroff.
Anna was very much troubled when
she heard this. She dared not tell Jean
lest 1t bring about trouble between him
and Petroff. Petrof ceased to offer
attentions to Anna and treated Jean
whenever he met him with great
friendliness. This did not disarm
Annals suspicion that there was some
thing wrong about Petroff and that he
would gladly get Jean out his way.
Petroff had been ut the village about
two months without any visible occu-
patton when one morning there was
large number of arrests in the neigh
borhood OF persons charged With plot
ting against the government. What
was the surprise of every one TO learn
that Jean Radski was among the num-
Der.
1t was plain to Anna that this man
Petroff had come among them as
SPY for the government; that he had
sent in the names Of certain persons
as plotters and had included Jeans
name for the purpose of getting him
out of his way In a country like Rus
STA. where persons are arrested with
out due process of law and hurried off
to Siberia without trial, this was
very simple method for Petroff to get
rid of one whose place he desired TO
occupy.
This explanation Of Jeans arrest
was, Of course, all inference with
Anna and was not remotely suspected
by Jean himself. There are certain
things that women know by intuition,
and when they thus arrive at conclu-
sions they are sure Of them.
Anna resolved to play bold game
She sent for Petroff to come and see
her. Petroff came, and Anna said 10
him:
my father has told me of your offer
for my hand. OF course l could not
accept it before jeans arrest But
his completely with these plotters
against the government absolves me
from my pledge TO him. Jean has
saved 5000 rubles for our wedding.
/ wish him to give them to me. If
you can find way for me to see him
so that can get him to tell me where
/ can find this money l will marry you.
"All can do replied PetroH, lis TO
take you out on the road the prisoners
are marching on, which is well known
| 10 ALL"
VERY well; let us go. l will have a
sleigh ready In few minutes"
Petroff drove Off n very happy man.
He was surprised that after getting
| Jean out of his way he should have
succeeded with Anna without any eff
fort, and he congratulated himself that
Anna did not suspect that he was the
cause of her lovers arrest. But he
had not thought she was so merce-
nary. He had proceeded several miles
when, coming to a rise in the ground,
the prisoners were seen some distance
ahead slowly walking, loaded with ball
and chain and guarded by troops.
Suddenly Petroff felt something hard
and cold against his ear and at the
same time heard an ominous click.
He did not need to look aside to know
that it was a revolver. With one hand
Anna pressed 1t against him and with
the other held paper and pencil be-
fore him.
Write an order to release JEAN"
she said.
IAN orderl What would an order
from me ayailY