The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-02-26
LOVERS RACE
FOR FREEDOM
Russians Daring Plan to Win
a Girl From Serfdom.

More than half century ago, be
fore the serfs were emancipated il
Russia, the Count and Countess Gedeo
novsky owned a beautiful girl, Liza
Ivan Panshine, who had inherited
fortune from his father, a merchant
fell in love with her, and his love wal
returned
One morning Count Gedeonovsky
upon opening his mail received an OF
fer from Panshine of 5000 rubles fol
Liza, the young man stating that ht
wished to marry her. Liza, who knew
the offer was before her master, wa:
listening at the door. peeping through
crack to hear and see what chance
there was for her and her lovers hap
piness. Her heart sank within hel
when she heard the count explain:
what impudence. This man
whose father grew rich beside me
while l grew poorer every day, now
thinks to deprive me of my most val
ued serf. Liza, Liza! Come here"
When Liza came the count showed
her the letter and asked her if it had
been written with her consent She
admitted that ii had, whereupon she
was dismissed by her master with
the words, II will teach you how to
form plans without consulting me-
Then he wrote letter to Panshine de-
clining the offer and warning him new
err to approach Liza under peril Of the
law both for himself and her. Pan
shine knew what this meant, The
count was in favor with the govern
ment, and word from him with a
trumped up charge would be sufficient
to send both the lovers TO Siberia.
Panshine, who was a determined
fellow, pondered long seeking for
some plan to possess himself of Liza.
At last he concluded to fight the count
with his own method He would
make a charge against Liza of being
a member of band Of revolutionists,
get her into his possession and carry
her beyond the borders of the empire.
Panshine knew well the corruption
of Russian officials. He approached
one of them whom he had long known,
Mikhalevich, and made him an offer
of 10000 rubles if he would arrest
Liza and then secretly turn her over to
her lover. to be carried beyond the Dor.
ders of Russia.
The offer was accepted. Panshine
sold his estate and sent the proceeds,
except what he needed to help him in
his fight. to n bank in America. When
he had arranged for relays of horses to
cover the distance TO the Prussian Dor
der, hundred miles, all was ready for
the attempt
One evening AIikhaievich appeared
Mt the counts estate and read war
rant for the arrest of Liza on a charge
of conspiracy. The count was aston
ished He dared not resist an officer;
but, suspecting a plan to get his sert
out of his hands, as soon as drosky
could be got ready he drove after the
officer and his charge. He had not
gone far before he came upon drosky
overturned, Mikhalevich being in the
snow crying for help and Liza no
where to be seen. AS soon as the
count could stop Mikhalevich's cries
which he kept up as long as he dared
the officer said that he had been set
upon by Panshine and number OF
his friends and the girl taken from
him. Fortunately for the count, he had
the best horse in his stables.
Liza was astonished at her arrest
and, supposing that her master had in.
1t, was in despair. When sud
denly drosky turned from q byroad, |
Panshine jumped out and she was
to his conveyance her dis +
tress was turned into an exciting hope. /
She asked for no explanation. well
knowing that liberty and happiness
were now to vie with a prison.
Panshine had studied the route and |
made his preparations accordingly. He
had with him petroleum, cotton and
pitch pine for the purpose of burning
bridges. after he had passed over them.
Reaching a bridge across a branch OF
the Vistula he fired the structure. 1t !
was in flames when the count appear I
ed. Hesitating a moment, he dashed /
the flames and across. The I
lovers had gone on, but were now only
half mile in advance. Nevertheless
they had fresh horses. while the
horse had followed them for
twenty miles.
The count, realizing that he must get
a change. stopped at farm long
enough to do SO, then pressed on. He
felt sure that they would take the
nearest road 10 the border, through
Warsaw. and did not stop to ask their
direction. From Warsaw but one road
led straight eastward and he took
this road. Coming soon after to an
other branch of the vistula. he saw
that the bridge was in flames. Here
he was delayed till he could find
ford. when he continued the pursuit,
getting fresh horses wherever he could
find them. When he reached the bor
Ter he saw the fugitives passing it but
4 few hundred yards ahead of him.
Panshine and Liza did hot know that
they were in Germany until they saw
4 man in German uniform. Then they