Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-20
The Daily Story
RUSSIAN EPISoDE-BY EDWARD R. CHANDLER.
Copyrighted 1918. by Associated Literary Bureau

saw hCt UNIV q SIKH VI TtllGl.
One morning Catherine did not ap-
pear at breakfast. At this meal, though
it was light one, she was very regu-
lar, and was somewhat surprised.
went TO her room and knocked. Re
ceiving no reply, l opened the door.
The bed had not been slept in, but the
chamber was disarranged. as though
the occupant had left 1t hastily. I
asked the servants where was their
mistress. They knew no more than /,
and they did not seem to care since
their wages had been paid up to the
end of the present month.
After I had eaten my breakfast I
went to boudoir adjoining my bed
room to get some money which kept
in a desk there. Pulling out a drawer,
1 came upon a roll of bills Exactly 60
rubles) that l had paid Catherine the
evening before for board and lodging.
Surprised, 1 pulled out other drawers
and on opening the one in which kept
my passport found 1t missing.
l was taken quite aback. had never
dreaded to lose my money for If did
1 could get more. but since coming to
hdu hOl ESilSutu the Iltd VI
losing my passport. 1 questioned the
servants, but they were stupid crea-
lures and could suggest no explanation.
1 felt assured that neither of them
had taken it, for if they had cared to
take anything they could have had
money.
involuntarily turned to Catherine
as the person most likely to have taken
my passport. But why? And why had
she left the money l had paid her in
my desk? l was all at sea with re-
gard to the matter. 1 went to a win
dow and stood looking out, musing.
Knots of persons We're standing about
talking earnestly with one another, as
though something had happened or
was about to happen. 1 sent servant
out to buy a morning journal, but there
was nothing in 1t of an unusual ma
ture
Calling drosky, drove to the Amer
lean embassy and reported that my
passport had been stolen. The young
man to whom / made the statement
took down my name, where l lived and
all about me that l would tell him and
told me that he would send me a pa
per to take the passports place. As
1 was about to go away l asked If
anything unusual had happened. He
called me into his office and, after
shutting the door, said in low voice
that an attempt had been made the
night before to assasslnate a minister
in his bed, but 1t had proved a failure.
He had only been severely wounded.
When asked if the assassin had been
caught he said NO"
Catherine did not appear, and after
lunch l went out and engaged rooms at
a pension, removing my baggage the
same evening. l left word with the
servants that if their mistress returned
to tell her that had gone and give her
my address. l was terribly uneasy for
several days. I could explain nothing
! as TO GATHERINGS action and feared
that had been involved in some mys-
FERROUS plot against the government
indeed, she might be connected with
the one to assassinate the minister.
A week after GATHERINGS disappear
ance one morning on arriving and GO
ing to my dresser there lay my pass
port.
Great heavensr' l exclaimed. "Will
these mysteries never cease? Surely 1
am in danger. shall use this docu-
ment to get out of Russia as soon as
possible"
That very night took q train for the
west When | reached the border,
where the passports are taken from the
mil
kept n long while. When it was re-
! turned to me I was asked a great
many questions. Fearing trouble, 1
gave no more information about my
story in Russia than l could help. FL
nally the officer, handing me the pass
| port, left me. and | suspected that the
officials fancied that they had seen it
not long before. However, l got away
from the cars dominions safely and
have never since had a desire to return
| to them.
1t was a year later when in a store
| on Oxford street in London, standing
at a glove counter. l happened TO look
| up at lady standing beside me. She
looked at me at the same time. She
was Catherine.
| She turned deadly pale and started to
walk away. but stopped. turned again
and put out her hand to me.
That night we met, where | do not
care TO say, and what she told me /
will not repeat, except that she had
appropriated my passport as a means
of leaving Russia. She was going to
st. Petersburg when first saw her for
purpose whfh would necessitate her
sudden fight Noticing that she and
would pass under one description, she
had invited me to stay with her for the
purpose of using my passport. She
was the principal actor in plot in
which a number OF revolutionists were
involved. They provided her apart
ments for her and had hurried her out
Of st. Petersburg, but with my pass
port.
From London sailed for America,
and | never have seen Catherine since.