Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-06

| i possessed to compel her to a. 80
! from political crime.
Never .6eless | did nothing a. :.
time and would have done nothing 49,
| not fate thrown q second and -.
| greater temptation in my way. MORT
passed, and. having finished nv w.
in st. Petersburg. | applied for
/ passport and started for America I.
the railway station / climbed I'M.
compartment of a car, taking a 80
by the window on the opposite 80
from which l had entered. Thera -
but one other person in the conr.,s
ment. and the light was insufficient =.
me to see him or her distinctly ~
could not make out whether 7 -
looking at man or woman. In.
ulster reaching from the chin IN ~
ankles concealed the figure hr,
thought / saw slight adornmen, :.
the felt hat indicating that the was,
er was a woman.
The passenger was looking ont NJ a.
window, apparently watching for some
one Presently the guard shut ths
door. but my fellow traveller did ne,
cease to watch. The train was unor
ing out of the station when I heard
gasp more like that of woman thsn
man, and, looking out, saw man
running to catch the train The train
gathered speed. but from my position
/ could not see the man chasing /,
The passenger put her head out tho
window. but soon withdrew it and fell
back On the cushion.
Did he catch it:" I asked
There was no reply for few mo.
ments: then suddenly the other person
starting up, threw open the ulster and
revealed the figure of woman.
Great heavens. She was the girl
who had handed me the phiaI at the
Winter palace.
He is on the footboard. When the
train stops he will come to arrest me.
That means for me the mines. Death
is far preferable. I am going to die
She made a spring for the window.
but / caught her.
Sacriice-very great sacrifce-rarely
comes when we are in our sober
senses 1t takes us by impulse. Look
ing backward, I wonder how ! could
have done what l did then. and
shudder.. / defied the car of all the
Russias. / persuaded the girl to give
me her ulster and her hat, while
transferred to her my fur overcoat
my travelling cap and a steamer rug
for lap robe. With these articles.
the cap drawn down over her eyes,
she was we'll covered and. sitting in a
far corner, could not be told from q
Lett ox,I hnrh ,e
and when the train stopped was sit
ting by the door, while Vera Nlcho-
laevna sat where I had been, pretend
ing to sleep. When the train stopped
/ knew a search was being made, and
presently the door. of our compart-
rnent opened, and an officer, ofspolice
looked In. 80
II am lost~ i. cried in a. falsettO
voice. N
The officer wanted no better evil
dence that 1 was his quarry. I was
ordered to get out of the car, the door
was closed. and my captor told the
guard that the train could go on.
My object was to deceive the officer
as to my identity as long as possible.
and this was not an easy matter, since
/ was q man and he was looking for
woman. 1 wrapped my ulster about
me and kept my hat well down over
my face. 1t was night, and this helped
me. Luckily l wore no beard. l was
taken to the Jail of the town in which
l was captured and locked up. As
soon as the key was turned on me
muttered:
Thank heaven, she may be saved!
The next morning the mistake was
discovered. was sent TO st. Peters.
burg charged with assisting political
prisoner TO escape. / wrote 10 tns
American ambassador TO help me. but
had little expectation that my ietter
would be given him. 1t was not, ana
1 languished in n dungeon.
/ wrote again to the ambassador
but my letter was not permitted u
reach him. Some unknown person ID
formed him of my condition. where
upon he worked hard for me. ne
would have failed had he not maue
personal application to the ear INC
emperor was at the time asking ior
on the part of the uDiteu
States in a matter pending between
the two governments. and bargain
was finally struck by which the con
cession was made on the one sue
while | was granted a pardon on 'ss
other. Agar several months spent ~
captivity / was released. given NY
passport and told 10 leave Russia
the first train.
From my parting with Vera Nicn.
Iaeyna. when l was arrested uii 'N
present have never seen her nv
heard of her except indirectly ons
lay long after 1 reached America
Russian came TO see me and toiu
hat for the sacrifice had made 10 'us
,ause of freedom in Russia. II ! nss
,ny favor to ask of him, 1t wouiu
granted so far as possible. | to'd ~
hat I desired no recompense except
Know where Vera Nicholaevna vas
To this he replied that it was the ~
impossible favor could ask. Tor 'e.
was lost to the "o'
Ter identity had been buried
r. % a - RrfC2ll