Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1915-01-29
AN ODD
GROUP
By GRANT WHEELER

. w
fetrograd-oh business. He had stud.
led before going the Russian language
under Russian instructor and could
converse fairly well in that tongue
On the train between the border and
st. Petersburg be fell in with young
! Russian who on hearing that he was
an American chatted with him agree
ably. expressing much interest in the
great American republic
Where are you going to stop in st.
Petersburg:" asked the young Russian,
who gave his name as Peter Alexan-
drovich.
Il suppose ] shall go to hotel until
l can find apartments" Alan replied
| Il nave rooms in the house of an old
iady who Is very motherly and Is al
ways attentive to her dodgers wants.
l dare she say she may have some va
J cant rooms
Alan jumped Mt this chance of get.
ting settled. for he disliked hotels and
was glad to avoid them even tempo
rarily. He went to the lodging house
ana waited III reception room while.
AIexandrovich interviewed the land
lady Then he and the landady rejoin-
! ed him. and the latter said that there
were no rooms vacant at the time. bur
an occupant was soon to go away. If
meanwhile the American would accept
couple of rooms Of Alexandrovich's
suit that he did not need he would be
welcome to them.
The landlady. Nine Groutsky. was
indeed motherly woman Her face
was especially benevolent: her hair
was white; her features bore the
stamp Of suffering. 1t seemed to
Chandler when he looked at her that
he was gazing upon one of the Chris
tian martyrs who had lived nineteen
centuries before. He had only Il few
hours acquaintance with Alexandra
vich. too short to warrant his trusting
the man. but was so drawn to Nine.
Groutsky that he resolved to accept
the offer for the sake of effecting an
entrance to the old lady's house.
There was but one other roomer in
the house besides the American and
Notwithstanding. Pole He
was seldom there, but when he was
there he and Alexandrovich were sew
eral times observed by Alan to have
their heads together. Stanislaus was
the person who was expected to va
cate his rooms. But day after day
passed and he showed no sign of do
ing So.
Meanwhile Alan was taken i'll. He
was so carefully nursed by Nine.
Groutsky that when he recovered he
would not leave her on any account,
although there was something mystic
rious about Alexandrovich that excited
his distrust Alan could not discover
that he had any occupation, He would
be absent sometimes for days. and
when he returned instead of mention
ing his absence or any incident con
nected with it he never referred to it.
One day when Alan returned from
the transaction of certain business he
had on hand he found Nine. Grout-
sky talking with IL handsomely dressed
young lady. The girl looked up at
Alan with pair of eyes which. SO long
as they were fixed upon him, held him
spellbOund. What it was In their dark
depths to make him feel that for their
possessor he would jump off the brink
of II cliff he did not know, and yet he
saw her only few moments while
passing through room to the stair,
case leading to the second floor.
Not person Chandler met under
this roof but impressed him. They
were all different, but We're all linked
together by some mystery. The land
lady seemed to be the guiding spirit.
At least, Alan could not but notice
that they all seemed to look up to her
with reverence. Though the gentlest
among them, she appeared to be the
strongest.
The girl who had fixed those Won
drous eyes on Chandler never came to
the house again. He was minded to
ask the landlady who she was. but
somehow lie felt that there was
barrier between him and the others In
the house that he was forbidden to
pass.
One day when he was walking on
the street police officer tapped him
on the shoulder and directed him to
go with him The policeman took him
to police station, where sat an officer
at desk. Pulling out a drawer, he
took therefr )m a little leathern case
and. opening it. began to look from 1t
to Chandler and vice sersa. Presently
he handed the article to Chandler, ask
ing:
''ls that your passpOrtT
Chandler, thunderstruck, said he be-
lieved that it was.
You Americans are very iDcau-
tiOus," said the officer.
What do you mean"
II will show you If you will come
with me-"
He led the way to a sleigh standing
at the door and motioned Chandler to
enter it. Then they were driven out
Of the city to road along which
in the distance crowd were seen
slowly approaching. When they reach
ed the sleigh Chandler saw that they
were prisoners marching to Siberia.
His eyes rested on Stanislaus. then
on AleXandrovich, then on Mime.
f,rnntSkv 7 oStly biS oa1a mot tho4 -