The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1915-12-08

eminent provided that In addition to
the price paid he should be free to
leave the factory.
Graft predominates in Russia, and
the governor determined to force Pc
ter's secret from him to use it for his
own benefit He put Peter in irons in
dungeon and on bread and water.
1t is quite likely that Peter would
have given way under this treatment
had it not been that by holding out he
might secure his terms. If he did he
could marry Marya, who had assured
him that she would never be the wife
of any one else. If he did not succeed
death might relieve him of his impris-
onment.
Complaints came SO thick and fast
of the shells sent out from the fac
tory that one day the governor ordered
Peter to be brought to his Office,
When he arrived all others were or
dered out, and when the two were
alone together the governor said:
81 have concluded to recommend to
the government to buy your formula.
How much do you ask for it?"
"Ten thousand rubles."
every well; it will be paid. My com.
mission will be one-half."
81 will pay no commission. A man
who brides a government official is as
culpabIe as that official"
you will think better of this" said
the governor go back to your dun
geon."
Peter returned to his dungeon. He
was full of expedients and endeavored
to find one by which he could com
municate with Maya. He could write
to her, but all letters from those in.
side the factory were examined by q
censor. Peter induced the man who
brought him his food to bring also writ.
ing material and bottle on the shelves
in the laboratory, giving him the name
on the label. Upon receiving them Pc
ter wrote letter to Marya in ordinary
ink and across its face with the chem
ical Il message stating that he had in
vented a new explosive, but was pre-
vented from using it. What was writ
ten in plain ink contained this sentence:
I'VE are suffering with the heat" This
was to convey an instruction to Marya
to heat his letter.
Now, the message that Peter had
written across the face Of his letter in
the chemical that had been brought
him was invisible, but by being heated
it came out plainly in visible letters.
The censor who read the letters that
went out, reading Peters letter, noticed
the words I'VE are suffering with the
heat" but could not understand them
because it is seldom warm in Russia.
He sent for Peter and asked him what
he meant by writing that it was warm.
Peter said he had made a mistake, and,
drawing a pen over the word heat, he
wrote ''cold," but the word heat was
not erased.
Marya did not need the hint, for she
read the letter by the light of blazing
logs, and under the warmth the mes
sage came out in dark brown letters.
She thought long while about this
communication, but, not realizing it's
full import, took it to her father. He
saw in it more than she did, but could
suggest nothing.
One morning Maya was missing.
u
was missing also. She had started to
Petrograd, using the money to pay her
way so far as it would go. When she
reached the capital she saw no way to
give Peters letter to the car. Learn
ing the hour that he reached the pal
ace, she tied the letter to a stone and,
standing on the sidewalk behind the
line of soldiers, tossed it into his car
rage. The car, thinking it was Pc
tition, handed it to an attendant to ex-
anime.
One day Peter was taken from his
dungeon and led up to the governors
Office. An aid-de-camp to the car and
the governor were the only persons
present. The aid held Peters letter In
his hand and asked him if he wrote it.
When Peter admitted that he did he
was taken into a conveyance with the
aid and carried to Petrograd. There he
communicated his secret to one ap-
pointed to receive it.
Peter was paid liberal sum for his
formula and sent back to the factory
in place Of the governor, who disap-
peared. Some said that he was i'm
prisoned by order of the car, others
that he was sent to Siberia. At any
rate. he never appeared at the works
again.
Peter as governor of the factory
could 20 and come as he pleased. He
married Marya, but had no time for a
honeymoon. Marya lived with him in
the dwelling used by the governor I'M
til the works were destroyed by Ger
nan emissaries. Then Peter was sent
90 another point, where he was expect
d to spend his time investigating and
nventing munitions of war.