The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-11-16
PLAYING the
Police
4 Story of an American
Who Protected a
Russian Girl.
BIZ ELlN0R MARSH
Bp ELlN0R MARSH

4
IDENTIFY belonging 10 woman. Glanc
ing sidewise, he saw girl seemingl.
| about twenty years Of age. Looking
up appealingly, she hurriedly spoke
| few words IN the Russian language II
low tone. Thorpe was connected
with an agency of an American bust
ness house In st. Petersburg and hat
lived In Russia long enough to speal
the language pretty well.
Give me your protection said tn,
girl. Il am followed and may be ar
rested
What do you wish me TO do!'
Say that | am your wife"
why do you fear arrestY'
Il am supposed to be II revolution
list"
Il am an American. You being q
Russian, ! doubt IT,
"All the better" said the girl in
broken English. you being a foreign
er, the police will be all the more care
full in arresting your wife
where did you learn English?'
Il speak several languages. | have
been in England. ! once spent some
months there
The girl withdrew her hand for a
few moments, and Thorpe felt some
thing drop in the side pocket of his
oyercoat.
What's that?" he asked.
"Never mind what 1t is. If it is dis
covered there and you do not know
what it is you will be really surprised.
The police will thus be the more read
lily convinced that you did not put 1t
there yourself"
Suppose | refuse to acknowledge
you?"
SIN that case. If they arrest me, |
am lost
What do you mean|
Il shall spend the rest of my life in
Siberia
This surely was an unfortunate posi-
ton in which to be placed-an at
tractive girl pleading for chance to
avoid a lifelong Imprisonment, endan-t
gering the liberty of the man she asked
to help her. Thorpe was an American,
full of chivary. He knew that the
sensible thing for him to do was to
disengage himself from the girl and
he could not bring himself to do this.
1t flashed through his mind that if he
became involved he would find way
out of the trouble. He had the rights
terested in the revolution. He might
suffer Imprisonment for time, but he
would eventually lie able to prove that
he was not revolutionist. 1t needed
only this reasoning, in addition to the
pleading face turned up to his and the
feeling of the little hand on his arm,
to win him to the girls purpose.
When his mind was made up he be
gan to talk volubly in English to his
companion, pointing out various OBJ
jects as he PASSED them with his cane.
as though he were conducting her
nrough the city as stranger. Occa-
sionally he used the words my dear"
but it Is doubtful If the two were I'M
der surveillance or, If so, whether they
were understood, for Russian police
officer is not supposed to know Eng
lish. The girl, too, played the part of
a visitor TO the city, regarding with |
interest the objects pointed out and re-
upon them.
Are we going toward your homer" |
asked Thorpe in whisper.
NO; take me to yours"
This staggered the American, but he |
'emembered the great stake of life |
Imprisonment In the Kara mines for
he girl he was aiding, and he led the
way to his lodgings. He was about to
PASS into the house where be lived
when an officer stepped up TO him and
aid very civilly in the Russian tongue.
Have you your passport with YOU
irf"
Thorpe, who was never without his
passport, took 1t from his pocket and
landed IL to the officer, who looked
t Ii and from ii to him. Seeing that
he description tailed with the orig
nal. the officer handed the document
ack to its owner. then asked:
MAY ! see madames passport"
What does he say?" asked the girl
I Thorpe, pretending not TO under
tand
lie wishes to see your passport.
"Oh. II Is in my trunk Ask him to
ONE In and | will show 1t to him."
BY this time the officer was con
inced that the pair were American
-ayelers He went into the house and
'mained with Thorpe In a reception
pom while the girl assembled the stair
ase ostensibly 10 90 to her room to |
et her passport Thorpe. who knew
lat she would not come back. engaged
&c officers attention by asking him !
1estiOns The man wished 10 stop
le girl but refrained from doing so ,
ptil II was too late Thorpe who ,
aew that when the officer was con F,
need that his supposed wife would ,
II return be would take him into ,
issody was IN agony. He remember ,
. the girls slipping something into /
S pocket and knew II would be found Z