The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-03
PLAYING the
Police
A Story Of an American
Who Protected a
Russian Girl.
Blu ELINOR MARSH

American, In what was then ST. re-
tersburg was walking on the street
one day when suddenly he felt hand
on his arm, q soft. small hand. evil
IDENTIFY belonging to a woman. Glanc.
ing sidewise. he saw girl seemingly
about twenty years of age. Looking
up appealingly, she hurriedly spoke II
few words In the Russian language in
q low tone. Thorpe was connected
with an agency Of an American bust
ness house in st. Petersburg and had
lived in Russia long enough to speak
the language pretty well.
"Give me your protection said the
girl. II am followed and may be ar.
rested"
"What do you wish me to do?"
"Say that am your Wife"
"Why do you fear arrest?"
II am supposed to be revolution
ist."
II am an American. You being a
Russian, doubt IT,
"An the better" said the girl in
broken English. You being foreign
er, the police will be all the more care
full in arresting your wife,"
"Where did you learn English?"
II speak several languages. l 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
overcoat.
whats that" he asked.
"Never mind what 1t Is. II 1t 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.
fly convinced that you did not put 1t
there yourself"
Suppose l refuse to acknowledge
your"
"In that case. II they arrest me. l
am lost"
"What do you mean?"
II 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.
gering the liberty Of the man she asked
to help her. Thorpe was an American.
full Of chivalry. He knew that the
sensible thing for him to do was to
disengage himself from the girl and
leave her to take care of herself. But
he could not bring himself to do this.
1t flashed through his mind that If he
became involved he would find a way
out Of the trouble. He had the rights
Of any foreigner, and he was not in.
terested in the revolution. He might
suffer Imprisonment for q time, but he
would eventually be 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 voubly in English to his
companion, pointing out various oh.
jects as he passed them with his cane.
as though he were conducting her
through the city as stranger. Occa.
s1onally he used the words my dear"
but 1t Is doubtful if the two We're I'm.
der surveillance or, If so. whether they
were understood, for a Russian police
officer Is not supposed to know Eng.
lish. The girl, too, played the part of
visitor TO the city. regarding with
interest the objects pointed out and re.
marking upon them.
Are We going toward your homer"
asked Thorpe in whisper
mo; take me to yours"
This staggered the American. but he
remembered the great stake of a life
Imprisonment in the Kara mines for
the girl he was aiding, and he led the
way to his lodgings. He was about to
pass into the house where he lived
when an officer stepped up to him and
said very civilly In the Russian tongue:
Have you your passport with you.
STRIP
Thorpe, who was never without his
passport, took 1t from his pocket and
handed II to the officer. who looked
at 1t and from 1t to him. Seeing that
the description tailed with the orig.
inal, the officer handed the document
back to its owner, then asked:
MAY ! see madame's passport?"
What does he say?" asked the girl
of Thorpe. pretending not 10 under.
stand.
He wishes TO see your passport"
"Oh, it is in my trunk. Ask him to
come in and will show it to him."
BY this time the officer was con-
WINGED that the pair were American
travellers. He went into the house and
remained with Thorpe in a reception
room while the girl assembled the stair
case ostensibly to go TO her room to
get her passport Thorpe. who knew
that she would not come back. engaged
the officers attention by asking him
questions. The man wished to stoI
the girl. but refrained from doing 50
until il was too late Thorpe. whr
knew that when the officer was con
WINGED that his supposed wife would
not return he would take him into
custody. was in agony He remember