The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-31
An Escape
BY ELINOR MARSH

witch. living Mt Kars, not many miles
north of the boundary line between
Russia and Turkey, found employment
across the border and while there fell
in love with young Turkish girl Her
father refused her to him unless he
would renounce the Christian religion
and become a Mohammedan. Ivan was
ayerse to doing so, but it is easy for
one who is in love to find a salve for
his conscience, and he finally consent
ed. He professed adhesion to the
prophet, and the two were married.
| This is simple matter with the
| Turks, for the bride is conducted to the
groom's house and left there with him.
There is no such ceremony as among
Christians.
OF course the young husbands con-
| version was form, but he was obliged
| to go to prayers in the mosque like any
Mohammedan and otherwise conform
to that religion. After awhile he grew
tired Of this and, taking his wife with
him, went back to the other side of the
border.
Now, it was not long after the Ivano-
witch family made this move that the
Grand Duke Nicholas marched by, i'm
pressing men into his army as he ad-
vanced, taking Ivan among the num-
Der. When the latter found that they
were marching on ErZerum he was
much concerned, for it was near that
city that he had married his wife, and
l. -, -,
nized fighting in a Christian army
against the followers of Mohammed he
would suffer as dreadful fate as could
be visited on renegade.
Ivanovitch was on the flank of his
, army and ten miles to the northwest of
Erzerum. There he was captured by
the Turks and carried with them in
their retreat before the Russians to-
ward TrebiZond.
+, Just before the Russian advance into
? Turkey, Nine. Ivanovitch went on a
visit to her people and was there dur
t, ing the surrender of ErZerum by the
/, Turks. One day while looking at some
I Russian prisoners who were being
, marched by, she saw her husband
among them.
, The good woman was seized with
the same trepidation as Ivan, that he
T might be recognized as Mohammed-
an renegade. Wishing to be near him
I, to afford him such protection as she
;, might be able, she followed the prison
ers, their captors taking them along
in retreat, and saw them go into
= bivouac for the night.
!. Now, there was no opportunity for a
= woman to mingle among men in Tur-
: key for Turkish women and men do
not associate together as in other coun-
2 tries. The only way Nine. Ivanovitch
could go among the soldiers and prison
q ers was by assuming mans attire. En-
). tering the womens quarters Of a house
near by, she prevailed upon wife tC
:, procure her suit of her husbands
4 which she put on and, carrying hel
own clothes In bundle under her arm
went to the place where the prisoners
~, were There she made friends will
the guard and offered her services fol-
!. any duty she might perform. She was
:, told that she might take part in watch
. ing the prisoners, and, obtaining ;
. gun she stood guard with the rest.
I'll Toward midnight she took position
h near her husband and dropped he
. bundle beside him, at the same tim,
i, making signs to him to roll into SOM
% underbrush n few yards from him
! Slowly edging in that direction, h
!, came to the edge of the brush. Mos
% of the guard were drowsy. One o
!, them was near enough to observ
VI Ivan, and Nine. Ivanovitch placed her
- self between the two Then the pris
- oner rolled into the brush.
AS soon as he examined the con
a tents of the bundle he saw his wife
- design. As man in Russian uniform
n, it would be impossible for him t
make his way through the Turks
@ lines, but as a woman he would hav
70 every advantage, especially as the fac
~ of a Turkish woman is always hidde
=. by a veil. Under cover of the darl
ness he took Off his clothes and pu
"A on those of his wife, then made hi
way out of the bivouac of guards an
- prisoners.
" Coming to the road over which b
had been marched during the day,
:, walked along it till he came to hous
There he took refuge In an outhous
till morning, when he raped at Il
women's quarters. He was admitte1
made up story of having been to 81
% an officer to whom she Chez was ma
rled, and was treated with kindness.
Here he wSs in double danger, for
- was not only a renegade Mussulma
but man in the women's quarters,
= place where not even husband ms
=, enter unless his wife is without Wis
- ors. However, he insisted on renal
" ing yelled and got out as soon as
~ could without exciting suspicion.
% Following the road back toward Il
N Russians, he modestly withdrew to OF
side on meeting Turkish soldiers w
iee were hurrying before their conquerol
&c, At last he met the Russian advan
la' and. lifting his veil, revealed lims'
so- as a man and Russian.
IAN The next meeting between Ivanovit
ecu and his wife was in hospital with
y. the Russian lines. He had been tax
10 i'll and relegated to the quarters of
ITO sick. Nine. Ivanovitch had made /
mt way back toward Erzerum and b
III been hoping that he had made go
TOT his escape. She had gone with r
ex- Cross nurses to help in the hospit
the and one day as she was passing his
the two met.
In She was free to kneel beside him, a
the two embraced with thanks, the {
to God. the other to Allah.