The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-11

, upstairs luOTpe ldlkeu NOiuuly u lie
officer, intending to give her as much
time as possible to make her escape.
During this period Thorpe was think
ing how she could get away. There
was rear staircase by which she
might descend into beck yard and
thence gain another street But it
was likely that there were others ON
| the lookout, and it was possible that
her fight by this route would be inter
copied. Other houses about the same
height as the one they were in flanked
It, and she might escape by the roof.
In any event If she succeeded Thorpe
would be left to the mercy of the Rus
sian government
What was his amazement to see her
re-enter the room.
"My DEAR" she said, II wish you
would go upstairs and see If you can
find my passport I thought left 1t
| in my trunk when ! went out, and.
though l have turned everything up
side down, l haven't found it. | think
that | must have placed it in your
! trunk, but it is locked and could not
open 1t. Go and see II it Is not there"
What could her return mean but
that she had found that she could not
sacrifice her benefactor and had come
back to permit him to escape instead
Of herself? He was not to be placed
in the position of accepting such a
sacrifice from woman. Taking a
| h,,o 90 hio nncEaf hn
handed them to her, telling her to go
herself and look for her passport in
his trunk. She demurred at first. but
when he handed her his overcoat, ask
ing her to take 1t up with her, she con-
scented and again left the room. with
the coat on her arm.
If the officer had any suspicious they
were lulled by the woman's return.
And when she left the room a second
time with Thorpe's coat there was a
great relief In her heart. The moment
she was out Of the officers sight she
put her hand in the pocket Of the coat
to assure herself that what she had
placed In It was still there. She felt
It and hurried on, transferring It as
she did SO to her own person. During
her previous absence from below she
had investigated the route Of escape
by the roof and now kept ON till she
reached it. Emerging from the scut-
tie, she ran to the next building, which
, was but few feet lower, jumped
down on to It, ran over several build
ings Of the same height and disappear.
ed down the scuttle of the fifth house
from the one from which she had
started.
When some time had passed and the
girl did not return Thorpe began to
show signs Of impotence. He pro-
posed to go after her. but the officer
interposed. Thorpe waited a little
longer, then said:
II fear that If l do not 60 up at
once l shall lose my valuables."
why sol" asked the officer. Sure
ly your wife would not steal from
you."
"She Is not my wife. | never saw
her before today. She joined me on
the street. presume she is
The officer waited not to hear the
rest, but. springing up, ran to the door.
gave shrill whistle, then ran up.
stairs. followed by several other men.
Every room in the house was search
ed, including Thorpe's apartments. Be-
sides his Overcoat, several articles of
value were missing. He was aston
ished, thinking that, after all, he had
been robbed by n woman who had
worked on his sympathies for the pur-
pose. But the police disabused his
mind of this theory. They knew bet
ter They had been on the track Of a
woman they knew WELL This one they
did not know, but while chasing the
other had come to suspect her. She
had fooled them by placing herself un.
der Thorpe's wing and pretending to
be his wife. But Thorpe was believed
to be entirely innocent In the matter
and was not troubled even to make an
explanation.
One day Thorpe was accosted on the
street by an old woman who asked for
aims. He was turning away from her
when she said in low tone:
Il am the girl you saved from Sibe.
| ria"
Thorpe scrutinized her and saw that
her white hair was wig; the wrin-
kles In her face were skillfully painted
He asked her to give him an account
Of herself since he saw her last After
telling him how she escaped she con-
tinued:
THE article slipped in your over
coat pocket was bomb. had re-
ceived 1t few minutes before Joined
you from a worker In the cause of
Russia's liberation. When ! was per.
mitted to go upstairs for my passport
l could have escaped. but was un.
willing to leave you. my benefactor.
with the bomb In your overcoat peck
ct Your asking me to carry your coat
upstairs solved the problem. I robbed
you Of certain articles that it might
appear to the police that | was a com.
mon thief who had deceived you. This
would avoid duplicating you In pro.
tecting a revolutionist. When II is