The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1917-06-08
Playing the
Police
A Story of an American
Who Protected a
Russian Girl.
BIZ ELINOR MARSH

=
was coming on, Alan Thorpe, a youn,
American, In what was then st. Re
tersburg was walking on the stree
one day when suddenly he felt hant
on his arm, soft, small hand, evi
IDENTIFY belonging to woman. Glanc
ing sidewise, he saw a girl seemingly
about twenty years of age. Lookinf
up appealingly, she hurriedly spoke 4
few words In the Russian language IL
low tone. Thorpe was connected
with an agency of an American bust
hess 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 l am your wife,
Why do you fear arrest2'
Il am supposed to be a revolutions
ist."
II am an American. You being a
Russian, l doubt if
IAN 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?"
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
overcoat
whats that?" he asked.
Never mind what 1t is. If it is dis
covered there and you do not know
what 1t 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
your"
I'm that case. If they arrest me.
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 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 tc 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 way
out of the trouble He had the rights
or any foreigner. and he was not in
terested In the revolution He might
suffer Imprisonment for Il time, but he
would eventually he able to prove that
he was not a 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
through the city as a stranger. Occa.
he used the words my DEAR
but 1t Is doubtful If the two were un.
der surveillance or. II so, whether they
we're understood, for Russian police
officer Is not supposed to know Eng
Ilsh' The girl, too, played the part of
4 visitor to the city. regarding with
interest the objects pointed out and re.
marking upon them.
m
asked Thorpe In whisper.
NO; take me to yours
This staggered the American. but no
remembered the great stake of n life
Imprisonment In the Kara mines for
ne girl he was aiding, and he led the
way to his lodgings. He was about to
'ass into the house where he lived
When an officer stepped up to him AMI
aid very civilly in the Russian tonpue.
Have you your passport with YOU
ir?" ~
Ihorpe, who was never without his
'assport. took it from his pocket and
lanued 1t to the officer, who looked ,
{ IL and from 1t 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 pirl
I Thorpe, pretending not to under. )
tand. a
He wishes to see your passport.
"oh, 1t is in my trunk. Ask him to
ONE In and will show 1t to him" :
BY this time the officer was con. ;
lnced that the pair were American
'avelers. He went into the house and
with Thorpe in a reception :.
pom while the girl assembled the stair.
ase ostensibly to go to her room TO 9
ct her passport Thorpe, who knew =
lat she would not come back, engaged y
lie officers attention by asking him j."
lestions. The man wished TO stop .
e girl, but RETAINED from doing so l,
It'll 1t was too late. Thorpe, who 81
lew that when the officer was con- g g
need that his supposed wife would u
It return he would take him into -
stody, was In agony. He remember. y
the girls slipping something into ~
pocket and knew 1t would be found ~
ere. All this seemed too much TO do i !e
woman he had never seen before u
n ha VuoC A. lie