THE SECRET SERVICE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIII, Issue 122, 21 May 1909, Page 3

THE SECRET SERVICE.

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mmrnm mmmi deS* to which it sometimes descends.

f££r£ssaps StsHSSP alHeVwas°i m ething of connoisseur in art matters, and used to-.pick up anting that struck to «^g lariv aood or representative. - yne day^e ran across a very fine picture of a Stf" Bernard dog, Vfto*, Jj.- * famous Russian artist r^,,a^ugh the price was a little "steep tor sucn a suWect, he thought well enough ol ft to buy ?it, have it framed, and. sent tOW&n°S' picture' arrived^ Rusf sian friends soon confirmed his judgment that he had found a treasure, Sid he hung it over the mantelpiece in-tne drawing-room, adjusting A,he ifghts to show it off to^the best advan-, tage; That was about five o! clock in tH Th ae ftnext°niornine, while the doctor was in his office, aloiock came on,the door, and, upon giving the usual Russian command to enter, a police officer presented himself, brought his_ heels together, touched his cap, and bowed. The doctor knew enough of Russian to be aware that there was something wrong, but he contented himself with a ismiling "Good morning, which brought forth another touch of the cap in polite acknowledgment. ■ " r 'l beg pardon, doctor," .began,the officer, "but you have in your draw-ing-room, over the mantel a picture of a dog?" ' . .. ) Rather taken aback by the question, and instantly imagining that the jncture was stolen, the doctor only said, "Yes, I have. What of it?" "On each side of that mantel, on the recesses in the side walls," continued the officer, making motions with" his hands, as if pointing out the places referred to, a you have two small pictures. One of the Emperor, one of the Empress." "Yes. What of that?" gasped the doctor, wondering what was coming. "I would respectfully suggest, doctor, that it is hardly fitting to hang a picture of a dog between the picj tures of the Emperor and .impress,' This was said with another bow and touch of the cap. "Why, the picture is a work of art. It is by one of the most famous artists in Russia. It is a masterpiece, I paid 2000 roubles for it." "It may be a work of art, doctor, as you say, and it may be by the most famous artist in the world, but it is still a dog.7 I shall leave you with that suggestion. It is nothing more than:a suggestion. Good morning." Another assembling of the heeis, a half-bow,'a touch of the cap, and the door shut behind the retreating figure. That afternoon Prince^ Obelinsky, who was at that time aide-de-camp to the Tsar, and also one of Dr. Linn's patients, happened to drop in. The doctor told him of his experience of the morning. The Prince laughed lightly, and said: "You know these people, doctor. You are nota novice in Russian etiquette. It will not cost you anything to move it. Take it down and put it somewhere else. Put it here, where all your patients can admire it." The next day the doctor was out for a stroll, when he happeneu to notice a very fine reproduction Of the latest portrait of the Emperor! He selected a frame that was in perfect harmony with the color scheme of the portrait, and had it sent to his home. Th 6 next afternoon he moved the dog into his study, and hung the portrait of the Emperor in^ its place, over the drawing-room mantel. That -vas about two o'clock. Two hours later a gentle tap came to the door of the doctor's office, and, in response to the doctor's command to enter, the same police officer appeared, drew his heels together, bowed, touched his cap, and smiled rery politely. , "Thank you, doctor." , That was all he said. Befoi-e the doctor could recover from his astonishment the door had closed again, and his visitor was gone. The other incident shows a different side of the picture., An American, who may "bp called Mr

Cavendish, was about to visit St. Petersburg in 1890. Before starting from London he sought a little advice from a gentleman who was then acting" as ■, interpreter for Spottiswoode. This man was a Pole, .and had been an officer in the Russian Army. When bellion in Poland jhe went over to the his regiment was sent to quell the rerevolutionaries, and when they failed he fled= The first advice that this gentleman had to give! to Mr Cavendish was to the point. "Whatever you do or1 sayin Russia when you get there, do not ever admit or mention. the^ fact that you ever knew me. I am doubly damned. lam not only a rebel and a Pole, but a deserter from the army. Once /you admit that you have known me you are a suspect for the rest of your life." •The other part of the Pole's advice was.simplicity itself. "When you have been in Russia a short time," he said, "long enpugh to (make your statements appear reasonable, sit down and write a number of letters to your friends in America, in England, in Timbuctoo. Anywhere will do. Write to Tom, Dick, and Harry.

"It does not matter whether there are any such people or not, so that you post the letters. When you write, tell them that Russia is the; finest country >in the world, thai/ the administration of the laws is ; perfect, that graft is unknown, and that Nihilism and such things are all tommy-rot. Write what I tell you, and leave the rest to fate." '

Arrived in St: ■ Petersburg, . the American found no difficulty in writingl just such letters. He had never met with such kindness, and he; felt sure he would shed tears when the time came for him to go home. Among his letters.of introduction he had one to the manager of a big cotton print mill up the river, a Mr Jones. This gentleman wrote, asking him to come up for a week's shooting, so Mr Cavendish notified the landlord of the hotel that he should want his passport the next day at noon, as he was going up the river for a week or so.

The next day, at luncheon, when he demanded his papers, the landlord smiled blandly, and told him to go ahead, that lie did not need any'passport. • .

"Why, I thought you could-not stay more than 24 hours anywhere in Russia without giving up your papers," protested Mr Cavendish.

The landlord shrugged his shoulders. "I will, tell you what I was told at the police station. They looked up your record, and they just smiled and told me to tell you to go ahead. You are all right they said. You. dqn't need any passport for this trip." "Still, I do not like the idea of going oh a journey into the country without a passport. I have always

understood that you might as well be dead as be without a passport in ltus'sia." . . * ■ ■ , ~ i "I think you will be quite sate it you do as you are told," remarked the landlord, with another shrug. , 1 ; shall not ask for the passport again. , You can do as you please about it. f Accordingly,.up the river Mr Caven- j dish went, without a passport. Ar- j rived at his destination, he found a ; warm welcome, his host assuring him that he would have great sport during j his stay, as the shooting was excellent. , tin, '■'We will go around to the club atter dinner," he said, "and have a rubber. You will find everything very comfortable there, and I want you to meet some of my.friends. As it may be late before we get home, suppose you give me your passport now, and I will send it around to the chief of the police at once." " , ■~, "I did not bring any passport with me." . ~ The astonishment on the other man was evident. "Why, my dear fellow, don't you know that you 'can t stay here more than 24 hours without a passport. How on earth chd your landlord happen to let you come away without it? lam afraid you will have to go back on to-morrow's boat. The situation was explained. _ ' "There must be some mistake,". Mr Jones persisted. "They could not have understood that you were going to stay here a week. The awkward thing about it is that the chief of police is likely to drop in at the club, and the first thing he will ask about will be your passport. It is very dangerous to have anything irregular about your tjapers in these small towns; the police have so little else to think about." "Well," remarked Mr cavendish, philosophically, "I; have had a lovely time since I came to Russia. I have always done what I. was told was the proper thing to do," this with a smile to himself at 'the recollection of the interpreter's advice, "and ■ 1 have absolute confidence that such f charming hosts as the Russians are not going to make things unpleasant at this late day/ ' •. "If the chief of the .police orders me to go back to-mprrow, I shall certainly go. lam going to do what lam told iin this country. 'I.^ill get my passport and come up again.' "But all my arrangements for the coming week will be spoiled. After an excellent dinner, which was rather clQuded by the host's (worrying over' the matter of the nassport, and the prospect of his shooting plans being all upset, his family, joining him in the assurance' that Mr Cavendish could not stay, they went around to the club, and cut v into a rubber of whist. Absorbed in the game, the American had 'apparently forgotten all about the passport, when his host gave a sudden start, and touched mm Tightly on the elbow, motioning his head toward the door. ,

Looking up,- Mr Cavendish saw a man whom he instinctively recognised as the chief of police, although he was not in-uniform. The oiticer walked over to a table and turned over the pages of a magazine, from whidh certain articles had been blacked out, evidently waiting until the players had finished the hand, so ''as not to interrupt. The moment the last trick was turn-? Ed and quitted he approached the' table with a smile and a bow to those whom he knew. Mr; Jones drew his chair back, coughed, grew very red in the' face, and was about to introduce his guest, when the omcer ex-i tended his hand. , . ,|

"Mr Cavendish, I believe?" Charmed to have you visit our little town. Pray do not let me interrupt your game. If you have time to-morrow, I shall be glad to have you call oil me. I understand you intend to be here for1 a. week, perhaps it may be longer."* The last sentence made Mr Jones uneasy. He knew something about Russian ways, and .he advised his guest to present himself at the police station the first thing in the morning, and have it over, assuring him that the officer's politeness was simply compajvy manners,! the velvet glove that concealed the iron hand.

"You have been up to something, I am afraid," he whispered as they went home from the club. "You have been talking politics to some Nihilist, and this letting you get up here without a passport is a dodge to catch you where they can whisk you off to Siberia." Mr Cavendish did not think so. He realised that his host was an alarmist.. At the same time, he felt uneasy about that interpreter. Had someone informed the police of'their acquaint-* ance? Was he already a suspect?

He. was at the police station bright and early the next morning, and found the chief more than agreeable. Not a word was said about any passport.

While the officer was running over some places of interest around Lake Ladoga which his visitor should see, he happened to mention the Fortress of Schulussellberg. Mr Cavenaish had heard of it. It was there that they

had the cells in' which the water rose an inch a day, so that -finally she prisoners had to swim for it, md eventually found there was not room for their heads between the water and the ceiling. He mentioned his recollections of the peculiarity to the chief, who laughed-heartily. "The credulity of Americans is only equalled by the powers of their imagination," he said at length; but at the .same time his visitor had a, feeling that he might be grabbed from behind at any moment and Spirited off to that dreadful place in the lake. Mr Jones had told him that was the trick in Russia- —a smooth-spoken man in front to engage the attention, two agile gentlemen behind'to gag, bind, and-stuff you into a carriage. Mr Cavendish did not like the prospect, somehow, and wished he was. well out of the police station, in spite of his host's politeness and .interesting description of the country round about; Presently he venturer a remark. U ■-■;;

"You will pardon , mci," he began, "but how did you know niy name oefore they had time to introduce me last night, at the club?" The chief smiled quietly. "You Know there is a lot of trouble and red tape about keeping a recot'd of every tinie a passport changes hands; getting 'receipts for it, and all that sort of thing. So the headquarters in St. Petersburg just dropped me a postal card saying that you were all right, and to make you feel at-home while you \veve lier,e. ;j; ' ■ "How did they know 2 was Sufficiently all right to travel without a passport?".

"Now you are. asking questions," said the officer, smiling. "But let "me tell you that if everyone that came to Russia had as much sense as you have they would find it one of the most charming countries in the world." "Perhaps I was well advised." J "Then the man that advised you was a Russian." -»