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Show Y Y Y Y "BANNIJ1ERMERWIN RAY WALTERJ1 COfYWOnT 1909 jVy DODO, v Corn pA.r-y- eh? Well. It's thu front flat, two nights up." "Thank ou," said Orme. He walked out to the street, whence a backward glance showed him the woman again concealed In her newspaper. At one side of the shop he found (he entrance to a flight of stairs which led to the floors above. In the little hall- 1 way. Just ln-fore the narrow ascent be- , gan, was a row of electric buttons and names, and under each of them a mail , box. "3a" hud a card on which was printed: , "Arliua, Teacher of Original Kan Jlu-Jltsu." Should he go boldly up and present himself as a prospective pupil? If Arliua were the tine who had so ef- , fectlvely thrown hint the night before J be would certainly remember the man he had thrown and would promptly be on his guard. Also, the woman In the shop had said, "you are one of the gentlemen he was expertln'." Others were coming. ! l'rudenee suggested that he con-ceal con-ceal himself In an entry across the street and keep an eye out for the persons w ho were coming to visit Art- 1 nut. He assumed that their coming ' hud something to do with the stolen paper. Hut be had no way of know- ' Ing who the athlete's guests would be. There might be no one among them whom he could recognize. And even ' if he saw them all go In, how would his ow n purpose be served by merely watching them? In time, no doubt, they would nil come out again, and one of them would have the papers In ' his possession, and Orme would not know which one. For all he was aware, some of the guests had already arrived. They might even now bo gathering with K eager eyes about the unfolded docu- 1 ments. No, Orme realized that his place was not on the sidewalk. Hy some means he must get where he could discover what was going on In the front flat on the third floor. Standing Stand-ing where he now was there was mo- ' tnentary danger of being discovered ' by persons who would guess why he 1 was there. Maku might come. Orme looked to see who lived In a "4a," the flat above the Japanese. The card bore the name: K y "Madam Alia, Clnlrvoyant and Trance Medium." "I think I will have my fortune told," muttered Orme, as he pressed g Madam Alias bell and started up the stairs. g At the top of the second flight he a looked to the entrance of the front apartment. It had a largo square of ground glass, with the name "Arima" , In black letters. He continued up- j ward another flight and presently found himself before two blank doors one at the front and one a little at tine side. The side door opened slowly In response to his knock. Hefore him stood a blowsy but not J altogether unprepossessing woman of middle years. She wore a cheap print ' gown. A gipsy scarf was thrown over her head and shoulders, and her ears held loop earring. Her Inquiring glance at Orme was not unmixed with suspicion "Madam Alia?" Inquired Orme. She nodded and stood aside for him to enter. He passed Into a cheap little lit-tle reception hall which looked out on the street, and then, at her silent direction went through a door at one ride and found himself In the medium's me-dium's sanctum. The one window gave on a dimly lighted narrow space which apparently had been cut In from the back of the bulidlng. Through the dusty glass he could see the railing of a fire-escape platform, and cutting diagonally across the light, part of the stairs led to the 1 platform above. There was a closed door, which apparently opened Into the outer ball. In the room were dirty red hangings, two chairs, a couch, and a small square center table. Madam Alia had already seated her- u. self at the table and was shuffling a r, pack of cards. "Fifty-cent reading?" H she asked, as he took the chair oppo- , site her. tj Orme nodded. His thoughts were on f, the window and the fire escape, and he fr hardly heard her monotonous sen ni fences, though he obeyed r.iechanlcaliy cl her Instructions to cut and shuffle. "You are about to engage In a new Dl business," she was saying. "You will P, be successful, but there will be some m trouble about a dark man. Uiok out lor him. He talks fair, but he means . mischief There Is a woman, too This man will try to prejudice her against you." And all the time Orme n, was saying to himself, "How can I per suade her to let me use the Are es- , cape?" 4 Suddenly he was conscious that the j woman had ceased speaking and was running the cards through her finger ; and looking at him searchlngly. "You w ire not listening." i-he aald. as he met her g.tze. ,.j He smiled apologetically "I know ,!i I was preoccupied." ,., "I can't help yoti If you don't llu-n " re 0;me inferred that Khe took pride In her work ll sighed, and looked 'M iirave "I am afraid." he said slowly, al th it f.j cfe is too u rious for the . ards " She tightened. "You'd ought u. have a tr.inr reading-two dollars " nr "I d any kind 01 reading that ttl I would help me, ut I'm afraid the alto- atlon Is too dlfllcult." "Then why did you come?" Again the look of suspicion "I came because you could help m, but not by a reading." "What do you mean?" I'lamly shw was frightened. "I don't put penpltt away. That's out of my litis. Honest!" Hon-est!" "Do I look as If I warned anything; crooked done?" Orme smiled. "It's hard to tell what folks want," she muttered. "You're a fly-cop, aren't J 011?" "What makes you think that?" "The way you been sizing things up. You aren't going to do unythlug, aro you? I pay regular for my protection every month five dollars - and I work hard to get it, too." Ortue hesitated. He had known at the outset thut he was of a class illf fcrwnt from the ordinary run of her clients. The difference undoubtedly had both puzzled and frightened her. He might disabuse her of the notion thut he had anything to do with the police, but her misapprehension was an advantage that he was loath to lose. Fearing him, she might grant any favor. fa-vor. "Now, listen to me," he said at last. "I don't mean you any harm, but I want you to answer a few questions." She eyed him furtively. "Do you know the man In the flat below?" ho demanded. "Mr. Arima? No. He'saJnp. I see htm In the halls sometimes, but I don't do no more than bow, like any neighbor." neigh-bor." "He's noisy. Isn't he?" "Only when he has pupils. Hut ha goes out to do most of bis teaching. U he wanted?" "Not exactly. Now look here. I believe be-lieve you're a well-meaning woman. Do you make a good thing out of this business?" "Fair." She smiled faintly. "I ain't been In Chicago long, nnd It takes tlmo to work up a good trade. I got a daughter to bring up. She's with friends. She don't know anything about what I do for a living." "Well," said Orme, "I'm going to give you five dollars toward educating your girl." He took a bill from bis pocketUiok and handed It to her. She accepted It with a deprecating glance and a smile that was tinged with pathetic coquetry. Then she looked at It strangely. "What's the writing?" she asked. Orme started. He had given her the marked five-dollar bill. "I didn't mean to gfv you that one," he said, taking It fro her fingers. She stared at him. "Is It fony?" "No but I want It. Here's another." an-other." As he took a fresh bill from his pocketbook he discovered to bis LaiusB aas iaawiiaaaaaaBaaaaaa-ja-a aaa - j "You Seem to Bo Acquainted With Your Neighbor, After All." uurprlse that the marked till, together with the few dollars In change he had received after his purchase In the shop below, was all that he now had left in his pocket. Ho remembered that he had Intended to draw on his funds that morning. His departure from New York had been hurried, and he had come away with little ready rash. Madam Alia slipped the till Into her bosom and waited. She knew well enough that her visitor had some de-iiand de-iiand to make. "Now." aald Orme, "1 am going to ise your fire escape for a little while ' The woman nodded. "I want you to keep all visitors out." te continued "Don't answer the bell. may want to come back this way julck." "This Is straight biilneB, Knt lt don't wan" to get Into no trouble." "Absolutely straight," said Orme. 'AH you have to do Is to leave your vitulow open and keep quiet " ' You can count on me." ,ho im!d. Torhaps you know all at out the place lown tln re. tun if you don't. I'll tell ou that the (,re eacap leads into bis ecepimii room." (r:ii.- muled. "You aeeni to be so luain.ed with your nt Ighbor. sftef ,11?" tTO 1:1: riTIft:i AvoiO Suspicion. "When you're walking rro;0 vour lelghbor'a melon patch, djn t Ha tu.,t tioe." Atlantic Vtiuit.. y |