I 1 ja 14 1 4 IN KV RAY water 1909 y compardy SYNOPSIS at the expense of a dolled hat herbert 0 orme e saves from roin arrest a girl in a black touring car who ha lies caused a jam on state street lie he buys it n new hat and Is given a he five dollar bill alth ser er the hie person you ou pay this to written on it A second time lie helps tho the girl in the black car and learns that in tom and nessle bessie they have mutual friends but gets beta no further hint ot of her identity lie ile discovers another inscription on oil tile the marked bill which in a futile attempt to decipher herdt it lie ho copies coplea and places the copy in a drawer rawer in its ills apartment senor Por itol south american calls and claims the he marked bill 1111 orme refuses and a light ensues in which fori tol Is ove overcome rome lie he calls in senor A al carrante cat rante minister from ills country to vouch for or him orme still to give up the bill ile he learns that a jap has called for him orme orma ROCS goes tor for a walk and sees two japs japa attack CHAPTER ill continued orme leaped forward and swung his cane tho the stick was tough and the blow was war bard enough to send a man to earth but the robber had heard ormes approach and looked up from his victim just in time with a motion indescribably swift he caught with one hand the descending cane and wrenched it from ormes grasp then lie he crouched to spring at this instant orme h rd footsteps behind him A turn of the licad lend showed a threatening figure at his back there had been four men in that procession through the pirk park by a quick leap leal to one side bide ormo orme placed himself for the moment out of danger ills his two assailants moving too fast to stop bumped together they faced about for another spring at him and ana then there was a short shor scratching sound and I 1 I 1 n the lm u of the b B ma n a match ila ha exclaimed the prostrate at al carrante cat rante 1 I thought so go orme himself looking into the contorted faces of two japanese discovery was evidently the last thing the holdup hold up men desired for they disappeared like a flash diving through the shrubbery behind them orme dazed and breathing hard attempted no immediate pursuit ile he stepped quickly to and helped him to his feet 1 1 I am not hurt said the south american when the man threw me to the ground I 1 feigned that I 1 was stunned it li Is wiser not to resist a thug Is it not so ile he brushed the dust from his clothing with his handkerchief orme handed him his hat which had rolled to one side the minister rubbed it carefully with with his hia coat sleeve see he laughed nodding at the ground my cane la is broken I 1 must have fallen on it since youre not hurt said orme wed better belter get after tho the thieves bahl bah replied what Is the use they are already far away and they got nothing lie ile laughed Is it noc always better to avoid notoriety tori tor ety lety mr air orme As a rule no doubt but in this instance no said firmly 1 I really must insist that we let the matter drop As for me I 1 shall return to my hotel perhaps you will walk along with me orme hesitated ld I donl ont like those thieves to get off without a chase senor but my dear mr orme they did me ila harm ormo orme shrugged his shoulders you forget that there was one after after me as well as one after you no I 1 dont forgot forget that but dont you see mr orme 7 these two men were not after our valuables indeed not at all what they would like Is my little friend Pori secret dut but why japanese orme was puzzled why indeed A cunning japanese might as easily have got wind of it as anyone else dul but why did you say 1 I thought so BO persisted orme did I 1 say that it must have been because I 1 suspected that only a japanese could be so agile as my assailant dut but all this Is immaterial I 1 should have warred you that secret Is dangerous you should not have left your apartments well this certainly Is a quer queer kettle of fish muttered orme ile ho was beginning to feel alig with the situation lie he did not like oily smooth smoothness riess and ho he wondered whether it would not have been better to hand the bill over to partial at the first demand but it came cama to his mind that in fit a certain degree he be stood committed to continue the policy he had adopted ile he had bad sought adventure it was coming to him in full measure together they walked back toward the parl entrance the minister seemingly exerted himself to regain the ground he be had bud lost with orme ile he proved an interesting conversationalist keen slightly cynical but not without an of earnestness you have seen me much abused by your press mr air orme he be said that Is natural I 1 have the interests of my illy own country to protect and those interests are of necessity sometimes opposed to the interests of other countries but it if your people would bo be even more patient with us its all we heed Is time there Is reason for our persistent tomorrow tor for we are young and it jo a slow process to realize on our resources that Is why we do not pay our debts more promptly orme said nothing but thought of looted south american treasuries of exiled presidents squandering their official stealing at parts paris and monte carlo of concessions sold and sold again to rival foreign companies they had now reached the park en trance there Is a cab said at al carrante cat rante you will ride with me as far as aa your hotel hotels thank you jio said orme 1 I rather need the walk smiled persuasively permit me to urge you ou it if you should be robbed my little friend might lose ills his precious secret poor boy lie ho added ills father was my friend and I 1 cannot refuse him a service the cab had bad swung around to the curb beside them orme had no fear of robbery on the lighted drive but since was so insistent he felt inclined to yield ile he might as b h q the man aster to bow him into the cab and presently they were whirling along southward there was a period of silence then spoke meditatively tat ively you see how it happened I 1 suppose he be said those japanese were waiting outside your hotel when and I 1 came out one of them followed us while the other remained on guard then you started on your stroll and the man who remained on guard set out after you yes said orme but I 1 dont see how the fellow could have known who I 1 was laughed oh he could have placed you in a number of different ways ile he may have got your description from one of the servants or from tho the clerk gut but it is enough that he did know you well said orme this is beyond me that live five dollar bill seems to be very much desired by different groups of persons nodded 1 I am not sure he said slowly but that it would ease young Pori mind it if you would place the bill in my hands bands for safekeeping not that he mistrusts you mr orme but he imagines that you may not realize how I 1 important in it is to him and you might not guard it carefully 1 I agreed to keep it until tomorrow said orme quietly As for thieves my apartment Is on the tenth floor pretty well out of their reach the only danger of robbery lies between the cab and the hotel office 1 I know I 1 know chuckled alca arante it Is of course as you will I 1 was merely thinking of my young friends peace of mind I 1 am his fellow countryman you see and his confidence in me he stopped with another chuckle singular is it not how impressionable are the young orme said nothing lie he did not enjoy this fencing uok look at the lake suddenly exclaimed how beautiful an expanse of water it has so much morn more color than the sea but you should see our wonderful harbor of rio mr air orme perhaps some day I 1 shall be permitted to show you its who knows said orme it would be very pleasant As to the bill continued alca arante quickly do you care to give it to me orme felt himself frowning 1 I will keep it till the morning he said oh well it A Is of no consequence laughed shortly see here Is your hotel your company has been a pleasure to me mr orme you arrived most opportunely in t the he park orme jumped to the curb and turning shook the hand that was extended to him thank you for the lift senor he said 1 I shall look for you in the morning in the morning yes and pray my dear sir do not wander in the streets any more this evening our experience in the park has made me apprehensive the minister lifted his hat and the cab rattled away the entrance to the pere marquette Marquet tc vas pas a massive gateway which opened upon a wide tunnel leading to an in herfor court on the farther side of the court were tho the doors of the hotel lobby As aa it a rule carriages drove drova through the tunnel into tho the court but orme had not waited for this formality lie he started through tho the tunnel there was no ono one in sight ile he noted the elaborate terra cotta decorations of the tha walls and marveled at the bad taste which had lost sight of this opportunity port unity for artistic simplicity cut but through tile the opening before him ho could see the fountain playing in the center of the court the central figure ure of the group a naiad beckoned bec honed with a hand from which tho the water fell in a shower the effect was not so unpleasing it if ono one wished to be rococo why not be altogether so BO like the south americans was their blab elaborate 0 rate ornamentation plastered on to an inner steel construction ormo orme wondered midway of tile the tunnel and at the right as one entered was a door leading into the porters office this door was shut but as orme approached it it noiselessly opened out ila iio expected to soe see a porter appear and when no person stopped stepped over the sill he inferred that the door had been b blown I 1 own open by an interior dra drat V just as he was turning out to go 90 around the door shut off all view of him from the inner court a figure shot through the opening before ormo orme could dodge lie ho wils waa seized firmly by the shoulders and jerked into the room with a force that sent him staggering lie ila tripped over a chair and went to the floor door but quickly scrambled to his feet and wheeled about two men stood between him and the door which had been closed silently and swiftly they were short f 41 N 0 t 2 ol 01 1 I too has anybody else V 7 and built orme exclaimed aloud for the light that filtered through A window from tile the street showed two faces unmistakably oriental tf if this was an ordinary robbery the daring of the robbers was almost incredible they ran the risk that the porter would return if they had not already mado made away with him only the most desperate purpose could explain their action what do you want demanded orme your pocket book replied one of the men qu eek ile he smiled an elusive smile as he spoke what it if I 1 refuse said orme then we take be A call for help would hardly bring brine anyone but orme gave a loud cry more to diA disconcert concert his bis enemies than with any hope of rescue at the same instant he rushed toward the door and struck out at the nearer japanese tile the blow did not land ills wrist was caught in a grip like an iron clamp and he found himself performing queer gyrations the japanese had turned his back toward orme and swung the imprisoned arm over hla his shoulder A quick lurch forward and orme sailed through the air coming down heavily on his side ills ilia arm was still hold held and in a few seconds he was on his back his assailants astride him and smiling down into his faco face orme struggled to free himself and promptly felt a brea breaking kinq strain on oil his imprisoned arm the knee of tile the japanese was under tho the back of ormes elbow A moderate use of the leverage thus obtained would snap the arm like a pipe stem this orme realized as he ceased struggling the strain on his arm relaxed slightly but the grip was maintained lilu jiu jitsu explained the japanese in a tone that sounded gently apologetic tho the other robber now stooped and ran mn his hie h ands ads over ormes coat flail find inc the pocket book he took it from its inside pocket and went swiftly to the table lie ile produced from tits his own pocket a little electric hand lamp by the unlit light of which lie he took rapid count of money ilia his ryes eyes glittered a wide scar on ills hla forehead stood out whitely suddenly lie ho gave a little cry and held up a single bill lie he jabbered jabberer Jabb ered excitedly to ills his companion for a moment then spoke quietly to ormo orme this thia all we want he said bald we aro are not thief see sc I 1 put other uve five dollar bill in its place and leave pocket book here lie ile thrust tho the selected bill into his pa pocket ceet put tho the fresh bill in tile the pocket book and laid tho the pocket book on the table see here said orine onne still prone the meaning of nil all this dont say the japanese smiled ile ho went over to the door come lie he said tho the man mail astride orme r released his hold and sprang to his feet like it a flash both the japanese disappeared orme orine jumped up tip seizing his pocket book and tits his hat ho he darted after hla his assailants at the street en an rance franco to the tunnel he be looked quickly ly in ili both directions but tits his men mail were riot not in sight pursuit was futile slowly lie he turned back lie thought of notifying tho the police but after all lie ho was tho the worse off except for ills his promise to and now involuntarily broken ile iio must explain to them as best ho he could tho the marked bill had been of no consequence to him except its as a focus of adventure and lie he had lind about as much adventure as lie ho could expect for one evening but the secret of the bill still tanta libed him blindfolded lie had played in a gamo game at which the others saw it seemed unfair as if lie he had some right to know the meaning of all these mysterious incidents why had po britol wanted the bill so badly why bad the desire to possess it driven the two japanese to such extreme measures ormo orme crossed the court and entered the lobby the clerk looked at him curiously mr orme he said there Is a young lady in the reception room waiting to see you me orme looked hla his surprise yes yea sir air she gave no name lias ilai she been waiting long nearly an hour without further questioning orme turned to thedoor of the little green and gold room at the threshold lie he paused in bewilderment arising to meet him smiling frankly was waa the girl of the car CHAPTER IV the girl of the car oh she said with a little gast gasp of recognition are you mr orme ifer her cheeks flushed softly lie he bowed his heart wits was beating furiously and for the moment he dared not try to speak then we do meet again she exclaimed clalra ed and as usual I 1 need your help it queer any service that I 1 ornic orme began haltingly of course anything that I 1 can do the girl laughed a merry ripple of sound then caught herself and changed her manner to grave earnestness it Is very important she said 1 I am looking for a five dollar bill that was paid to yh yai today orme started what you trio too 1 I too ilas has has anybody else iler her gravity was moro more intense why yes said orme a attle man from south america oh mr Por itol iler her brows were knit in cin adorable frown yei ye and two jainese Japan Jam nese cae oil ob iler her exclamation was apprehensive hen heri sive tile tho japanese got it added ornie orine ruefully that she ebe had the right to this information it never occurred to him film to question tho the girl stood rigidly whatever shall I 1 do now she whispered my poor father site she looked helplessly at ormo ills self possession had returned and its as lie ho urged her to a chair ho he condemned himself for not guessing how serious tho the loss I 1 0 ss of the bill must bo be to her sit down lie he said perhaps I 1 can ann help hut but you