OCR Text |
Show l4 SYNOPSIS. At the expense of a Soiled Illlt Hobert Orme saves from arrest n k rl In black touring car who has caused a traftle Jam on Htate street. Il Imys a new hat ami Is given In change a Ave, dollar Mil with: "Kcmoinber the person you pny this to." Written on It. A sei ond time he help the iHdv In 1 lie black ear, and learns that In Tom and Itemle Walllngham they have mutual friends, tint gains no further Idnl of her identity. Honor I'orllol of Houth America and Helior Aleatrante, mlnlHter from the same country, and some Japs try to Set possession pos-session of the hill. Two of the latter overpower over-power Orme and effect a forcible ex-chants ex-chants of tho mnrki-1 hill for nnother. Orme finds the girl of the black ear waiting for him. She. also wants the bill. Oime tolls his story. Hhe recognise one nf tho Jiips ns her father's butler, Maku. A second Inscription on the bill Is the kry to the hiding place of Important pa-perr pa-perr stolen from her father. orme and the "Ulrl" start out In the blark ear In ipiest of the papers. In the university grounds In Kvanston the hiding place Is located. Maku and another Jl are there. Orme fells Maku and the other Jap escapes, es-capes, orme llnds In Maku's pocket a folded slip of paper. He lakes the Klrl. whose name Is mill unknown to him. t the home of a friend In Kvanrton. lie-turning lie-turning to the university grounds Orme gets In conversation 'vlth a guard at the life-saving station. They hear a motor boat In trouble In the darkness on the lake. They find the crippled boat. In It are the Jap with the papers and "Girl. Hhe Jumps Into Orme's boat, but the Jap eludes pursuit Orme Ittida on the paper h't took from M iku the address, '"til V Parker street " He goes there and llnds Arima. teacher of jlu-Jltsu, Is on the third floor He culls on Alia, clairvoyant, on the fourth Moor, descends by the llre-esi llre-esi ape and conceals himself under a table In Arlma's room. Aleatrante. I'orllol and the Jap minister enter. Orme finds the papers In a drawer, tinder the table and iihMitutca mining prospectuses for them. He lesms that the papers are of International Interna-tional Importance with a time limit for signatures of that night midnight. The sulmtitiitinn Is discovered. The girl appears ap-pears and laves again after being told that the American lias the papers orme attempts to get away, is discovered and set upon bv Arlma rind Maku. He eludes them and Is hidden In a closet bv the clairvoyant. Orme escapes dining a seame given by Alia. On the sidewalk he encounters Aleatrante Orme goes to find Tom Walllngha-n. Aleatrante hangs on and tries to get the papers. Poring the excitement caused bv one of Aleatrante' Alea-trante' tricks to delav Orme. the latter sees the girl and follows her back to Walllnghanrs ofll.e. lie and the girl are locked In n giant peclmen refrigerator bv Aleatrante. Thev ronfess their love and when tnev hsit almost abandoned hone of escape Orme breaks the thermometer colls unit tttracts tho attention of a late-going tlerk. They are lite-rated. CHAPTER XV. From the Devil to the Deep Sea. "How shall we go?" asked Orme, as they descended to the street level. "Py train. There la no other convenient con-venient way. since my car is at home." She looked at him doubtfully, and added, add-ed, "but they will be watching the railroad stations." He nodded. "A motor would be safer If we can get one." He gave her hand a secret pressure while the elevator boy was opening the door for them, and as she passed before him she flashed upon him a look so filled with lovtt and trust that the sudden thrill of his happiness almost stifled him. At the Ln Salle street entrance Orme had a fleeting glimpse of the watching Aleatrante. The South American, after one astonished stare, darted away In the dusk. He would follow them, of course, but Orme decided to say nothing about him to the girl. "I must telephone," she said suddenly, sudden-ly, stopping as If to turn back to the building. "Father will be very anxious." anxi-ous." "The booths In the building must be closed." he said. "We'd better try a dnig store." Accordingly they made their way to the nearest, and the girl went to the booth. The door was shut for a long time. While he was waiting. Orme glanced through the brilliant window. In the light of an electric lamp across the street he discerned faintly a motionless motion-less figure: without hesitation he cros-sed the pavement, recognizing Aleatrante Al-eatrante more clearly as he left the dazzle nf the store. The minister did not budge. Ills face, as Orme approached, was cold and expressionless. "Senor." exclaimed Orme, "does your trade Include murder?" "Not at all. Why do you ask. Mr. Orme?" "Because only a lucky Intervention has saved you from the murder of a young lady and myself." "You are exaggerating, my dear sir." Alratrsnte laughed. "Is It your custom to lock people Into airtight chambers?" "Air-tight?" Aleatrante was clearly disconcerted. "I did not suppose that It was sir tight. Also, I did not dream that the young lady was there. Hut this game is a serious game, Mr. Orme. You do not appear to understand. Vhcn one Is working for bis country, many strange things are justified." "Kven murder?" "Kven murder sometimes." 1 Orme had an inspiration. "Thank i you lor the truth, senor." he said. "I. 1 too. am working for my country. If 1 you continue to follow us. I shall as- I sume that you have murder In your Blind, and I shall art accordingly." ! Alrstrante smiled coolly. I "This Is fair warning." continued 1 Orme. 1 He glanced to the drug store and 1 saw the girl coming out of the tele- 1 .hone troth. Hastening across the street, he met her at the door. I "If father bad had any Idea of such 1 eomp.icatlons when we came west." I she said, "there would have been plen- I it o men mar by to help us. As It t y. .-ball have to act alone. It Is t not a mutter for detectives or for the police. I I almost wish It were," she faltered. Orme wondered again whether thlH father could have realized what dangers dan-gers the girl was encountering. Hut, as if divining bis sudden anger against the mnn who could let his daughter run such risks, she added: "Hi doesn't know, of course, the dctnlls of our adventures. ad-ventures. I have permitted him to think that It Is simply a matter of searching." "And now he Is reassured?" "Yes. Oh, you have no Idea yet how Important It Is." "You were a long time In the booth." he said. A mysterious smile flittered across her face. "I thought of nnother person I wished to talk to. That person was hard to get." "Long distance?" "It proved necessary to use long distance," dis-tance," Then she cnught a glimpse of the figure fig-ure across the street. "There's Mr. Aleatrante," Al-eatrante," she exclaimed. "Yes, I have just had a talk with him." Her face showed concern. "Don't let him worry you, dear." he added. "He will try to balk us. We must expect that. Hut I think I can take care of him." "I believe it," she said, softly. Ha wondered whether she could guess how relentlessly he was planning plan-ning to deal with Aleatrante Would she Justify the course he had In mind? As to her attitude, he felt doubtful. Perhaps she did not agree with the South American that murder was sometimes necessary In the service of one's country. Moreover, while Aleatrante was undoubtedly un-doubtedly serving the Interest of bis country. Orme had no real certainty that he himself was In a similar position. posi-tion. He had every reason to Infer that the papers were of Importance to the Vnlted States government, but after all he could only go by Inference. The affairs of some private corporation In the United States might have a serious seri-ous bearing on problems In South America and the far east. He decided to sound the girl for Information that would be more definite. Hut first the question as to their next move must be answered. "I)o you know where we can get a motor?" he said. "No" she prolonged tne word doubtfully. doubt-fully. "We may have to take a motor cab." "It would be safer than the railroad or the electric line." Then he asked with great seriousness: "Girl, dear, I don't know much about the meaning and value of these papers In my pocket, pock-et, and I don't care to know any more than you choose to tell me. Hut let rue know Just this much: tre they as Important Im-portant to you as they are to our enemies? ene-mies? Have you really been Justified In the risks you have run?" "You have seen how far Aleatrante and the Japanese have been willing to go," she replied, gravely. "I am sure that they would not hesitate to kill us. If It seemed necessary to them In their effort to get possession of the papers. Now, my dear, they are even much more Important to my father." "In his business Interests?" "Much more than that." Tbey were walking along the glimmering glim-mering canyon of La Salle street, which was now almost deserted in the dusk. A motor car swept slowly around the ctrner ahead and came toward them. It had but one occupant, occu-pant, a chauffeur, apparently. He wore a dust-coat, a cap, and goggles which seemed to be too large for him. Regardless of Aleatrante, who was following them, Orme hailed the chau-fetir. chau-fetir. "Will you take a fare?" be called. The man stopped his car and. after a moment of what Orme Interpreted as Indecision, nodded slowly. "How much by the hour?" asked Orme. The chauffeur held up the ten fingers fin-gers of his two hands. Orme looked at the girl. He hadn't that much money with him. "If I only had time to cash a check," he said. "All right." she whispered. "I have plenty." They got Into the tonneau, and the girl, leaning forward, said: "Take the Ijike Shore drive and Sberldan road to 1 Kvanston." Again the chauffeur nodded, without turnltif toward them. "He doesn't waste many words," whispered the glr! to Orme. While the car was turning Orme noted that Aleatrante had stopped short and was watching tjem. It was some reason for surprise that be was I not hunting for a motor In which to follow. Perhaps bis plans were so complete- : ly balked that he was giving up altogether. alto-gether. No. that would not be like Al- I ratrsnte. Orme now realized that In kll likelihood the minister had fore-ieen fore-ieen some such circumstance and had made plans accordingly. I He was more and more Inclined to ' believe that Aleatrante had but half pipected to keep him long Imprisoned I In Walllngbam'a office. Then what I bad been the purpose underlying the Tick? Probably the Intention was to 1 inks Orme prUoner for as long a perl- I |