| Show B g lu i SYNOPSIS at the expense of a soiled hat herbert orme orm s saves from arrest a girl in a black our I 1 n car who has ins caused a traffic traffie J jam in on an r state ta a street ile he buys a new hat a and und is IB given afave a anve dollar bill with re mem ber person you pay this to written on it A second time lie he helps the girl in the ba black ck car anil learns earns that in tom and dessle Walling liam they have mutual friends fr lenda but aels no further hint of her iden identity t 1 tye 1 in n his rooms at the pere marquette t e he telephones 1 0 nes dessio and agrees to got golf r at Arr armadale adale on the morrow lie discovers another t alon on tile the marked bill which in a rut buttle atte attempt m pt to dec he ha copies and places the tha copy in a drawer CHAPTER 11 II senor Por itol when orme answered the tha knock at the door a singular young man stood at the threshold ile he was short wiry and very dark ills his nose was waa long and complacently tilted at the end his eyes were small and very black ills mouth was a wide uncertain slit silt in his hand he carried a light cane and a silk bilk hat bat of the flat brimmed french type and he wore a gray sack suit pressed and creased with painful exactness ac act ness come in senor Por itol said orme motioning toward a chair the little man entered with short rapid steps ile he drew front from his pocket a clean handkerchief which he unfolded and spread out on the surface of the table upon the handkerchief he carefully placed his hat and then after an ineffectual effort to make it stand against the table edge laid his cane on the floor not until all this ceremony had been completed did he appear to notice orme but now he be turned widening his face into a smile and extending ills his hand haid which orme took rather dubiously it ft was supple and moist oh this Is mr ornie Is it not yes said orme freeing himself from the unpleasant handshake mr robert orme yes that 6 ny iny name what can I 1 do for you for a monnett senor appeared to homow like a timid bird then he be seated himself on the edge of a chair only the tips ot of his toes touching the floor ills his eyes danced brightly to begin with mr orme lie he said U iam I am charmed to meet you very charmed ile he rolled his rs after a fashion that need not he be reproduced and in the second place be continued while actually I 1 am a foreigner in your dear country I 1 regard myself as in spirit one of your natives I 1 came here when a boy and was educated at your great university of princeton you are arc a portuguese I 1 infer from your name said orme oil oh dear no oh no no no exclaimed senor Por itol tapping the floor nervously with his toes my country he freed himself front from the portuguese yoke many and many a year ago I 1 am a south american mr orme one of the poor relations of your great country again the widened smile then he suddenly became grave and leaned forward his hands on ills his knees dut but this Is not the business of our meeting mr orme no inquired orme no my dear sir I 1 have come to ask of you about the five dollar bill which you received in the hat shop this afternoon ile he peered anxiously you still have it you have not spent it A marked bill was waa it not yes yes where Is it my dear sir ir where Is it written across the face of it were the words remember person you pay this to oh yes yes and on the back of it on oil the back of it gasped the little man was a curious cryptogram do not torture me exclaimed senor Por itol have you got it ills his fingers worked nervously yes said orme slowly 1 I still have it senor hastily took a fresh five dollar bill from his pocket see ho he said jumping to the floor here Is another just as good a bill I 1 give this to you in return for the bill which was paid to you this afternoon lie he thrust the new bill toward orme and waved his bis other hand rhetorically that and that alone Is my business with you dear sir ormes hand went to his pocket the visitor watched the motion eagerly and a grimace of disappointment contracted his features when the hand liand came forth holding a cigar case have one orme urged in his anxiety the little man almost danced but sir air he broke forth 1 I am in desperate hurry burry I 1 must meet a friend I 1 must catch a train one moment interrupted orme 1 11 I cant very well give up that bill until I 1 know a little better what it means you will havo have to show me that you are entitled to it and he fic smiled meantime better smoke senor sighed 1 I can assure you of my honesty of purpose sir he said 1 I cannot tell you about it I 1 have not the time also it Is not my secret this bill sir air Is just as good as a the t other one very likely said orme dryly ile he was waa wondering whether this was some acme new dodge how easily most persons could be induced to make the trans transfer ferl A counterfeiter however would hardly work by so picturesque and noticeable a method unless he ha were carefully disguised hardly even then was senor disguised orme looked at him more closely no he could see where the roots ot of the coarse black hair joined the scalp and there was not the least evidence of makeup make up on the face ace nevertheless orme did not feel warranted in giving up tho marked bill without a definite explanation tho the little man was waa a comic figure but his bizarre exterior might conceal a dangerous plot ile he might be ba a thief an anarchist anything please my dear sir please do not add to my already very great anxiety pleaded the visitor orme spoke more decisively you are a stranger senor I 1 dont know what all this mystery conceals hut but I 1 cant give out that bill unless I 1 know more about it and I 1 wr vc he be added as he saw senor borit i open his mouth for further pleading very well sighed the little man ile he hesitated for an instant then added 1 I do not blame you for insisting and I 1 suppose I 1 must say to you everything that chrit you demand no I 1 do not smoke the cigar please but it if you do riot not object ile he produced a square of cigarette paper and some tobacco from a silver mounted pouch and deftly rolled a cigarette with one hand accepting a match from orme with the other closing his eyes he be inhaled the smoke deeply breathing it out through his nostrils well he hesitated his eyes roving oving about the room as it if in search of something well I 1 will explain to you why I 1 want the bill orme lighted a fresh cigar and settled himself to hear the story senor drew a second handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his damp brow you must know my very dear sir lie he began that I 1 come from a country watch Is very rich in the resources of nature in the unsettled interior are very great mineral deposits which are little known and since the day when the great vega made the first exploration there has been the belief that the mountains hide a great wealth in gold many men for three hundred years have risked their most precious lives to go look tor for it dut but they have not found it no my dear sir they have not found it until but hake have patience and you shall hear everything A few days ago a countryman of mine sent word that he was about to die ile he asked that 1 I his early friend should come to him immediately and receive news of utmost importance rie was lying sick in the hotal of at a small city in wisconsin lie he was a tobacco agent and he had been attacked by death while he was on a business trip filled with the heartbroken hope to see him once more before he died I 1 went even as aa I 1 was to a train and made all haste to 0 o hla his bedside what was his name asked orme lopez replied senor promptly and orme knew that the answer might as aa well have been smith but the little man returned quickly to his bis story my friend had no strength left ile he was oh all so weak that I 1 wept to see him but he sent the doctor and the priest out of the room and then and then he whispered in my ear a secret he had discovered rich gold in the url uri naba country ile he had been trying to earn money to go back and dig up the gold but alas now he was dying and he wished to give the secret to me his old friend tears streamed on my cheek senor Pori eyes filled seemingly at the remembrance but I 1 took out my fountain pen to write down the directions he wished to give see this was the pen ile he produced a gold mounted tube from his waistcoat 1 I searched my pockets tor for a piece of paper none could I 1 discover there was no time to be lost for my friend was growing weaker oh all very fast fasl in desperation I 1 took a five dol lar bill and wrote upon it the directions he gave me tor for finding the gold even as I 1 finished it dear lopez breathed hla his last breath I 1 orme puffed at his cigar so the bid carries directions for finding a rich deposit in the mountains yes my dear air but you would not rob me of it you could not understand der stand the directions oh no orme laughed 1 I have cj interest in south american gold mines then accept this fresh bill implored senor Por itol and give me back the one I 1 yearn for orme hesitated A moment more ho he said tell me how did you lose possession of tho the marked bill the south american writhed in his bis ci air and leaned forward eagerly that la 13 tha iha most distressing part of all he exclaimed 1 I had left laft chicago at a time almo when my presence in this great city was waa very important indeed nothing but the call from a dying friend would have induced me to fi U 0 r the struggle lasted only for a mo moment ment go away my whole future in this country depended upon my returning in time to complete certain business so after dear lopez was dead I 1 rushed to t tho the local railroad station A train was coming in I 1 searched my pocket for my money to buy my ticket all I 1 could find was the five dollar bill it was necessary to return to chicago yet I 1 could not lose the bill A happy thought struck me I 1 wrote upon the face of it the words you have seen and paid it to the ticket agent I 1 called his attention to the writing and implored him to save the bill it if he could until I 1 returned and it if not to be sure to remember the person he gave it to orme laughed it does seem tunny funny said senor Por itol rolling another cigarette but you cannot imagine my most frantic desperation I 1 returned to chicago and transacted my business then I 1 hastened back to the wisconsin city voe Is me the ticket agent had paid the bill to a chicago citizen I 1 se cured the name of this man and finally found him at his office on la salle street alas he too had spent the bill but I 1 tracked it from person to person until now my dear sir I 1 have found it so he paused and looked eloquently at orme orma do you know a man named evans orme asked senor looked at him in be wilderment wll derment S R evans insisted orme why no dear sir bir 1 I think not but what has that to do orme pushed a of paper across the table oblige me senor senor was apparently re luci luciana ant however under the compel slon sion of ormes eye he be finally took out hla his fountain pen and wrote the name in flowing script ile he then pushed the paper back toward orme with an in quiring look no that what I 1 mean ex claimed orme print it print it in capital letters senor slowly printed out the name orme took the paper laying it be tore fore him ile he then produced the coveted bill from his pocketbook senor uttered a little cry of delight and stretched forth an eager hand but orme who was busily comparing the letters on the paper with the letters on the bill waved him back after a few moments orme looked up senor Por itol he said why you write the secret on a time table or on your ticket before you gave the bill to the agent agento senor was flustered why he said uncertainly I 1 did not think of that how can we explain the mis takes we make in moments of great nervousness true said orme but one more point you did not yourself write your friends secret on the bill the letters which you have just printed are differently made senor said nothing lie he was breathing bard on the othor other hand continued orme turning tie clio bill over and eyeing tho the inscription on its face your mis take in first writing the name enste ail of printing it shows me that you did write the words on the face of the he bill lie he returned the bill to his pocketbook 1 I cant can t give you the bill he said your story hold together with a queer little scream tho the south american bounded from his chair and lung flung himself at orme H he struck no blow but clawed desperate i ly at ormes pocket the struggle lasted only for a moment orme aelzine the little man by the collar dragged him wriggling to the door now get out said orme if I 1 find you hanging around i it il have you looked locked up senor whispered it IS my secret why should I 1 toll tell you ion the truth about it you have no right to know orme retained his hold 1 I dont like your looks my friend he said there may have been reason why you should lie to mo me but you will have to make things clear 11 ho con si dered after all lie he must maeco make at al lowance so BO ho he said come back to morrow with evidence that you are entitled to tile the bill and you shall have it lie released senor Por itol the little man had recovered his composure lie ile went back to the ta ble and took up his hat and cane re folding the handkerchief and slipping it into his pocket once more he was the latin top fop le ie approached orme and his manner was deprecatory NY my most abject apologies for nt at taig you sir air I 1 was waa beside myself if but if you will only permit me I 1 will bring up my friend who la Is waiting below ile he will as you say vouch for me who la Is he be A very very distinguished man orme pondered the adventure was opening up and he felt inclined to see it through bring him lie he said shortly when senor had feared orme telephoned to the clerk send me up a porter he ordered and have him stand just outside my door with ardent to enter it if ho be hears any disturbance he waited at the door till the porter appeared then told him to remain in a certain place until he was needed or until the visitors left senor remained downstairs for several minutes evidently lie was explaining the situation to ills his friend but after a time orme heard tile the clang of the elevator door and in response to the knock that quickly followed he opened his own door at the side of his former visitor stood a dapper foreigner ile ho wore a long frock coat and carried a glossy hat and his eyes were framed by large gold spectacles this Is the senor explained senor Por itol tho the newcomer bowed with suave dignity I 1 senor the name Is familiar said orme smiling assumed an air ile he Is the minister from my country to theme united states orme understood this was tho the wary south american diplomat whose name had lately been so prominent in the washington dispatches what was he doing in chicago 9 1 I am glad to meet you said orme smiled displaying a prominent row of uneven teeth my young friend Por itol lie he began tells me that you have in your possession the record of a secret belonging to me what that secret Is Is immaterial to you and me I 1 take it ile he Is an honorable young man excitable perhaps but well meaning I 1 would suggest that you give him the five dollar wit bill he desires accepting from him another in exchange or if you still doubt him permit me to 0 offer you a bill from my own pocket ile he drew out a fat wallet the situation ripp appeared eared to be simplified and yet orme was dubious there was waa mischief in the bill so ao much hp he felt sure of s reputation was that of a fox and as for Por itol he was to say the least a person of uncertain qualities orme could not but admire the subtle man ner in which sought delicately to limit his ahli doubts to the more mere possibility that was |
