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Show ' Jfr V Y .... Y ...... V BANNISTER. MEKWIN iLXXJTRATIOJVir M3T RAY WAJLTER.r' CovraotiT 1909 ,vy podd, navp f conrimf Aleatrante and Poritol looked Bl nrli iiIIht, The minlMter spoke: "Will you engage not to give the bill to anyone else In the Interval?" "I will promise tliitt." until Orinc. "It U only fair. Yea, I will keep the bill until tomorrow morning-" "One other suggestion," continued Aleatrante. "You may not be willing to give up the bill, but in there any reason why you should refuse to let Senor I'orliol copy the writing that ia on It?" "Only my determination to think the whole, matter over before I do anything at all." Orme replied. "Hut the bill rame into jour hand by banco," insisted the minister. "The Information mean nothing to you, though obvlouHly It means n great deal to my young friend, here. May I ask what right you have to deny this request?" "What rlghi," Orme' eyes narrowed. nar-rowed. "My right la that I have the bill and the information, and I Intend to understand the situation better before be-fore I give the Information to anyone else." "Hut you recognized Senor I'orltol' I'orl-tol' handwriting on the bill," ex claimed the minister. "On the fate of It. yea. He did nor write the abbreviation! on the back.' "AblirevlatlonH!" exclaimed I'orltol, "Please let the matter rent till morning," said Orme stubbornly. "I have told you juat what I would do." I'orltol opened hia mouth to apeak, but Aleatrante silenced blm with a frown. "Your word ia sufficient, Mr. Orme," he said. "We will call tomorrow tomor-row morning. la ten o'clock too early?" "Not Bt all," said Orme. "Doubt-leas "Doubt-leas I shall be able to satisfy you. I merely wish to think It over." With a formal bow, Aleatrante turned to the door and departed, I'orltol following. Orme strolled back to hia window and stood Idly watching the lights of the vessels on the lake. Hut hia mind was not on the unfolded view before him. He was puzzling over this my tilery ti-lery In which he had so suddenly become be-come a factor. Unquestionably the five-dollar bill held the key to aome serious problem. Surely Aleatrante bad not come merely as the friend of Poritol, for the difference. In the station of the two South Americans was marked. I'orltol wa a cheap character useful, use-ful, no dt. In certain kind's of work, but vu'L j- and unconvincing Aleayl on the other hptid. wa na,ul ke statesmen kVit their brows. Amooth trouble-mrfk'jr, he had set Europe by the ear In the matter of unsettled South American loan, dexterously appealing to the much-overworked Monroe doctrine Bending Over Htm Wat a Short, Sticky Figure. every time bis country was threatened by a French or German or Hrltish blockade. Hut bis mind waa of no small caliber. He could hold his own not only at hia own game of international interna-tional chess, but in the cultured dis cusslon of polite topics. Orme knew of bim as a clever after dinner speaker, speak-er, a man who could, when he so de-fired, de-fired, please greatly by his personal charm. No, Aleatrante was no friend of Poritols; nor was It likely that, as protector of the interests of hia countrymen, coun-trymen, he would go so far as to accompany ac-company them on 'heir errands un j less much waa at stake. Perhaps I Poritol was Alcatratite's tool and had ' burgled some Important coii'mUsion. I It occurred to Orme thai the secret of! the bill might be 101,1,. id i!h the j negotiation of a big business .nces- 1 slon lo Alcatraute' country. "8. ! Iivaiis" might be trying to get control of ruiiln r foiesta r mine ia th Crisiaba inouiitains, perhaps, after ail. hi any event, he fel positive that the secret of th bill did not right iillly belong to Pi,itl If t', had been in h.s pos-es;on. he hhould ! have been a: to y the bbrena-j td tin -ssae. Indeed, t lit- i,. ti,.U he' t. id were ail i sau-t th-.' notion of I I I (. it.g any confidence in bum The I j tw South Americans tore ulfi-g. thcr ' I too Ker I J Ouije decided to g -) for a'k H J rcuid thick better in the open ,t.- u I tuk up his hat ar.d cane ai.tl a.t. 1,,. I ttd the 1 ietwr. In the ollice the clerk slopptd him. "A man calbd to see jou a fewr minutes ago, Mr. Orme When I told blm that you were engaged with two visitors he went uwny " "Hid he leave his name?" asked Orme "No, sir. He was a Japanese." Orme nodded and went on out t the street. What could a Japanea want of bun? CHAPTER III. The Shadows. Orme walked north along the I.nke Shore drive As best he could. ht pieced together the curious ud venture ven-ture of the day. The mystery of the rive-dollar bill and the extreme anxiety anxi-ety of Poritol seemed lo be complicated compli-cated by the appearance of the Japanese Japa-nese at the Pere Marquette. Orme sought the simplest explanation. He knew that mysterious happenings Ire-quently Ire-quently become clear when one dell-nitely dell-nitely tries to fit them Into the natural routine of every day life. The Japanese, Jap-anese, he mused, was probably soma valet out of a Job. Hut how could h have learned Orme'a name. Possibly he had not known It; the clerk might have given It to blm. The Incident hardly seemed worth second thought, but he found himself persistently turning turn-ing to one surmise after another concerning con-cerning the Japanese. For Orme was convinced that he stood on the edge of a significant situation. Suddenly he took not li e of a figure a short distance ahead of him. Thin man apparently very short and stocky was also going northward, but he was moving along in an erratio manner. At one moment he would hurry his steps, at the next he would almost stop. Evidently he waa regulating regu-lating bis pa with a purpose. Orme let hts eyes travel still farther ahead. He observed two men actively conversing. From time to time their discussion became so animated that they halted for a moment and faced each other, gesticulating rapidly. Kvery time they halted, the single fig. ure nearer to Orme slowed down hia ow n pace. 4 The oblivious couple came uriil r a ' street lamp and again turned tof ard each other. Their profiles were,! distinct. dis-tinct. Orme had already suspel'ted their Identity, for both had high lats and carried canes, and of VVJv waa in a sack suit, while the oTher wore a frock coat. And now thu juro-files juro-files verified the surmise. There waa no mistaking the long, tip-tilted i of the shorter man and the glint ins spectacles of the other. The two wem Poritol and Aleatrante. Hut who was the man trailing thun. A friendly guard? Or a menacing enemy? en-emy? Orme decided to shadow the shadow. At a corner not far from the entrance en-trance to Lincoln park i'orliol and Aleatrante Al-eatrante became so apparently excited that they stood, chattering volubly for several minuieg. The shadow mopped altogether. He folded his arms and looked out over the lake like any casual cas-ual wanderer, but now and then he turned his head toward the others. He seemed to he indifferent to what they were saying, though he was near enough lo them to catch fragment of their conversation, if he so desired. The South American were probably talking In that dialect of Portuguese which their nation ha developed Meantime Orme also atopped. taking up a position lik that of the shadow. II saw Poritol. with outstretched, questioning hands, his eyes fixed on the face of Aleatrante. who seemed to be delivering hi orders. The flashing reflection of light from the minister spectacle Indicated bis authoritative nod of the head. After a time Aleatrante evidently completed his Instructions. He removed re-moved his hat and bowed formally. Little. Poritol echoed the salute and, turning, shot off down a side street with ridiculously rapid movements of jls short legs. When the South American separated, separa-ted, the shadow quickly came to lite. He hesitated for an instant, as if In doubt which of the two to follow, then decided in favor of Aleatrante. who was moving In leisurely fashion tow ard the park entrance, hi head Uiwed In thought. Orm found himself wondering wonder-ing what snaky plots were winding through that dark mind The (.lores. Inn of three silently entered en-tered the park The shadow was about a hundred feet behind Aleatrante. Orme kt pt the same divance between himself and the shadow. The mlni-t r was in no hurry Indifferent In-different to hi sun-outidingi he mad his way. with no apparent Interest in the path he took At last he turned into a dark stre'th and for the mo m nt wa ion to slsht in th niulu. Suddenly th shadow darted forward for-ward Orme hurried his own pace, and in a moment h- heard the sounc of a short, ehait struggle a si ,it"..r. of f -1 in the travel. h.a) fall. Ti.i r- as no ontrt y. Orme broke imo a run At a ; o!r l where th path a dnke-t he if ked l.i ,. if for an i.i-M'.' A little lit-tle lUctst'ce a held a man li flat en th.- :o,.r 1. and t,nISn .. r him a t ' :'. . . k- , (,... T' 1 twNTJM .:: t |