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Show ' Y Y Y Y RAY WALTER-T C USYROM T 1909 ,y PODO,MAD CDMPAKjr- medium's out tit. She was a fraud, but he liked her yes, pitied her - and he felt Inclined to excuse her In so far as he could. For the kiss which he bad given her be felt no regret; It was hers, in all Innocence, for what of good she might have found In it. The minutes dragged by. lb' thought of the precious documents, sate ill the inside pocket of bis coat What they were, he did not try to determine, but it was plain that they must be of international in-ternational Importance. The talk of ships and Aleatranle's references, to commissions hud puzzled him. Hut suddenly came to his mind the newspaper news-paper minors that Japan was secretly adding vessels to her navy through the agency of a South American republic which was having cruisers and battle ships built in Kurope, to tutu them over at their completion, to the Japanese. Japa-nese. There a as, us yet, no International Interna-tional proof of this policy, for none of (lie ships had been completed, hut Hie South American country was certainly adopting a policy of naval construction ipiile out of proportion to her position among the powers. How came the glli to be Involved In this mix up of tin I Ions' Through her father, of course--but who was be? A concessionaire? Her courage and determination, de-termination, employed against shrewd men, was as notable as the beauty of her face and mind, for she was like a queen in her assured comprehension How It quickened his heart to think of her! The poor, faded medium, with the smolder of old flames In her eyes, with the records of bard experience written on her face, was a child in stature beside the girl - a child w ith yearnings that could never be sutU- tlcd. Well, the girl had (lout. ted him. He could tint wonder ni that, for the facts were ail agaliiht him, mid she had known li i in only a few hours. Yet he had hoped - be bad believed - that she 1 would know tiie truth and the devotion in him without further evidence, Per I haps he had expected too much from her noble Insight. After all - and that 1 was part of the loveliness of her she 1 was a very human glli. The panel swung open, and Madam Alia stood looking down at bim. She spoke In an undertone, t "The Japs are still watching. Arlma f is sitting on the fire escape by hi t window, and I can hear the other fellow fel-low moving around In the hall outside . my door. I think they're on to your I being here." ) Orme thought for a minute. "I've got to get away soon," he said. "I don't 1 mind telling you that there are paper 1 that must be delivered before twelve I o'clock tonight." "Can I take them for you?" "I don't know where to tell you to take them." She sighed. "I guess you don't trust me." "Trust you? Of course, I do. Hut the truth la, Madam Alia, that It Is going to need bard work on my part to find the person to whom the papers belong. I don't even know his name." Secretly he condemned himself now, because he had tiot overcome his scruples and looked at the address on the envelope while he had the chance. Again she sighed. "Well," she said, "of course. It's beyond me. Do you do you mind my knowing your name?" "Pardon me," he said. "I didn't realize rea-lize that you didn't know It already. My riatne Is Hubert Orme." She looked at bim with a smile. "Well, Mr. Orme, I'll get you out of this. I think I know a way. Hut you'll have to do Just what I tell you." "I depend on you," he said. She laid her hand on his shoulder with a friendly pressure. "You'll have to wait here a while longer and you'll have to keep mighty quiet I've got a circle at three o'clock a scunca. They come 0111 e a week, and I can't well put them off. You see, I work alone. It's a small circle, and I never liked the Idea of helpers they're likely like-ly to give you away sooner or later. I stretch a curtain across this corner for a cabinet, and they tie me to a c hair and then things happen." She smiled faintly. "I know you won't hurt my game." "All your secrets are safe with inc." He glanced at the dark Interior of the closet. "I didn't know any other place to put you." she said simply. "They'd have got you, If you had went to the hall Slib!" The panel closed and she was away. A moment later be heard tier talking with Arlma. who apparently ap-parently bad again climbed up to her window. "Thief must be here," said Arlma. "He not been hall. My friend know. We see him come In here." "I told you he wasn't here. If you don't believe me, why don't youi null the cops?" "We not want cops. I come In .nd watch " "Hut I'm going to hold a circle here In a few minutes." "What?" Arltna's voice hud a puzzled note. "A sennce. The spirit come. You know. All sit around, with the light tun ed dow n, and spit Its come." "Oh!" The Japanese either understood under-stood or pretended to. "I conie, then." Alter a period of hesitation the wtdii-an wtdii-an said: "Why. yes, I guess you can if you keep still. Your friend can come, too. You're a neighbor, ind I won't charge you anything. " "All tight I call my friend." Footsteps Foot-steps crossed the room arx! the door to the ball was opened. Presently It 1 closed again, and Orme heard fragments frag-ments of a conversation lb Japanese. 1 From other sounds Orme gathered 1 that the woman was arranging chalra. . "Sit here, you two." he heard her say. "You'll have to keep quiet when tha rest rome. Do Just what they do? Ha sure, now." The bell now began to ring at frequent fre-quent Intervals, each time announcing I the arrival of newcomers. Madam Alia s clie nts were quickly assembling; Orme could hear them whispering among themselves. A clinking noise he did not at first understand. Then he realized that It was the sound of sliver dropping Into a hut. Some one was taking up tha collection. He knew, too, when they hung the curtain across his corner of the room, shutting off the space In which the medium was to sit, and when they lighted the gas and drew down the shades at the window. Then he heard them lead her Into the cabinet cab-inet and tie her to the rhnlr. tTO UK t'ONTINl'KD Taming Bad Luck. "Abusln" yon bad luck." said Uncle Fben. "Is Il'ble to git It so turns dat It'll follow you aroun' like a yaller dog "Washington Star. PW'-IS Miiw"Jell m lMfJgg-W "' "P1" !'w ,, , , "Do You D Ytu Mind My Xnow Iref Ywr HtmT |
