OCR Text |
Show J& y r r v RAY WdJER-?1 COPYHOMT 1909 ,V PODRMBAD $ CorlFAtfV sMU-sWssi hmmm VMNa HMuMMCy I wii u 1 in ii n n 1 in 11 11 ! 1 nm ,1 ,,i I, ny,, n T.Jp,mwii f "m ! 1 11 npui M 1 11 1 1. m i- t mini ..ni ""frt t s 1. fit '4- r -- ' - . rsWa,. ' " , HI pi rrrri " - U. hln Vll Liy.m-, ,, ' ill I ', . M . ,' u .M, ifcnir lit "Thre's a Rule Against Going In There After Dark." Chicago, probably. She rami? up an hour or m hk ut It tint. I suppose nhc's (hi1 mi iiit one." Tim explosions were now so rapid as to make utmost one continuous roar. "She's a fast oin', all right," commented com-mented tin- liie-saver. "Hear her go!" "Are them many fast bouts on the lake?" "Quite a number. They run out from Chicago harbor now und thin." Orme wan meditating. "Exactly how lor.g ago did this boat puss?" "Oh, an hour or more. Why?" "She (teems to have been beaehed up north here n little way." "She mny have been. Or they've been lying Jo out there." In Orme'g mind arose a surmise that In this motor-boat Maku and his companion had come from Chicago. The surmise was so strong as to develop de-velop quickly Into a certainty. And If the Japanese had coir by this boat, It stood to reason thai .he one who had the papers was escaping in It. lie must have waited some time for Maku and, at lust, bad pushed off to return alone. Were these Japanese noting for themsches? That did not seen) possible. pos-sible. Then who was their employer? em-ployer? Orme did not puzzle Ions over these questions, for he had determined deter-mined on a course of action. lie spoke to the life saver, w ho appeared to be listening to the droning conversation con-versation which continued within the station. "Tho bold up men may be In that boat," remarked Orme. "Hardly." A laugh accompanied the answer. "Well, why not? She came north an hour or so ugo and either was beached or lay to until Just now." "You may be right." Then, before Orme knew what was happening, the young man opened the door and called into the station: "Hey, there! Your robber Is escaping on that motor-boat out there." "What's that?" The policeman strode to the door. "Uon't you hear that boat out there?" asked the life-saver. "Sure, 1 hear It" "Well, she came up from the south an hour or more ago and stopped a little north of here. Now she's going go-ing back. Mr. Holmes, here" he grinned as he said It "Mr. Holmes suggests that the holdup man Is aboard." The reference to the famous detective detect-ive of fiction was lost upon the policeman. po-liceman. "1 guess that's about It, Mr. Holmes," he said excitedly; and Orme wat much relieved to note that the life-saver's humorous reference had passed for an Introduction. The policeman po-liceman would have no suspicion of him now unless Maku Tbrre was an exclamation from within the room. "What's the matter?" mat-ter?" asked the policeman, turning In the doorway. The voice of Asukl replied: "He say the robber came In a bicycle not In a boat." "Hut 1 thought he didn't sea the fellow coming." "He remember now." The policeman started. "How did he know what we were talking about out here?" be demanded. "He understand English, but not speak It." replied Asukl readily. To the policeman this explanation was satisfactory. Orme, of course, found In It a corroboration of his guess. Maku evidently did not wish suspicion directed against the motor-boat. motor-boat. The policeman reentered the station, sta-tion, eager to avail himself of the Information In-formation which Maku was now disposed dis-posed to give him. Orme turned to the life-saver. "The Jap Is lying," he said "Think so?" "Of course. If he understands Kngllsh Kng-llsh so well, he certainly knows how to make himself understood in it. His story of the bicycle Is preposterous." preposter-ous." ' Tut what then?" "Ioisn't It occur to you that perhaps per-haps the Jap himself Is the robber? His Intended victim niny have got the j better of him." "Yes," said the young mnn doubtfully, doubt-fully, "but the fellow ran." "That would be natural. Doubtless Doubt-less he didn't want any notoriety. I It's possible that he thought he had killed his assailant, and had an unpleasant un-pleasant vision of being detained in the local jail until the affair could be cleared up." The life saver looked at Orme seniehlngly. "That sounds pretty straight," he raid at hint. "I guess you know what you are talking about." "Perhaps I do," said Ormo quietly. "In any event I'd like to see who's in that boat out there." "There isn't a boat nearer than Chicago Chi-cago that could catch her. They have run her several miles out Into the h'ke before turning south, or she would have been pretty close to Chicago Chi-cago ulready. She's going fast." The roar of the motor was indeed becoming a far-off sound "Why not telephone tho Chicago police po-lice to Intercept her?" "There's no evidence against her," replied Orme; "only surmise"" "1 know, but " "And, as I suggested, whoever was attacked by that Jap in there may not want notoriety. " Suddenly the distant explosions stopped began again stopped. Several Sev-eral times they were renewed at short Intervals "pub pub pub" "pun pub" "puh pub pull pub" then they censed altogether. "Hello;" exclaimed the life-saver "They've broken down." He picked up a pair of binoculars which had been lying on the veranda near him, and scanned the surface of the lake. "Make her out?" queried Orme. "No, she's too smalt, and too far off." He handed the night glass to Orme, who In turn smirched the water wa-ter vainly. "Whose boat Is that moored to the breakwater?" asked Orme, lowering the glass. "Helongs to a man hero In town." "Would he rent It?" "No. Hut he lets us run It once In p while. We keep an eye on It for him." Orme took out his watch. "It's almost al-most 12." he said. "You'll be relieved In a few moments. Do you suppose I could persuade you to take me out to the other boat?" The live-safer hesitated. "I'd like to," he said. "Hut my study " "There'll be some nport. If we get within reach of the man out there," Orme put In. "Well 111 do It though tho chnnees are that they will make their repairs and be off again before we come within a mile." "I'm much obliged to you," said Orme. "If you would let'me make It right" 'Tor taking you out In another man's boat? No, sir." "I know. Well my name Is Orme, not Holmes." "And mine," grinned the life-saver, "Is Porter." A man turned In from the drive, and sauntered toward them. "There's my relief," said Porter. "Hello. Kelmsley." "Hello," replied the newcomer. "Just wait till I punch the clock," said Porter to Orme. "Punch the clock? Oh, I sec; the government times you." "Yes." Porter went Into the station for a moment; then, returning, he exchanged ex-changed a few words with the relief and led Orme down to the breakwater. breakwa-ter. The launch which was moored there proved to be a sturdy boat, built for strength rather than fo speed. Orme cast off while Porter removed the tarpauliT from the motor and made ready to turn the wheel over. "Is the policeman still busy with the Jap?" Orme questioned suddenly. sud-denly. "Yes." "He won't get anything out of him." said Orme "except fairy-stories." fairy-stories." ; Porter started tho motor and stepped forward to the steering-wheel. steering-wheel. Slowly the launch pushed out Into the open lake, and the lights of the shore receded. No sound had come from the disabled dis-abled boat Blnce Its motor stopped. Ikiubtless It was too far off for the noise of repairs to b heard on the shore. Orme peered over the dark surface of the water, but he could see nothing except the lights of a distant dis-tant steamer. (TO HE CONTINU ED.) b SYNOPSIS. At tho rxpenae i.r h mill,-1 lmt l. tl ri Ormi- Olive- finm airi kt n till In h t I ' U tourlrut ear ulio h;iH i-.-nir--'l u Ir.iftl.- I iim on Mute slnil. Hi- hun 11 new l it "ii'l tit Kivt-n 11 live ilulliir lull iiilh: 'Ki-iiiiMi hrr lh. iii i H.iti vim p.iy I I'll I"." 1 11 1 ''"I '" li A sn onil ilnif ln In Ip tin' irlil III It"-Mni-k i-nr 11111I leiirns Hint I" Tmiii nml i;.-ili- U'lillini-'liam llii-v luiv in'ini'il frlemlH, liul gem 1111 furlln-r hi"! "f l"'r lilenlliy. II.- ill' (1 .-ri un'iiliir ln!'-ri' lion en the nuti-keil lull, whlrli In fmil'' Hi liiil In ih'i Ii!iiT II, h 'ih x '! pliieex 1 tin copy In 11 ilrnwi-r In his npnl mi'MI. Kemir l'mllol. Hmuli Aiihii iii. ciiIIh mill rlitliiiH 1 1 1 mark'. I hill Mime rctiJHeM. nnil h Unlit eiiMiiea In whirli I'url-lol I'url-lol in ovt-reiiiiu-, lie rails In Ke'MW' Al- iHlrHiiO. mlnlMer from his e itiv, to vouch fur him. orme m 1 1 1 1 lefn-t.s t'i H e ' up the hill. He hnriiH Hint u Jnp hni cnlli ii fur him orme Km- fur 11 walk jtml hern two Jjipr attie-li Ali'iilninte lie ri-H. Ue plm I'lie inlnlMler ttlel lilplu- Innry. tint falls In K'-t Hi" marked hill ItrturnliiK In IiIn rnmiiH orme is .'ittai kel 4 l IWO JllpN ttli'l Hfli I t II fcll. lhle rx- I illume nf tlm nun k eil I, III fur iinntlier. ' Onn llmN the itlrl ef the lilaek ear valt- Ihk for Iiiiii. tuie iiImii wants the hill, oinm lelU his glory. Kile reeoKlllXes 'Hie of Hie Jnps as her father' Imtl'T. M.iku The ! eocoml limi-rlptlmi on tho hill Is thi k v lo tho hilling plaee of linpni-lanl papers stolen from In r father. Ilolh J ips anil Houlh AnierliaiiH want lln- pip' iM Orme and Ihn (llrl" Mart out in the hi. ok car In ii-st of the papers. In the university uni-versity KriiunilM In Kvanslnn Hie hhllm; plan- Is Int'ale.l. Maku Mini iinulher Jap ro there. Orme fells Maku mil the other Jup rsrapes CHAPTER V. Continued. So he Jumped to bis feet mid ran northward, then turned to the west. Circling about, he made for the gate at which he hud entered. His pursuer pur-suer either took the wrong lead in the darkness or stopped to examine Maku, for when Orme went through the Kate and doubled back, outside the fence, to the car, there was no sound nf steps behind him. lie juinpid to tho chauffeur's seat. "Well?" Inquired the girl, eag'Tly. "Too late," said Onii". "I'm sorry. 1 I caught Maku, but the man with the tlivt lope got away." ' She laid a hand on his iirni "Are you hull?" There was uncoticc-ah r anxiety In her voice. To say the thlrgs he yearned to Bay! To bo te'tler to her! I.ut he A controlled his feelings nml explained " briefly whHthad happened, at the name time thioVIng on the power mid driving the ear Wowly northward. "I only know Jt:at the fellow run l northward." he rSid. "lie may have I worked back (JJJhn may have gone Cfl?'fTVlTfi5r WiTTr- rltmurd another tree and waited." Ity this time they had come to the northern limits of the grounds, but he had seen no one. Suddenly the girl exclnlmed: "Listen!" Orine stopped the car. Somewhere from the distance came a faint hum. "Another car!" be muttered, "Yes." she said. "Oh. but I can do no more. I am tired. Mr. Orme. We cannot catch that car, even If It does hold the man we want and there Is tio way of belnh sure that It does." "If there Is any place to leave you, 1 will go after him alone." He had turned the car as he spoke and was endliiK It slowly southward. "No," she said wearily. "We you tnuKt do no more tonight. . You have , been so good, Mr. Orme-to help me In a matter of which I could tell you almost nothing. I won't even try to thank you except by saying that you have understood." He knew what she meant. He had met her need, because he had shown Its greatness without her telling him. Ills recognition of her pligM had been unaccompanied by any suggestion of Ignored conventions. No gushing i thanks would have pleased him half so much. He smiled at her wistfully. "Does It all end here?" "No," she said. "I will not let It end here. We are friends alicady; In fact, Mr. Orme, as soon as I can do so. I will see that we are friends In 1 name. Can you accept as little a promise as that?" "1 can accept any promise from you." he said gravely. "And now i shall I take you home?" "Not home. It Is tint far. Put I have some friends a few blocks away who will take me In. Turn here. please." t'nder her guidance he took the car , through several streets, drawing up at last before a large, comfortable- looking place, set back from the I street, w ith a wide, shrub dotted lawn I before It. Severn! windows were still I lighted. He descended to help her f out I She hesitated "I hate to ask It. ,.' Mr. Orme." she flnnlly said, "but you can catch the trolley back to Chl-ago. Chl-ago. They will take care of the car here.' Hn rodd-d "Hut one thing. Clrl." t he suld "I am going to find that I other Japanese tomorrow. I shall get I the envelope. Will yon call me up I tt the apartment tomorrow noon? II g I am not there, have word where I 1 ean find you." J "I will do that. But don't get I yourself hurt." She let him help her I to the ground "At vi 'ti," he said "i ' "At tKKiti Good night, 'iiy friend " 1 She offered her band, j "flood night. Girl." he said, and f then t.e bent over and kissed her j fingers gently. V He stood by the car until she ba1 crossed the lawn and ascended the steps until the door opened and ad I'ted l.er 1: CHAPTER VI. A Charce Lead. To follow the girl's sur.r,1'' tioii and return at miee in ChleniMi was Orme's Intent Inn win ii he raid good nif.lt to In r. The :inir was cii.-v lo hud:;:;. I.;, and the evi nii i: had been crowded n lull with bewildering ailMHiure lint l.e was tlnd. Moreover, he look, d iorward to a morning Hint mllit well test his endurance even more strenuously. strenu-ously. lie had now committed himself dnlliiitely to continue in the field against the Japanese. Kxcept for Ins desire to serve ibis wonderful girl Mini had come so suddenly into his life, he doubtless would have permitted permit-ted the mystery of the marked bill to remain unsolved Hut since the recovi ry of the stolen papers was so Important to her, he was prepared to run any risk In the struggle. Who was she? Hut no. that was a question she did not wish him to ask. She was simply "Girl" beautiful, tender, ten-der, comprehending his Ideal Incarnate. In-carnate. As he stood there, hesitant, bcft.'.v the house into which she had disai peared, he pictured Ipt again even lo the strand of rebellious hair which had blown across her cheek. He could discover no fault in her perfection. A man cn;ne Into view on the drive nt the side of the house; a servant to care for the car, of course; and Orme, with the uneasy feeling of one who has been trespassing, moved nwny toward the corner of the block. He looked back, however, and saw the newcomer clamber Into the car and send It slowly up the drive. At the same time a light Illumined one of the upper windows of the house. A shadow was thrown on the curtain. Perhaps It ws the girl her-s-elf. What explanation had she given her friends for appearing so late ut their door? Probably she had told Ih' iu no more than that she was tlnd and belated. She was not the kind of girl from whom an elaborate explanation ex-planation would be asked or expected. ex-pected. Then a thought startled him. Was this, perhaps, her home? No, she had spoken of dm people who lived here a. her friends, and she would not have tiled to keep the truth from Mill by subierfugii. If this were her home and she had not wished him to know It. idie would hitfe requested him to l nve her before they had come so far It dawned upon him that It would not be hard for him to learn who lived In this house, and possibly through that knowledge to get a clue to her Identity. His heart warmed as he renli.ed how completely she had trusted blm. His assurance that he would not try to find out who she was had satisfied her. And Orme knew that. If she had been so readily assured. It was because she hud recognized rec-ognized the truth and devotion In him. With a happy sigh, he turned his back once and for all and walked rapidly away. Hut he did not go toward the electric car lino, which he knew must lie a few blocks to the west. Instead, he retraced t he course they hud come, for he had decided de-cided to visit the university campus once more and try to discover what had become of Maku, and more especially espe-cially of the other Japanese, who had secured the papers. That he would be recognized and connected with the attack on Maku. was unlikely. When he came to the corner of Sheridan road and Chicago avenue, ho hesitated for a moment. Should he go north through the campus and seek a trace of tho Japanese who had escaped? Nearly half an hour had gone since the adventure among the tries, and the man must have got completely away by this time. Having Hav-ing the papers, he surely would not linger to learn the fate of Muku. Orme found himself wondering nor the Japanese had got to Kvanston. Granting that It had not taken them long to solve the abbreviated directions direc-tions on the five-dollar bill, they could hardly have come by motorcar, for they had had a good half hour start, end yet Orme had discovered them before their work was completed. Only on the assumption that their car bad broken down on the way could Orme admit that they had used a niotor-car. Moreover, how were two Japanese, whose appearance did not indicate the possesion of much ready money how were they likely to have a car. or even to rent one? And had they bcJIcted thnt they tn'cht be purs. led? Would tl'.cy not have cvne to Kvanston by an obvious route i f fsln or trolley? This' ci i d rtions l d Orme to think that the car which he and i!e girl had beard In the distance co.ild not have been occui 'ed by the escaping es-caping Japanese The fellow, then, had probably made for the electric -car line, and In that event he would be well cm bis way to Chicago by this time. The car he bad caught must have gone southward from Kvanston about 10:45. The conductor con-ductor would be likely to remember havtrg hud a Japanese on board; perhaps per-haps ha would even remember when the Oriental had got off. The natural ' inurse for Orme, therefore, was to take a car himself and. If he did not men the other car returning, to get off at the carbarns and make Inquiries. In-quiries. The possibility that the Japanese Jap-anese had changed to the elevated road on the North side was great, but the conductor might remember if the change had been made. Hut Orme did not turn at once toward the car-line. Though his logic pointed in that direction, he was irresistibly ir-resistibly Influenced by a desire to walk eHstward aloitg the drive where It skirted the southern end of the campus. A half hour might go by, and still he would not be too late to meet, on its return, the ear which the Japanese would have taken. He started, then fore, eastward, toward the lake, throwing frequent glances through the Iron fence at bis left and Into the dark shadows of the oaks. lie came to the .lake without encountering en-countering anyone, j The road here swept to the southward, and on the beach near the tunj sqwatted the low-brick low-brick building whlcji the girl had told him was the lil'e-Hnving station. A man was standing on the little veranda. veran-da. His suit of duck was dimly white In the light from the near by street-lamps. street-lamps. "One of the crew," Orme surmised, und be sauntered slowly down the little lit-tle path. The beach sloped grnyly to the edge of the lake, where a breakwater thrust its blunt nose out like a stranded hulk. The water was calm, lapping the sand so gently that It was bard to believe that so gentle a murmur could ever swell Into the roar of a uorthcasler. A launch that was moored at the outer end of the break-water break-water lay quiet on the tldeless surface. sur-face. "Good-evening," said Orme, as the man turned bis liead. "Are you on watch?" The life-saver slowly stretched. "Till 12." he answered. "Not much longer, then?" "No. thank heaven!" Orme laughed. "1 suppose you do get more than you want of It," be said. "Hut on a fine night like this I should think It would be mighty pleasant." pleas-ant." "Not If you have to put In several hours of stuoy after you get through." "Study?" "Yes. Yon see, I have a special examination ex-amination tomorrow." "A service examination?" "Oh. no college." "Are you a student?" "AH the crew are students. It helps a good deal. If you are woikltig your way through colli go." "Oh, I see. Hut surely the university univer-sity hasn't opened for the fall?" "No, but there are preliminary exams, for those who have conditions to work off." Orme nodded. "It's a One campus you have with the groves of oaks." "Yis." "Just the place for a quiet evening stroll I thought I'd walk up the shore." "There's a rule against going In there alter dark." "I there? That's too bad." "t'oii.i tl.iiig funny happened there Just a li;tl.' while ego." I "So? What was It?" Orme was j tt'.ng do'"' lo the subject ho most desired to bear txplained. "Why, one of the cops was walking uloi.g ttu shore and ho found a Japanese, Jap-anese, stunned." "A Jaiiinese!" "lie eviditilly had wandered In there and sonu body had hit him over the head w Ith a club." "After money?'' 'Probably. Tbere've been a good many holJ ups lately. Hut the slugger slug-ger didn't have a .hance to get anything any-thing this time." "How so?" i "He was bending over the Jap when ibe cop came up. He got away." "Didn't the cop chase him?" "No, the fellow had a good start, so the cop stayed by the Jap." "And what became of the Jap?" The life-snver Jerked his head toward the door beside him. "He's in there, getting over his headache." "Is he?" This was a contingency which Orme had not foreseen. Nor had he any desire to come faco to face with Maku. Hut If ho betrayed his surprise, the life saver did not notice It. "The cop Is taking another look through the campus," he continued. "What docs the Jap say about It?" asked Orme. 1 "lie doesn't say anything. It looks :.a though he couldn't speak Knglish. The cop Is going to get Asukl." "Asukl?" "A Jup stink nt who lives In the dormitory." "Oh," said lie. The fact thAMaku would not talk was In a measj. e reassuring. His np-pnreut np-pnreut Inability to understand Kngllsh Kng-llsh was, of course, assumed, unless, indeed, he wn. still too completely dazed by the ilow which Orme had given him, to tu-te a tongue which was more or less strange to hlra. Hut what would he say If he saw Orme? Would he not accuse his assailant, hoping thus to delay the pursuit of his companion? The danger was by no means slight. Orme decided quickly to get away from this nelghbot hood. Hut Just as he was about to bid the life-saver a casual good night, two men came around the corner of the building. One was a policeman, the other a young Japanese. Orme unobtrusively unobtrusive-ly seated himself on the edge of the little veranda. "How Is he?" asked the policeman. "All right, I guess." replied the life-saver. life-saver. "I looked In a few minutes ago, and he was sitting up. Hello, Asukl" "Hello, there," responded the little Japanese. "Come," said the policeman, after an unsuspicious glance -4 Orme, and, mounting the steps, he led his Interpreter Inter-preter Into the station. Now, Indeed. It was time for Orme to slip away. Maku might he brought out at any moment. Hut Orme lingered. He was nearer to the solution solu-tion of the secret If he kept close to Maku, and he realized, for that matter, mat-ter, that by wstchlng Maku closely and, perhaps, following him home, he might be led straight to the other man. If Maku accused him. It should not, after all. be bard to laugh the chargo away. A murmur of voices came from within the station, the policeman's words alone being distinguishable. "Ask blm," the policeman said, "If he knows who hit him." The undertones of a foreign Jargon followed. "Well, then," continued the policeman, police-man, "find out where he came from and what ho was doing on ' the campus." Again the undertones, and afterward after-ward an Inti rval of silence Tin n ti e poiiccu.an spoke la an undeeiih d voice. "If he don't know anything. 1 cant do anything. Hut we might as well get a few more fscts Something might turn up. Ask him whether be saw anybody following blm when l.e went Into the campus." Orme bad been straining bis ears In a vain endeavor to catch the words of AsuCi. Put suddenly Lis attention was diverted by a sound from the lake. It was the "puh puh puh puh" of a motor-boat, apparently a little distance to the northward. TIe explosions ex-plosions followed one another In i:pld succession. He turned to the life saver. "What boat Is that?" he aske-i. "I don't know. Some pMlf from -r 'EisW' v -- - - ,- ' - Getting Away. J "Haven't you forgotten rotuethlng, dr?" asked the anxious waiter, as the thrifty gtnst prepared to depart without with-out bestowing a tip. "No, I think not Here's my hat and here's my cane I don't think I have forgotten anything." "Hut you've forgotten me," said the waiter In exsspetatlon. "Not at all." answered the other. "I saw you standing tber all the time. Hon solr, garcon; bon solr." i As It Impressed Him. Penuchle Wltor What's the general effect of the tew "hobble skirt?" Hridse Editor Well, If It Is the ons I saw on one c-f the elevated loop plat forms the other afternoon Is a correct sample, the general effect Is bard te describe, but the particular effect Is to lower the waist line to a point Just uelow the knees. A good thing needs no p ifTn?. i this truth does not i'i!y to !ei 2 vo |