The Huttig news., 1910-09-17
SYNOPSIS.


 CHAPTER L-At the expense of sa'ied hat Robert Orne saves from arrest Il in a black touring car who has ihked traffic jam on State street. He oea. 1ef net and is given in change you pay thn5 s.aen on it. A sec ond time he helps gir in the black %ali5pt,,,.e el and learns that ln n nd Bessie put gets no further hint of her identity. m, m ms rooms at the Pere Marquette he | telephones Bessie Nalingham and agrees to golf al Arrddale on the morrow He dlseoNers another inscription on the marked bill. which, in a futile attempt to ueclpher It, he copies and places the copy Tn a drawer.
 My young friend. Poritol," he be- gan, tells me that you have in your possession the rec~'d of a secret be- longing to me What that secret is. Is immaterial to you and me, I take it. He is an honorable young man exeitable. perhaps. but well-meaning. l would suggest that you give him the fivedollar bill he desires. accepting from him another in exchange. Or, if you still doubt him, permit me to offer you bill from my own pocket" He drew out fat wallet.
 The situation appeared to be sim plificd. And yet Orme was dubious. There was mischief in the bill; so much he felt sure of Alcatrante's reputation was that of a fox. and as for Poritol he was, to say the least, person of uncerta'l qualities Orme could not but admire the subtle man. ner in which Alcatrante sought deli cately to limit his doubts to the mere pass spurious money. He decided not 10 settle the question at this moment
 This seems to be rather a mixed up affair, Senor Alcatrante," he said. There is much more in it than ap. pears. Call on me tomorrow morn ing and you shall have my decision. ]. A1catrante and Poritol looked at each other. The minister spoke: will you engage not to give the bill to anyone else in the interval?"
 T will promise that" sail Orme Tt is only fair. Yes. will keep the bill until tomorrow morning"
 One other suggestion" continued l Alcatrante. You may not be willing to give up the bill, but is there any reason why you should refuse to let l Senor PorStol copy the writing that Is on it?s
 "Only my determination to think the whole matter over before I do anything at all" Orms replied.
 But the bill came into your hands by chance.'' insisted the minister. The information means nothing to you, though obviously it means a great deal to my young friend, here May ask what right you have to deny this request?',
 What right Grme's eyes mar. rowed My right is that I have the bill and the information. and I intene to understand the situation better be ore I give the information to anyone else"
 But you recognized Senor Pori. claimed the minister.
 ''On the face of it, yes. He did not write the abbreviations on the back
 "Abbreviationsi" exclaimed Poritol Please let the matter rest till morning." said Orme stubbornly. T have told you just what I would do. Poritol opened his mouth to speak. but Alcatrante silenced him with frown. Your word is sufficient. MT. Orme,'' he said We will call tomor- row morning. Is ten o'clock too early?"
 Not at all" said Orme Doubt less l shall be able to satisfy you. merely wish to think it over"
 With a formal bow. Alcatrante Poritol following.
 Orme strolled back to his window and stood idly watching the lights of the vessels on the lake. But his mind was not on the unfolded view before him. He was puzzling over this mys- tery in which he had so suddenly be- come a factor. Unquestionably the fve-dollar bill held the key to some serious problem.
 Surely Alcatrante had not come merely as the friend of Poritol, for the difference In the station of the two South Americans was marked. Poritol was a cheap character-use- ful, no doubt, in certain kinds of work. but vulgar and uneonvincing. He might well be one of those promoters who hang on at the edge of great projects, hoping to pick up commis- sion here and there. His strongest point was his obvious effort to triumph over his own insignificance, for this effort, by it's comic but desperate earnestness, could not but command certain degree of respect. Alcatrante, on the other hand, was a name to make statesmen knit their brows A smooth trouble-maker, he had set Europe by the ears in the matter of unsettled South American loans, dexterously appealing to the much-overworked Monroe doctrine every time his country was threatened by a French or German or British