The Huttig news., 1910-09-03

| close about them. and there was little opportunity for talk He finished his job neatly. and slowed away the old tire.
 She was in the car before he could offer to help her. Thank you again. she said
 If only you will let me arrange it with the Wallinghams," he faltered.
 T will think about it." She smiled.
 He felt that she was slipping away. Give me some clue" he begged.
 Where is your spirit Of romance?" she railed at him; then apparently re- i lenting: Perhaps the next time we meet"
 Orme groaned With a little nod like that which had dismissed him at i the time of his first service to her, she pulled the lever and the car moved away.
 Tumult in his breast, Orme walked on. He watched the black car thread it's way down the street and disappear around corner. Then he gave him. self over to his own bewildering re- i factions. and he was still busy with them when he found himself at the entrance of the Pere Marquette He had crossed the Rush street bridge l and found his way up to the Lake l Shore drive almost without realizing whither he was going.
 Orme had come to Chicago at the request of eastern clients to meet half way the owners of a western mining NX Annex he found awaiting him a tele- gram saying that they had been de- l tained at Denver and must necessari- l ly be two days late. Besides the tele- gram, there had been letter for him "a letter from his friend Jack Bax- ter. to whom he had written of his coming. Jack had left the city on business. it appeared. but he urged l Orme to make free of his North side apartment So Orme left the Annex and went to the rather too gerg ous, but very luxurious. Pere Marauette. where he found that the staff had been instructed to keen a close eve on his comfort All this had hap pened but three short hours ago
 After getting back to the apartment. Orme's first thought was to telerhone to Bessie Wallingham He decided. however, to wait till after dinner He did not like to appear too eager So he went down to the public dining room and ate what was placed before him. and returned to his apartment just at dusk
 Tn few moments he got Bessfe Wallingham on the wire. "Why, Robert Ormel" she ex- claimed. Wherever did you come from7"
 "The usual place. Are you and Tom at home this evening""
 I'm so sorry. Ws,re going ont with some new friends wish I knew them well enough to ask you along Can you have some golf with US at Ara dale tomorrow afternoon 2"
 Delighted. Say. Bessie. do you know girl who runs black touring car?"
 .what?'
 Do you know ta,l. dark girl who has a black touring car2"
 T know lots of tall, dark girls. and CtfEi di VI tnCl1 H1 70 DiCCh lOdit45 cars. Why2"
 ''Who are they2"
 There was a pause and a little chuckle; then: "Now. Bob. that won't do. You must tell me all about 1t to- morrow. Call for us in time to catch the onefour."
 That was all that Orme could get out of her; and after little banter and brief exchange of greetings with Tom, who was called to the tele- phone by his wife, the wire was per mitted to rest.
 Orme pushed chair to the window of the sitting, room and smoked lazily. looking out over the beautiful expanse of Lake Michigan which reflected from it's glassy surface the wonderful opalescenee of early evening. He seemed to have set forth on new and | adventurous road. How strangely the girl of the car had come into his Iife
 Then he thought of the five-dolar bill, with the curious inscription. He took 1t from his pocketbook and ex- amined it by the fading light. The words ran the full length of the face. Orme noticed that the writing had foreign look. There were fiourishes wb1ch seemed distinctly un-Ameriean. | He turned the bill over. Apparent- ly there was no writing on the back. but as he looked more closely he saw dark blur in the upper left-hand corner. Even in the dusk he could make out that this was not spot of dirt; the edges were defined too dis tinctly for a smudge; and it was not black enough for an ink-hlot.
 Moving to the center table, he switched on the electric lamp. and looked at the blur again. It stood out plainly now, series of letters and numbers:
 Evans. S. R. Chi A. 100 N. 21o E. T."
 The first thought that came to Orme 1 was that this could be no hoax A | joker would have made the curious cryptogram more conspicuous. But | what did it mean? Was it a secret